New Italian restaurant, Jungle update, Tumwater brewery warning: May 21 roundup

Stories in Thurston County on May 21, 2026, included a new dining destination in Lacey, safety concerns at an abandoned Tumwater landmark and a tight deadline for homeless residents in Olympia.

Here are key takeaways:

• Restaurateur Rick Nelsen is opening Bottega, a new Italian restaurant in Lacey with a soft opening June 9, featuring handmade noodles, wood-fired pizza and a menu that fits on a single page.
• The Tumwater Police Department is warning the public about a social media trend encouraging trespassing at the abandoned Olympia Brewing Company campus, citing unstable structures, hazardous conditions and potential arrest for those who enter the property closed since 2003.
• The City of Olympia posted flyers giving residents of the Jungle encampment until May 28 at 3 p.m. to add their names to a by-name list for future housing offers, a timeline that service providers say is too tight.

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.