Local news
Superintendent: Double levy failure may be ‘most challenging thing district has ever been through’
Yelm Community Schools is officially the only district in Thurston or Pierce counties to fail on both of its levy replacement attempts. The results from the April 23 election were certified on …
Several local vendors make Yelm Farmers Market debut at event’s opening day
Southeast McKenzie Avenue was full of local vendors, outdoor sale frequenters and local residents shopping throughout the morning and early afternoon hours as the annual Yelm Farmers Market returned …
Rainier Saturday Market returns for annual season until September
On Saturdays until September, community members can find different goods from local vendors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rainier Saturday Outdoor Market, 206 Binghampton St. SE, near Wilkowski Park …
RHS booster club raises over $1K for athletics with inaugural rummage sale
Volunteers with the Rainier High School Booster Club didn’t expect the community to donate hundreds of items for the group’s inaugural rummage sale on Saturday, May 4. In preparation for …
YHS senior named semifinalist in U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
Rio Slevin, a graduating senior at Yelm High School, was named one of 625 semifinalists to advance to the final round of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars competition. The candidates were selected …
Beyond Belief: Veterans from Lewis and Thurston counties featured in newly published book on state’s war heroes
The stories of Washingtonian war heroes going back to before World War I can now be found in a newly published book released last month.  “Beyond Belief: True Stories of Washington …
What's Happening: Farmers Market, Art Show, Japanese Festival
Friday, May 10 Prestige Senior Living Rosemont Art Show Prestige Senior Living Rosemont, located 215 Killion Road NW, will host a resident art show from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 10. …
Washington National Guard prepares for wildfire season with DNR training at JBLM
Deep in the forest of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Training Area 13, the next batch of Washington National Guard wildland firefighters honed their skills on Sunday, April 28, in preparation of the …
Yelm’s education levy fails by slim margin
Unofficial results for the April 23 Thurston County special election show the Yelm Community Schools educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy proposition improving from its Feb. 13 special …
New parking lot slated to be built in downtown Yelm
Frequenters of downtown Yelm can exhale a sigh of relief when searching for a parking spot, as the Yelm City Council unanimously approved a construction contract with Nisqually Construction to build …
YHS FFA plant sale sets new record as community raises $33,189 for chapter
Yelm High School’s FFA broke records by raising $33,189 at its annual plant sale last week. Proceeds from the event directly benefit the YHS FFA chapter. Matt Mounts, YHS FFA advisor and …
Yelm City Council approves ordinance code changes to parking, adult care facility
Semi tractor-trailers, RVs and other vehicles that do not carry passengers will no longer be allowed to park on city streets. At their last City Council meeting, Yelm councilors unanimously …
State & Regional News
Braun calls for more legislative action after three infants exposed to fentanyl
Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, has called on the Legislature to take additional action to curb children’s access to fentanyl and other deadly narcotics. The call comes …
Candidate filing week begins May 6
The Nisqually Valley News The opportunity to formally declare candidacy for the 2024 elections opens at 8 a.m., Monday, May 6, online and at elections offices across the state. Mailed …
From Tenino to Bend, Oregon, Love Covers looks to support nonprofits, build relationships through sewing
Sewing has always been a passion and a way to bring people together for Patti Ledesma, of Tenino, and Cathleen “Cat” Wallace, of Bend, Oregon, who have been friends for more than 30 years …
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office warns of increase in scammers
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) warned the community of an increase in scams in which scammers pretend to be members of the sheriff’s office. According to TCSO’s …
Yelm community raises $15K for Lacey woman fighting cancer
The week of March 9, 2024, was one of the toughest weeks of Edith Vanderwal’s life. While watching her son’s soccer game in Aberdeen, the Lacey woman fell down a few sets of bleachers, …
Residents speak out at TCSO forum after hiring of officer acquitted in Manuel Ellis’ death
The roughly 30 Thurston County residents who spoke at the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office’s public forum on Thursday, April 11, had differing opinions on the controversial hiring and …
Area runner after bigfoot report: ‘That Sasquatch running was me’
A recent Sasquatch sighting near Grand Mound, investigated by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), may have been debunked by a Rochester cross country and track athlete. The …
Inslee signs Rep. Wilcox’s bill to study avian salmon predation
Gov. Jay Inslee has signed legislation to study the effect of avian predation on salmon populations in the state. House Bill 2293, sponsored by Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, establishes an Avian …
American Revolution Experience opening at Schmidt House in Tumwater
The Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting the opening of the American Revolution Experience at the Schmidt House in Tumwater, beginning on April 5. The pop-up exhibition includes display …
Life

