March 3, 2020 The public is invited to Lakewood City Hall Thursday, March 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for a second open house on planned road improvements in the Lake City neighborhood. The open house will be held in Council Chambers, 6000 Main St SW. City staff will be on hand to talk with residents, answer questions and explain …

March 2, 2020 A proposed 1/10th of 1 percent sales tax increase to fund mental health and chemical dependency programs failed after no members of the Lakewood City Council were willing to make a motion to call for a vote. After a short discussion around the options before the council at its March 2, 2020 regular meeting, Mayor Don Anderson …

Feb. 28, 2020 At its regular meeting Monday, March 2, 2020 the Lakewood City Council is expected to review and vote on an ordinance that proposes a 1/10 of 1 percent tax increase dedicated to funding mental health and chemical dependency services in the city. The tax is being considered as part of a separate review of Substitute House Bill …

March 2, 2020 The February volunteer habitat restoration event at Fort Steilacoom Park saw a large crowd: 18 people came to help remove invasive species from the park. Thank you to all the volunteers who came together to help rid the park of these invasive and non-native plants, which make it impossible for native species to thrive. Want to get …

Feb. 27, 2020 From WSDOT: At 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, design-build contractor Atkinson Construction will close the northbound and southbound Interstate 5 off- and on-ramps to Berkeley Street and the existing Berkeley Street overpass. The around-the-clock closure of this interchange to all travelers allows crews to connect the new overpass to the Madigan Army Medical Center gate. During the …

Feb. 26, 2020 The city of Lakewood was awarded the Platinum Healthy Community Award from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department for its Colonial Plaza redevelopment project. Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen accepted the award on behalf of the Lakewood City Council during the Pierce County Regional Council General Assembly meeting held on Feb. 20, 2020 at the Pierce County Skills Center. …

Feb. 26, 2020 Peter King, CEO of the Association of Washington Cities, addressed the Lakewood City Council at its Feb. 18 meeting announcing the city would receive $51,655 from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). The money is a refund awarded to the city as part of AWC’s Workers’ Comp Retro Program, which the city is a member. In 2020 …

Week 6 of the Lakewood MLK Committee’s Hidden Heroes campaign highlights national hero Ursula Burns and local hero from neighboring Tacoma, Harold Moss. With Black History Month drawing to a close, this is the last of the Hidden Heroes. The Lakewood MLK Committee thanks everyone who took the time to read about these influential individuals and who shared their stories …

Feb. 21, 2020 Two open houses are scheduled to share information with the public about a planned road improvement project that will rebuild a 3.5-mile corridor from the city’s western border with Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Gravelly Lake Drive. The open houses are: Thursday, Feb. 27 Thursday, March 5 Both meetings will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and will …

Feb. 21, 2020 From WSDOT: A series of overpass and ramp closures at the Interstate 5 and Berkeley Street interchange will require travelers to plan ahead and use alternate routes at the end of February and early March.  The closures allow construction crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to connect the new Berkeley Street overpass to new I-5 ramps. …

Feb. 19, 2020 The overall crime rate in Lakewood dropped just over 7 percent in 2019 from 2018. Lakewood Police Chief Mike Zaro reported the news to the City Council at its Feb. 10, 2020 regular meeting as part of the department’s fourth quarter reporting. Property crime saw the largest decline in 2019; it went down 14.6 percent from 2018. …

Week 5 of the Lakewood MLK Committee’s Hidden Heroes campaign highlights national hero Kathleen Okikiolu and local hero Lakewood native and award-winning Blues musician Robert Cray. Kathleen Adebola Okikiolu Kathleen “Kate” Adebola Okikiolu was born in England in 1965 to a math-focused family. Her father, George Olatokunbo Okikiolu, was a renowned Nigerian mathematician who is believed to have written more mathematical …

Feb. 14, 2020 Lakewood City Hall, the Lakewood police department, Lakewood Senior Activity Center and Lakewood Municipal Court will be closed Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 in observation of the President’s Day holiday. Regular services will resume Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 at 8:30 a.m.

Week 4 of the Lakewood MLK Committee’s Hidden Heroes campaign highlights national hero Dorie Miller and local hero Lakewood City Councilwoman and president and CEO of the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition Mary Moss. Doris “Dorie” Miller A native of Waco, Tex., Dorie Miller worked on his family’s farm and played high school football before he joined the U.S. Navy. He was …

Feb. 4, 2020 The city of Lakewood extends its thanks to the community for joining together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to kick off February as Black History Month on Feb. 1 at the city’s 17th annual MLK Celebration. The morning kicked off with remarks by Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen who welcomed the crowd, followed by U.S. …

Jan. 27, 2020 Lakewood Municipal Court will operate on reduced hours Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. The court counter will only be open from 1 to 4 p.m. The court phones will be operational from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., but close after 12 p.m. Criminal defendants may contact their attorneys if they cannot wait until the counter and/or phones are …

Jan. 27, 2020 Week 2 of the Lakewood MLK Committee’s Hidden Heroes campaign highlights national hero Lewis Howard Latimer and local hero Dr. Claudia Thomas. Lewis Howard Latimer Lewis Latimer was born in Massachusetts, the son of escaped slaves from Virginia. He enlisted in the Navy at age 15 and fought in the Civil War on the side of the …