1. "Small Towns Help to shape county"
was the title of The Olympian story Saturday, June 27 and had this to say:
RAINIER
Location: 12 miles southeast of Olympia and 6 miles southwest of Yelm
History: Established in 1890, the town of Rainier was named in 1884 by Northern Pacific officials because of its proximity to Mount Rainier, amid the ten al quelth prairies, an American Indian word meaning “the best yet.” The area was homesteaded by Albert and Maria Gehrke in 1890, and there still are many Gehrke families in the area.
Population: About 1,740, according to 2008 OFM estimates.

YELM
Location: Yelm is at the junction of state Routes 507 and 510, about 15 miles southeast of Olympia in eastern Thurston County.
History: The city was incorporated Dec. 10, 1924. Yelm is a Salish Indian word that means “heat waves from the sun.” Yelm was known as a village site for the Nisqually tribe. Since the 1980s, Yelm also has been home to JZ Knight, who claims to channel a 35,000-year-old warrior named Ramtha, and Ramtha School of Enlightenment, run by Knight.
Population: About 5,150, according to 2008 OFM estimates.
Features: In recent years, shopping centers and a cinema complex have sprung up in Yelm. A new library has opened near the cinema. Also, a Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in 2007.

2. Intercity Transit Named Best Transit System in the Country
for its size by the American Public Transportation Association

"In 2006, Intercity Transit [IT] officially set its vision to be a leading transit system in the country, committed to enhancing the quality of life for all citizens of Thurston County.

Three years later, that vision is realized. The American Public Transportation Association has named Intercity Transit the best transit system in the nation for its size. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) presented the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award to just three transit systems in the country this year, based on size categories. Intercity Transit won the title in the medium-size category of transit systems providing between 4 and 30 million rides annually. There are a total of 108 medium-sized transit systems in operation across the U.S....

"Intercity Transit is only the third Washington State system to receive the award and the first since 1991. The award was previously given to Seattle’s King County Metro (Seattle) and Pierce Transit (Tacoma).

'This is a great honor,' stated Intercity Transit General Manager Mike Harbour. 'It’s a tribute to our outstanding employees, the leadership of the Intercity Transit Authority, and our entire community that supports and understands the value of public transportation.'

The Intercity Transit Authority, the only governing transit board in Washington State to have citizen representation with full voting power serving with elected officials, redefined the agency’s credo in 2006 adopting a new mission and vision that reflected its focus as not only a high-performing bus system but as the community’s mobility manager," quoting the IT website.