Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 110 - 134 of 1962
As working families, elders and disabled folks worried about how they would eat if SNAP benefits were not issued in Novembe, Repr. Michael Baumgartner posted about his staff volunteering at Second Harvest. While volunteering is lovely, that’s not what we need from our elected representatives, not when they hold the power to either strengthen or dismantle the social safety net. Volunteering at and donating to food banks, filling little free pantries, spotting neighbors grocery money, hosting community meals — that is what goo...
The state has a protocol for the removal of wolves that have repeatedly attack cattle. When activist groups or others disrupt that protocol, it erodes trust in the policy and the agencies implementing said policy. In the Sherman Pack territory in Stevens County, along with much of the northeastern region of the state, the federal government has already de-listed wolves from the endangered species list. It’s time the state does the same. The wolf population in the region is significant enough to be stable and treating the a...
As working families, elders and disabled folks worried about how they would eat if SNAP benefits were not issued in Novembe, Repr. Michael Baumgartner posted about his staff volunteering at Second Harvest. While volunteering is lovely, that’s not what we need from our elected representatives, not when they hold the power to either strengthen or dismantle the social safety net. Volunteering at and donating to food banks, filling little free pantries, spotting neighbors grocery money, hosting community meals — that is what goo...
“The U.S. market-based economic system where people, not government, decide what is produce and marketed is still the world’s “beacon of hope!” Poland and the United States are like two trains passing each other heading in opposite directions. Poland embraced our market-based economic system while America is drifting toward socialism and more government control which tend to stifle job growth, business opportunities, and prosperity. It comes down to affordability. Policies and government decisions impact peoples’ ability t...
A recent breach once again underscores the tension between age-verification requirements and data privacy in laws seeking to protect children online. When I wrote a few months ago about the unintended consequences of the UK’s data-privacy law, I warned that the very effort to protect children online can compromise their data. A new example has now emerged: a third-party vendor used by Discord was breached, resulting in the leak of private user details, including government IDs. Discord is an online platform where individuals...
The disconnect between the farm gate and the dinner plate has long been a concern for “ag-vocates” who’ve noted more people are unable to connect directly with reasons why agriculture is important. The recent announcement from Lays Potato Chips that 42% of consumers did not know that chips were made of real potatoes should maybe not surprise anyone. Yet, it is a shocking statistic. The data comes from a survey conducted by PepsiCo, Lays’ parent company, as part of a consumer and brand study. In our state, the nation...
For the past eighteen years, I have had the privilege of serving the patients and families of Odessa at Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center. This community has been my second home, and caring for its people has been the most meaningful part of my career. I have been honored to share moments of joy, offer comfort during times of loss, and work alongside dedicated nurses, nursing assistants, providers, and staff who strive every day to provide quality care close to home. As I prepare to leave my role at the hospital, I feel...
If you think Olympia’s thirst for taxes couldn’t get any worse, get ready. Democrats in Olympia are discussing a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million dollars which along with high earning individuals, affects the vast majority of small businesses in in the state. The tax calculation is purportedly based on Adjusted Gross Income, which means any small business (depending on the business tax structure) that makes over $1 million will be taxed, even if business expenses are close to or exceed the threshold. It will eff...
During his first year, President Trump has been globetrotting attempting ink trade deals, repair tattered relationships, and attract manufacturing back to America. However, no mission has been more crucial than his recent trip to South Korea, Japan and China. Behind the bluster of new “reciprocal” tariffs was the simple fact that China is not only a manufacturing, trading and military challenge but it is our primary supplier of strategic metals. Not only is America short of RARE minerals, but metals such as iron, copper and...
Trying to "fix" the cost of beef is anti-agriculture and anti-free market. President Trump recently suggested the U.S. would purchase beef from Argentina to flood the American market and drive the cost of U.S. beef down. That plan is absurd. The comments came over the weekend while the president was flying from Florida to Washington D.C., according to several media reports. The plan to drive down the cost of American beef prices by purchasing Argentinian beef and dropping it...