Yelms Lion Club here to serve

The motto of the Lions Club is “We Serve,” and the Yelm Lions Club has taken that to heart, working to empower volunteers and serve the community. Locally, the Yelm Lions are busy, …

Yelm district honors volunteers of the year

Yelm Community Schools awarded eight of its volunteers as the 2023-24 Volunteers of the Year during its Thursday, April 18, board meeting. Eight of the nine schools in the district chose one …

Christian country artist Luke Yates to perform in Rainier

While people can listen to many recordings of Christian music artist Luke Yates, nothing tops a live performance. On April 19, Yates will be performing at the Rainier Chapel in a free concert of …
A helicopter drops Easter eggs onto Vets Field at Yelm’s American Legion on Saturday, March 30, to celebrate the holiday.

Community turns out for Easter fun Saturday at egg drop in Yelm

Business
Cyndi Doud never envisioned herself as a business owner. She is no stranger to leadership roles in the professional sphere, but when she purchased The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House in April, she …
After a weeks-long search, the Yelm Chamber of Commerce hired Tina Richardson as its next executive director. Richardson replaces Amanda Muñoz, who stepped down last month after more than a …
Customers can have their picks of locally grown fruits and vegetables, baked goods and locally crafted items as the annual farmers market returns to Yelm beginning on Saturday, May 4, at 206 McKenzie …
For years, the Nisqually Valley Home & Garden Show was Yelm’s premier home improvement trade show, kicking off the spring season with local businesses, activities and a car show. The …
Wild Heart Beauty, a family-owned business, opened its doors on Feb. 19 and aims to build strong relationships with community members and clientele as the four family members have set up shop in the …
Sports

Prep baseball: Knox tosses gem to send Beavers back to state

Members of the Tenino baseball team celebrate its 3-1 win over La Center in a Class 1A District 4 semifinal on Tuesday at Castle Rock High School.
CASTLE ROCK – The momentum was flipped on the Tenino High School baseball team’s head on Tuesday night. So Kellan Knox took matters into his own hands. He didn’t throw a warm …
Yelm High School's boys powerlifting team received a championship trophy after winning the state competition on Saturday, May 4.

Yelm boys powerlifting wins Washington state championship

In its first year of existence, Yelm High School’s boys powerlifting team brought home a state championship on Saturday, May 4, at Northwest Christian High School in Lacey. The meet featured …
Marie Essel runs down a tunnel of rackets to celebrate her tennis senior day on May 2.

Yelm girls tennis secures first place in SSC

Yelm’s girls tennis team entered its final match of the regular season against River Ridge on May 2 atop the South Sound Conference standings with an 11-1 conference record and 12-1 overall …
Yelm Unified Soccer huddles in the rain during its final event of the season on May 4 at South Sound Stadium.

Yelm Unified soccer completes season of growth

Yelm High School Unified Sports head coach Emily McIntire has seen the program grow exponentially since taking over in 2018 during its inaugural season. What makes her smile the most isn’t …
Yelm's defense celebrates a clean inning against Gig Harbor on May 1.

Yelm fastpitch back on track with four dominant wins against SSC opponents

After Yelm fastpitch lost 6-2 to the Timberline Blazers on April 23 in a matchup with heavy league championship implications, the Tornados responded by defeating four South Sound Conference opponents …
Ace Youckton, surrounded by friends and family, poses for a photo to celebrate Yelm baseball's senior day on May 1.

Yelm baseball’s offense explodes in 10-0 win over River Ridge on senior day

Yelm High School’s baseball program ended the 2024 season on a high note as the team defeated River Ridge, 10-0, on May 1, following the celebration of three soon-to-be Tornado graduates. …
Johnny Boesch puts the barrel on the baseball against Adna on March 29.

