News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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As we linger on the dry side of precipitation in our region, it’s prudent to check dedicated weather sources that, as part of their work, speak to near-future weather and wildfire conditions. Let’s start with the Office of Predictive Services at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. A specific comment is made in the June 1 Wildland Fire Potential Outlook that addresses the Northwest region: “The driest area in the region is the Columbia Basin. Green up is variable or compl...
A harrowing experience is behind us, and it is time to commend those who calmed and saved us. First, I have to commend the dispatcher that kept me on the line until safety arrived. I do not know what county she was from. (911 calls here go to possibly four counties.) She stayed with me as the flames rushed us and our gear, urging a water retreat. Our fear was real. We did indeed have lots of help arrive. They couldn’t see us for the smoke. Helicopter pilots and firemen did their best, and we did get away without loss. Within five minutes of c...
I am passing along an extremely disappointing decision from the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB), involving a matter I recently handled. In 1997, Adam Betancourt, then almost 17, along with another juvenile shot and killed an 89- and 88-year-old Quincy couple. The case eerily reminds me of Truman Capote’s movie “In Cold Blood.” Betancourt and co-defendant Donald Lambert killed Homer and Vada Smithson, who had just celebrated their 70-year wedding anniversary. Betancourt and Lambert broke into the Smithson house and began shoot...
When traveling in foreign countries, always expect the unexpected. In Bothell, I met a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong who came to this country but had to leave his wife behind. He was born in Hong Kong and easily fit within the limits of the quota system. He had a sponsor and also a job waiting for him. His wife was born in Mainland China and suffered from a much smaller quota system. I had asked for information on quota systems so I was prepared to look into it when I arrived in Hong Kong. I met his wife, and she said that U.S. officials...
We Americans have long prided ourselves on offering a safe haven to people seeking refuge from conflict and repression. The theme is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Refugees have contributed immeasurably to American life. They include world-changing figures like Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, visionary artists like Marc Chagall, popular entertainers like Gloria Estefan, respected musicians like my Indiana University faculty colleague Menahem Pressler, and...
When traveling, better have some idea of how you are going to get around in foreign countries. In the Orient, no country bests Japan. I have traveled there in taxis, subway, boat and plane. You will find that their operations are on time, and you won’t find graffiti everywhere. When taking a taxi, hang on; drivers like to roll up the fares. I don’t mean cheating you, but they like to take as many trips as they can. They’re just good businessmen. I would get a business card from my hotel and take off on foot exploring. When I got suffi...
For many of us, Memorial Day serves as a turning point in our calendars. The beginning of summer, the end of another school year, and the start of many trips with family and friends. While many of us are looking forward to the new season and the opportunities it will bring, it’s important that we all take a moment to pause and reflect because this weekend of celebration is rooted in the past. This day is intended for solemnity. Memorial Day is a day unlike any other. Since 1868, we have come together with our communities, cities, and towns t...
Think of us as cicadas, the insects you’ve heard about ad nauseam, that live underground for 17 years and then surface to get it on. Well, we humans in the U.S. have sheltered in place for 17 months, give or take, tucked away from the ravages of COVID. And now we are about to find out how bawdy our bodies have become. Now millions of hibernating Americans will emerge, courtesy of the vaccine, to discover how the world has changed. The absence of masks — prima facie evidence of a return to “normal” -- might reveal a metamorphosed society...
Dollar General has become a ubiquitous feature of America’s small towns. The discount retailer is opening about 1,000 stores per year, with more than 16,000 spread across the country. Many local economic developers see the discount retailer as a threat to local retail. Other economic developers argue Dollar General creates jobs and helps keep shoppers in town. I get it. In thousands of miles spent traversing the rural Midwest, I have found myself in small towns with no other retail or grocery options. The irony is that this solution makes t...
My grandmother, Marie Rusten, was born in Norway in 1861. I have spent a lifetime trying to get information about her, while some of it was right at my fingertips all the time. I don’t have much that was my grandmother’s, only two pictures of the family farm, a photo of the church they attended, pictures of her parents, and a little black booklet. I have only fleeting memories of my grandma. She came out West with my parents and lived with us until passing in 1937. I was 7 when she died. She always kept her Norwegian ways, barely learning eno...
President Biden has created and perpetuated a crisis at our southern border, and I’ve seen it firsthand. On Friday, I visited the United States-Mexico border to see for myself what was going on. Based on media coverage alone in recent weeks, it may seem like the national security, public health, and humanitarian crisis has died down. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a farmer, it’s hard to imagine not being able to walk through your orchards or fields without carrying a weapon, but in El Paso, that’s the reality. Cartels are the o...
Spring is here and the planning for the 2021 Okanogan County Fair, Sept. 9-12, is in full swing! Are you ready? Have you thought about the projects you will be entering? Now is the time to begin planting if you are interested in entering flowers, vegetable and/or fruits. Remember, the biggest pumpkin takes time to grow! Do you have your livestock project if you are taking one? What is your feed schedule/program to ensure they make weight? What will your educational display teach the spectators at the fair? Our Queen Whitney Wilson has been busy...
