Now a harbinger of the South Sound's holiday season, the tradition of transforming from "Self Storage" to "Elf Storage" began one fateful day in 2007.

The Tacoma City Council voted last week to curtail cold-weather and school-year evictions established in the Landlord Fairness Code for certain low-income housing providers.

Nonprofit and private landlords claim eviction bans allow tenants to stop paying rent for long stretches. The Tacoma City Council is considering rolling back renter protections.

Across Washington, cities are grappling with how to create more housing. A policy called Home in Tacoma changed zoning allowances in the city to allow for more houses on one lot.

The South Sound public health agency is expected to lay off 22 employees. A department spokesperson said this was due to expected federal and state funding cuts.

Anders Ibsen ran against Tacoma City Councilmember John Hines to be the community's next mayor. On Thursday Ibsen led Hines by over 6,000 votes, with roughly 1,500 ballots left to count.

As of Wednesday Anders Ibsen had more than 54% of the tallied votes. Tacoma Council Member John Hines had about 45%, but so far has not conceded the election.

Labor groups back Proposition 1, which would raise Olympia's minimum wage and add worker protections. Opponents argue that local employers won’t be able to handle the costs.

The shutdown is being felt across Thurston and Pierce counties. Roughly 14,000 federal workers aren't getting paychecks, and about 35,000 households rely on SNAP benefits.

The Tacoma City Council has expanded the city's camping ban, adding more areas where homeless encampments are prohibited. The proposal passed by a 5-4 vote.