Five Rainier athletes named to all-league teams

Five Rainier High School student athletes earned 2024 Central 2B All-League honors, including three from the softball team and two from the baseball team. Juniors Brooklynn Swenson and Keira …

30 Mountaineers qualify for C2BL championships

Acacia Murphy attempts the high jump in a league meet on April 30.

Rainier High School girls track head coach Rob Henry’s claim that the program hasn’t had such a complete roster since 2005 appears to have more truth to it by the week. A whopping 30 …

Beavers top Knights, inch closer to state tournament

The Tenino baseball team is one win away from returning to the state tournament, as the Beavers defeated King’s Way Christian 9-2 in the 1A District 4 quarterfinals on Monday in Hoquiam. …

Mountaineers make strides in penultimate regular season meet

Acacia Murphy attempts the high jump in a league meet on April 30.

With the postseason approaching, the Rainier High School track and field team is hitting its stride and improving at the right time. The Mountaineers wrapped up its final home meet of the season with …

Opinion
Sen. John Braun in Olympia from the Capitol on Friday, Feb. 15, 2024.

Commentary: Legislators don’t need to address property-tax cap — we already did

Blocking a bad piece of legislation can often be as important as passing a good bill. That’s why Republican senators took a moment to cheer a few months ago when, in the face of intense …
A rooster eyes the camera during the Spring Youth Fair in 2022.

Commentary: Unfortunately, it’s animal fighting season in our state

Unfortunately, it’s animal fighting season in the Pacific Northwest. The Washington state Gambling Commission encourages reporting of animal fighting to help stop these terrible acts. Our …
Letters to the editor can be submitted to yelmnews@yelmonline.com.

Voting down school levy serves no one

Editor, School districts are unique, in that people have the right to engage in something they might not fully understand, leading to real consequences for children and staff. From comments I …
Jaime Herrera Beutler speaks at the Chehalis Eagles Club Annex during a meet-and-greet event organized by the Conservative Coalition of Lewis County as Frank Corbin looks on.

Commentary: Herrera Beutler deserved more respect at GOP convention

For a dozen years, Republican Third Congressional District U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler represented Southwest Washington in Congress with a focus on helping her constituents. Before that, she …

Celebrating 120 years of employer advocacy

In 1904, the ice cream cone was invented, the United States began construction of the Panama Canal, and a group of employers came together in Seattle to form the Citizens’ Alliance, which later …
Obituaries
In Loving Memory of Alice Marjorie Smith 1935 ~ 2024
Marjorie Smith passed away peacefully on April 9, 2024, at her daughter’s home in Yelm, Washington, at the age of 88. She was born to Louis Barons and Nelsie Barons Foss on Oct. 1, 1935, in …
In Loving Memory Of Penny Kleine 1962 ~ 2024
On March 21, 2024, Penny Marie (Sherfey) Kleine passed away in Lubbock, Texas, at the age of 61 from pancreatic and ovarian cancer.  Penny was born on June 25, 1962, in Sacramento, …
In Loving Memory of “Frenchie” - Orval French 1937 - 2023 We regret to announce the passing of “Frenchie,” Orval D. French, 85, of Yelm, Washington. He died unexpectedly Aug. 31, 2024, of natural causes. Frenchie was born Sept. 13, 1937, to Orval E.
We regret to announce the passing of “Frenchie,” Orval D. French, 85, of Yelm, Washington. He died unexpectedly Aug. 31, 2023, of natural causes.  Frenchie was born Sept. 13, …
Death Notice: Timothy Rarick
Timothy Rarick, 71, of Yelm, died April 8 at his home in Yelm. Services were held at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 20, at Heritage Baptist Church, Tenino. Arrangements were under the care of Funeral …
In Loving Memory of Barbara Jean Kiourkas 6/17/57 ~ 2/17/24
Barbara Jean Kiourkas, of Yelm, Washington, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer on February 17, 2024.  She was born in Tacoma, Washington on June 17, 1957 to Happy John Ryan …