In returning home from the office yesterday, I found over a dozen Alert messages for Yelm from various media throughout Puget Sound with news of a local story that hit the Associated Press national news wire, like this Seattle Times story:
“Elderly couple found dead at home near Yelm, Wash.”

“A Thurston County sheriff’s officer says the bodies of a man and woman believed to be in their 80s have been found in a home near Yelm, Wash. Also found were glasses of a liquid whose fumes made deputies dizzy and nauseated.”

Read more from KING-5 TV in Seattle.

THIS LED ME TO QUESTION:
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR COMMUNITY?

The Nisqually Valley News every week has some horrific crime on their front pages that is beyond the scope of the usual meth-labs and drug associated crimes. Of note recently:

– Suicides
– Homicides
– Murders (one on the bike trail in broad daylight)
– Hate crimes garnering the FBI coming here to investigate
– Vandalism to churches
– Vandalism to our local businesses
– Thefts
– Burglaries to our local businesses
– Domestic violence

Folks, this calls for action!
In the last ten years the City of Yelm has more than doubled in population and with that growth has brought these terrible offenses to our area. Is the down economy having such an affect on our area, too?

I CALL ON MAYOR HARDING TO PUT HIS FEARS & CONCERNS ASIDE ABOUT HOLDING A TOWN HALL AND MOBILIZE A FORUM ON THE CRIME-WAVE THAT IS HAPPENING HERE. WE NEED A COMMUNITY-WIDE DISCUSSION ON THIS ISSUE & INVOLVE COUNTY OFFICIALS, AS WELL..

WHILE WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ON ISSUES OF THE DAY ON WHICH WE DO NOT AGREE, DEBATE WHICH IS HEALTHY IN A DEMOCRACY, WE MUST TAKE CARE OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR COMMUNITY!