"We apologize for the inconvenience. With typically dry and sunny days, August is prime construction time in the Northwest,: said Michael Mucha, public works director. "Our goal is to complete City projects as efficiently and quickly as possible."

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Weyerhaeuser's move next spring to the Port of Olympia will more than double daily log truck traffic on city streets in Olympia. The forest products company will add 75 trucks a day to port traffic and bring the total number of trucks visiting the port each day up to 125.

OlyBlog is a website devoted to hyperlocal news about the Olympia community. The intention of this site is to create a place for reporting and discussing news and events specifically about Olympia. You may participate by submitting a story, picture, or comment. No story is too small. Get out your digital camera and post a picture or video. You may also participate by creating your own blog where you can voice your opinion on your own terms. We're especially interested in information about local music shows, meetings, political organizing and events, art openings, or other topics of social or cultural interest.

The tools of citizen journalism:

• For still pictures -- Flickr
  Some folks have already been posting their pics on Flickr, and sending me the link. This works really well (especially if the pictures are designated as a "set"); then I can post a link to a slide show on Flickr. This is a quick and easy way for folks to get a sense of what happened at a particular event.
  
  
• For video -- YouTube/Google Video/Blip
  I recommend that EVERYBODY with a video camera go set up an account with a video hosting service. YouTube/Google Video/Blip allow you to upload your video very easily, which can then be embedded in the blog. (Try to set up a "Director's Account" at YouTube; they're free and you can upload unlimited amounts of video.)

Think about the comprehensive coverage that we could create with many citizen journalists collecting footage from their own vantage point. We, as a community, could create something so interactive and powerful that conventional media would become virtually obsolete.