This year will be the 20th Anniversary of the First Nations People crossing the border on Osoyoos Lake, paddling cottonwood dugout canoes from Osoyoos to Oroville. The crossing is to let all our People and the local communities to know and remind them that the border between the two countries has never and will never separate our People. The ceremony is held sacred in our hearts. Many Bands and Tribes are joining the Okanogan People helping us celebrate unity of the People of the First Nations. Herman and Joanne Edward are the ones that have...
While working at the Star, I learned early on just ask Gwen Hilson. She has worked at the Star for a zillion years and under three owners. When writing about people or places you always come up with questions,and it’s easier to ask Gwen than find a source that will provide answers. Gwen knows just about everyone and how they are connected to other people — where the skeletons are buried, so to speak. Not only is she a treasure trove of community knowledge, she can do several things at the same time and not lose a beat. She not only solves a l...
There’s been a lot of talk about our dams over the last few weeks, and I want to make it abundantly clear: Any “solution” for our salmon population that includes removing the dams on the Lower Snake River is a nonstarter. Rep. Mike Simpson’s proposed Columbia Basin Initiative seeks to breach the Lower Snake River dams in an attempt at boosting the native salmon population – while ignoring the very real issues, and solutions, that are impacting our fish populations. Our native fish species and the Lower Snake River Dams can — and do — coexist....
Although New Zealand and Washington are located half a world apart, they have lots in common — beautiful seashores, majestic mountains, crystal clear streams and lakes, and — vibrant salmon and trout fisheries. Both are struggling to rid their air sheds of CO2 and other greenhouse gases coming from the burning of carbon fuels (coal, natural gas, gasoline, and diesel) in vehicles, home heating and electric-power generation. New Zealand and Washington share a common goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050. The good news is both are endowed with lot...
Bumble bees are easily recognizable thanks to their loud buzz, fuzzy appearance, and distinct color patterns. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, nearly 50 different species play a role in sustaining our environment’s health. Their pollination contributes to a successful harvest and helps maintain diverse plant communities. Unfortunately, many bumble bees are experiencing dramatic population declines and face an uncertain future. While these declines are not fully understood, contributing factors include habitat loss, pesticide use, climate c... Full story
In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Harrington recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021. “This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the li...
While our four kids were home, we always tried to take a good family vacation. One year we took a month, and in our Chevy Impala we took off for an intended trip to Houston, Texas, then over to San Diego and up the West Coast. I mention the Impala because there wasn’t a center console, and we had wide seats front and back. That put three in front and three in back with a rotation system so everyone had a chance to sit in front. We took off through Idaho and stopped at my wife’s folks’ and family. Then we were off to Utah, and started poppi...
When Congress established the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) in 1935, it was intended to provide temporary and partial income replacement for workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It was supposed to be a “bridge” to a new job and not “in lieu of compensation” to remain jobless. The coronavirus pandemic produced massive layoffs. The resulting economic downturn swelled the ranks of unemployed Americans by more than 14 million — from 6.2 million in February to 20.5 million in May 2020, Pew Research reported. The unemp...
When Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that he and state public health leaders had decided to go easy considering a dreaded possible rollback to more restrictive public safety measures, no sighs of relief left his critics’ lips, just more grumbling. After watching case rates rise for weeks, public health quantifiers noted the trend had plateaued, leveled off. Critics of Inslee’s approach in deferring to public health experts and letting science guide the state through the pandemic, might have been expected to be glad they’d finally come down...
Damon Landeros is my great grandson. He’s really more than that; he is one of my best friends. Damon is a frequent visitor to our home and has the run of the place. He has two TV locations, the computer, and of course, the refrigerator. He has also been a great help around the house and does things to help without being asked. He has been here for almost all of the Gonzaga games, and probably knows more than anyone about Gonzaga’s program, except for Mark Few. He knows all the players, their numbers and most of their statistics. During the gam...
Climatologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s office of National Centers for Environmental Information are recalculating the nation’s Climate Normals covering the span of 1991-2020. This process occurs every 30 years. It started in 1935 when the International Meteorological Organization, now called World Meteorological Organization, asked its nation members to calculate “climate normals” using a 30-year period, starting with 1901-1930. For the first time, the update w...
Millions of Americans tuned in last Wednesday night to see what President Biden had to say about the first 100 days of his Administration and his plans for our country. Unfortunately for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural communities like ours in Central Washington, he had little to offer. Instead of discussing real, concrete solutions that would help our farmers and ranchers through the recovery of a global pandemic, the President spent two hours pontificating on his radical agenda and social welfare programs. It would be irresponsible to...
Sunshine is so seductive, which you certainly know if you ever went to a school in springtime with windows in the classroom. It can ruin your focus, draw you out, trash the best of intentions after a long, dark winter just ended. Happened every year for me in grade school. I feel like that now, freshly, fully vaccinated more than a year after entering the battle against the pandemic, everywhere is begging to be a destination. Can’t really blame anybody for wanting to throw caution to the wind. Fortunately, that feels close to the r...