Top Olympian stories that you may have missed for April 20, 2026

From a new restaurant by a celebrated local chef to a road project decades in the making, here are some of the top stories from The Olympian in recent days.

Here are key takeaways:

• New restaurant from Chicory chef: Celebrated Chicory chef Elise Landry opened Gold Standard, a fast-casual restaurant focused on fried chicken, sandwiches and baked goods, on April 15 at 302 Capitol Way N. in Olympia. The menu includes favorites from Chicory, which closed in December, and the restaurant is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

• $9.5 million Lacey road project complete: The long-planned extension of College Street Northeast in Lacey is done. Some residents raised concerns about speeding on the new stretch of road.

• Thrift store fills 18,000 square feet downtown: Olympia Skoolie Thrift has opened at 415 Olympia Ave. NE, with furniture, clothes, books and household items — most priced at $10 or less. Proceeds support the Skoolie Foundation, which helps people experiencing homelessness, provides free meals and donates furniture to those in need.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.