Unfortunately, too many pragmatic Democrats and Republicans in Congress are retiring at a time when we need them most. Two are from Washington: Reps. Derek Kilmer (D), Olympic Peninsula; and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R), Eastern... — Updated 5/1/2024

I decided to quit my job with Potlatch Forests and move to southern Idaho so I could see my future wife more easily and not have to drive 500 miles on weekends to see her. I guess that’s when I came in contact with Idaho p... — Updated 5/1/2024

What if our president went to the Arlington Cemetery to put a wreath on the unknown soldier and said the soldier who gave his life to protect us was a loser and a sucker? What if our president got out of the service draft about a... — Updated 5/1/2024

When coming from Coulee Dam through Grand Coulee I understand people like to take a left at The Star newspaper building to save time on the way to Wilbur. If it is a safety hazard, make it a four-way stop! Or tell area police to... — Updated 5/1/2024

It’s tempting sometimes to lump people into easy categories. Stereotypes exist for a reason. But if you learn anything from this issue of The Star, it should be this: Labeling groups of “those people” as this type or that one i... — Updated 5/1/2024

Communities across Central Washington have been devastated by the epidemic of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is the leading cause of death for people ages 18-45 in the United States. Dubbed the “silent killer” of Ame... — Updated 4/24/2024

Some deep thinking has been going on, and its helping. Last week, many local professionals in law enforcement, emergency medicine, and other first responders, — the folks who have to live with the possible trauma of a car crash t... — Updated 4/24/2024

For the people that have not followed political history, I would like to give you my perspective as to where the political parties have gone from the late 1950s and early 1960s. (I voted for JFK.) The Democratic Party today is wher... — Updated 4/17/2024

If a dog is man’s best friend, then why can’t a man be a dog’s best friend? I lost my little dog over a year ago. She had been with me for about 15 years. Now I don’t want to pick a fight with people who feel differently about pets... — Updated 4/17/2024

“Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” is on April 25th, and I think we should try something different this year: Let’s take our daughters and sons to grandma’s. The Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation says th... — Updated 4/17/2024

In the United States, one of our most important freedoms is individual choice. However, the Biden Administration has unmistakably signaled its determination to advance its aggressive climate agenda at any cost — even at the e... — Updated 4/10/2024

Ohs and ahs were the favorite two words uttered in the early days when visitors viewed Grand Coulee Dam. My first experience with the dam was in 1948, when a couple of buddies and I escaped the halls of our high school for the day... — Updated 4/10/2024

Carmela Conroy gives eastern Washington voters the unusual, important opportunity to elect a foreign policy expert as their US Representative. As Foreign Service Officer for 24 years, she served in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Norway, Ne... — Updated 4/10/2024 Full story

Last month, I traveled to Anchorage, Alaska for a Maternal and Child Health Conference. This conference brought together maternal health experts and advocates to discuss the heart-wrenching maternal health crisis in our country... — Updated 4/10/2024

When I was growing up in Palouse, I always had a job, or two. One of my early jobs wasn’t one of my best. In fact, it was often dangerous. We had a small bowling alley, six lanes if I remember correctly. I set pins. We didn’t hav... — Updated 4/3/2024

I want to know after several complaints to the City of Grand Coulee, one formal, one handwritten, that after three months of waiting for something to be done, about a rooster in the city limits on Gardener and Bowman St. I live on... — Updated 4/3/2024

For decades, the debate over grizzly bear introduction into the North Cascades ecosystem has raged on, and I have been fighting tirelessly to ensure that the voices of Central Washingtonians are heard. Regrettably, last week saw... — Updated 4/3/2024

Last year I wrote several letters to The Star paper addressing people entering Grand Coulee at high rates of speed from the Bridgeport highway. Over the summer there was no traffic control, but I do feel good knowing the city... — Updated 4/3/2024

One of the things we liked to do when growing up in Palouse was go to the Washington State College baseball games. We really didn’t care about the game, but we went to see baseball coach Buck Bailey kick the bucket. Buck came to WS... — Updated 3/27/2024

Young soldiers sometimes cite a particular military weapon and pose the question: Is that a defensive weapon or an offensive weapon? Almost invariably, the answer is: It depends on the intent of the user. Whether artificial... — Updated 3/27/2024

Sometimes city governments run smoothly, but as they operate with humans in a democracy, rough patches happen. Balancing human needs, egos, ambitions, desires, skills, or a lack of them, all within the confines of public... — Updated 3/20/2024