Court break-in, Commerce lawsuit, and a push to split WA: Tuesday’s roundup

Stories across Thurston County on May 26, 2026, included a courthouse break-in, a discrimination lawsuit against a state agency and a renewed debate over redrawing Washington’s borders.

Here are key takeaways:

• A 40-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly broke into the Thurston County Family & Juvenile Court, smashed a vending machine and metal detector, and sprayed WD-40 on surfaces in an apparent attempt to set the building on fire.
• Three former employees at Washington’s Department of Commerce filed a federal lawsuit alleging discrimination based on race, gender and age. The lawsuit alleges retaliation, a hostile work environment and wrongful termination.
• Would dividing the state in two be a ‘win-win’ or ‘lose-lose’? Some want a new state map.

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.