Opinion
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Things to consider when giving to the food bank
With food drives coming up for the holidays, I thought it might be a good time to let all of our generous citizens know what we are in need of. We use a lot of canned green beans, canned fruit, and mac and cheese. Anything you would like for your din... Full story
Raise sales tax to support law enforcement
Thank you, Sheriff Tom Jones, Prosecutor Garth Dano, Grant County commissioners and the various city councils for proposing and supporting Proposition 1. The 3/10 of 1% is the fairest method to fund badly needed additional law enforcement and... Full story
Traffic problems
On Sunday, September 22, 2019, a friend was at a birthday party at a bar about 8 to 9 p.m. Two cars were playing bumper tag. One car pulled off; the other slammed its brakes on, and my friend had to go around him. He therefore followed her home and... Full story
The credibility of the trusted
As I was growing up in the 1980s and 90s, if you read a newspaper you could take it as fact. The same could be said about the local and national news on television. No matter what paper you read or...
Rediscover your roots
Every once in awhile a person should visit his or her roots. I did so a couple of weeks ago, returning to Palouse, Idaho, where I was born and raised. It was the annual Palouse Days celebration, which occurs on the second weekend of September. It...
History of the Keller Ferry
John Christopher (J.C.) Keller was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 16, 1858, and came west in 1882. He conducted the post office and a general store at Hesseltine, northwest of Wilbur and when the...
The wildfire season that wasn't
The Oregonian characterized the 2019 wildfire season as the “season that wasn’t!” That’s good news for West Coast states; however, it doesn’t mean we are permanently “out of the woods!...
Birds are in a decline
Not a day goes by that we don’t see them — if we’re looking. In the trees, on the ground and, of course, in the sky. They are at their most majestic when in flight. Soaring through the lower...
Dams and salmon can and do coexist
There has been a lot of buzz around the Snake River dams. In the decades-old argument, anti-dam advocates consistently point out that if the people of the Northwest love salmon, the dams have got to go. The communities I represent have grave...
Where do you stand? It makes a difference
Recently, we have heard a lot about different people taking a stand. These people from different backgrounds, different educations, different financial statuses and different beliefs have drawn a...
High costs drive people to move
Too often, elected officials overlook the cumulative costs of regulations, taxes and fees on taxpayers; however, it comes back to bite them hard when people move or take matters into their own hands...
Seaton's Grove
Seaton's Grove, seven miles downstream from Grand Coulee Dam, was named for my grandfather, Sam Seaton, who had a small farm here after construction of the dam forced him to move from his homestead...
Four-day work week is madness
They have done it again! The Colville Business Council, in their infinite wisdom, have once again tried to help by passing resolution # 2019-569 and disrupting the lives of the employees. The four-day work week and ten-hour day has been tried once la... Full story
Three weeks in a car with four kids - fun!
Try taking a three-week vacation to Houston with four of your children in your car. Actually, I can’t say enough what a positive experience it was. I had determined where we would be each night and made reservations so the overnight stay...
Senior Profile: LorRinda Richardson
It is that time of year again, and I recently sat down with one of the stars at Lake Roosevelt to give you a sneak peek into a wonderful young lady’s life and future. I met LorRinda Richardson a...
81 Years Ago
September 2, 1938 was the day that the Grand Coulee Dam car skip was completed for use. The $30,000 incline allowed fully loaded railroad cars to be lowered from the regular government railroad, at...
Why people prefer democracy
A wave of protests is roiling Moscow. Millions of people, young and old, have been crowding the streets in Hong Kong. If democracy is on the ropes worldwide, as many voices currently insist, you’d have a hard time making the case from these...
Creating opportunities for agriculture research
With over 300 different commodities, Washington state has one of the most diverse agriculture industries in the country, and we are recognized around the world as a top producer of specialty crops. From apples and tree fruit to hops and wine grapes,...
Business needs to tell its story
Many years ago, a reporter asked George Weyerhaeuser, then CEO of Weyerhaeuser Co., why his company spent so much time and money informing its workers, public officials and people about its business of growing trees and converting those trees into...
A deeper story
There is a historical marker in Northrup Canyon that talks briefly about the murder that took place in 1903. The story is a bit deeper. In the mid-1890s John W. and Caty Northrup moved into the canyon...
Last, best chance at pre-snow fun
Whether you’re lamenting the end of summer or so glad it’s finally fall (which officially starts Sept. 23), events this week offer great seasonal transitioners. The Harvest Festival and Run the Dam now mark a place on the calendar for many that...
Best puppet show by a dam site
Everyone should come to the Electric City Puppet Show before it’s over. You’ll have a chance to watch the Puppet Master work the Head Puppet and the other five. So far, the Puppet Master has gotten all the puppets to close a road, buy a car,...
Interest is good
It is great to see people interested in city government and who want to run for a city position. In too many elections in the past, it has been a one-candidate selection. But remember, change is not always the solution to a problem. Electric City...
Supporting healthcare solutions for rural America
Across the country, we have seen communities and patients struggle to access and afford healthcare. In rural areas, this struggle is intensified by longer distances and the remote nature of our communities. Living in rural America, we recognize...
Working as wildfire support staff was hard work
Where would anyone be without the support staff? My wife and I spent two summers as part of the support staff for firefighters. We worked for Okay Cascade, a firm out of Bothell, that supplied food, laundry and shower services for firefighters. We...
