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Stacie and Chuck Rudd of Tacoma dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus for the annual Olympia Toy Run motorcycle rally last year. This year's Toy Run is Saturday, Dec. 7.

9 Things to Do in South Sound This Weekend, Dec. 6-8

This weekend will be filled with the sounds of the season: carols, bells, bands – and revving...

Holiday Lights

Take a tour of local holiday light displays in our online holiday lights database.

South Sound

Families gather among the colorful lights at Hunthamer Park to watch the movie "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer" during the 18th annual City of Lacey Christmas tree lighting ceremonies at Hunthamer Park on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. The event also included musical performance by the Komachin Middle School's United Voice Choir and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Santa pays extra visits to South Sound

A list of South Sound locations Santa will pay an extra visit to this year.

Government

Tina Roose and Teresa Guarjado sign papers for a marriage license at midnight Dec. 6, 2012, the first moment same-sex marriage became legal in Washington.

17% of weddings were same sex in 1st year

More than 7,000 same-sex couples have wed in Washington since same-sex marriage was legalized one year ago Friday.

TUMWATER — Listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Easton Trakel doesn’t wow you with his size and stature, but that doesn’t mean the recently turned 16-year-old hasn’t produced jaw-dropping moments for Tumwater High School.

Business

FILE - Movers pack up a home near Lacey on Oct. 4, 2008. (Toni L. Bailey/The Olympian)

Home sales in county jump 33 percent over November 2012

Thurston County home sales shot up more than 30 percent in November, a stronger-than-usual showing during a month when sales are typically slow, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service data released Wednesday.

Opinion

This undated image provided by Amazon.com shows the so-called Prime Air unmanned aircraft project that Amazon is working on in its research and development labs. Amazon says it will take years to advance the technology and for the Federal Aviation Administration to create the necessary rules and regulations, but CEO Jeff Bezos said Sunday Dec. 1, 2013, there's no reason Drones can't help get goods to customers in 30 minutes or less.

Civilian drones need serious study

Do you tip a drone? It sounds funny, but the future envisioned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos might include unmanned aircraft delivering pizzas to your front door.

Living & Entertainment

FILE - This Feb. 10, 2010 file photo shows a close up view of the statue of former South African President Nelson Mandela outside the Groot Drakenstein prison near the town of Franschhoek, South Africa, where Mandela was released on Feb. 11, 1990. On Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, Mandela died at the age of 95.

AP PHOTOS: Art honoring Mandela around the world

Colorful murals of Nelson Mandela by an Indian artist adorn walls in the cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town. A snow-dusted bronze likeness stands with arms outstretched in London's Parliament Square.