Upthegrove should fulfill forest protection promise Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove was elected on a promise to permanently protect 77,000 acres of legacy forest. Yet, his Day 1 action was only a temporary pause, not a true moratorium. Last month, when he held a press conference to announce “permanent protection” of those 77,000 acres, the map told a different story. It was riddled with mistakes — protecting only part of the promised acreage while putting 29,000 acres, including some of the most ecologically valua...
Navigating health insurance can feel overwhelming, especially when headlines are swirling, federal rules are shifting and new plan options are entering the mix. With so much noise in the headlines, it's completely normal to feel overwhelmed. Whether you're already enrolled in an individual or family plan or shopping through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (wahealthplanfinder.org) for the first time, we've outlined the key updates and important areas to keep in mind...
Baumgartner is on wrong side of shutdown Rep. Mike Baumgartner’s current radio ads dissing the shutdown miss the point entirely (on purpose). The shutdown has occurred because Democrats are standing up for the rights of Americans. Terms of the current federal budget call for massive health care cuts, massive tax benefits for millionaires and billionaires, pitiful tax benefits for middle-income citizens, and zero tax benefits for low-income people. Mr. Baumgartner voted for this horrible budget, against the best outcomes f...
With the haunted howls of Halloween looming, it’s time to talk about safety. Even if you are dressed as the invisible man make sure your costume is well lit and you are carrying a flashlight while trick r treating. Use ghostly caution while crossing the street and make sure to look both ways! Use the buddy system and don’t go out alone. Never go inside a stranger’s house especially if it’s haunted. Check candy at the end of the night, removing all candy corn because honestly, it just tastes bad, and nobody likes it. Hope ev...
There's an old saying that hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue - and nowhere is that more apparent today than in the far left's latest crusade: the "No Kings" movement. These activists claim President Donald Trump - who won both the Electoral College and the popular vote in the 2024 election - is destined to rule like a dictator. They warn that American democracy will crumble under the weight of the "evil orange man's" ego. They rail against "authoritarianism" and...
The mood of the nation is ugly and getting worse. Deadly violence from guns, knives, fire-bombings and vehicles is rising. Social media is toxic. Things have to change for all of our sake. The tone of the discourse is hateful. For those of us who started as journalists in the late 1960s, we are left wondering if public trust can be restored and civility is again possible. Over the last 40 years our family has vacationed at the same place on the beach. While the buildings have been refurbished, the complex is still largely...
New legislation is unleashing a slew of new sales taxes on services, courtesy of Senate Bill 5814, designed to plug a self-inflicted budget black hole at the expense of hardworking entrepreneurs. From freelance IT consultants to mom-and-pop temp agencies, the ripple effects of this 6.5% (plus local add-ons up to 10.5%) tax increase on previously untaxed services like advertising, security and software development is already proving catastrophic. More than 90,000 businesses must now scramble to comply, but it’s the little g...
On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, while attempting to enter Peak Fitness for a scheduled physical therapy appointment, my wife tripped on the street-to-sidewalk curb and fell while using her walker. She scraped her leg and knee; we were fortunate it was not more serious. There is no wheelchair/walker-accessible curb ramp along the sidewalk in front of Peak Fitness. As a result, people with mobility challenges cannot safely move from street level to the sidewalk. Although there are curb ramps at the crosswalks at both ends of...
Federal cuts will affect medical costs It’s come to my attention that lots of people don’t know the impact of the new federal budget on our way of life. The upshot of this budget is that Medicaid is being cut horrendously so that millionaires and billionaires can have huge tax breaks. Middle-class and low-income folks will bear the brunt of this catastrophe by losing income and by paying higher taxes. Some clinics in the northeastern U.S. have already had to close because they are no longer funded by federal monies, whi...
Now more than ever, our young people need economic opportunities and the life lessons they offer. While we know not all jobs are meant to be careers, each one offers an important experience. Jobs provide our youth structure, accountability, social interactions, and an escape from their online world. The job of state lawmakers should be to foster an environment that enables employers to thrive and offer these opportunities. Unfortunately, policies from Olympia have pushed our state in the wrong direction. House Bill 1644,...
Like a lot of my generation, I am a movie fan. I grew up sitting in front of movies on the television and movies at kid’s matinees on Saturday afternoons. Because of this, movie lines will come to me at times that seem random and disjointed. A book lover may quote Hamlet’s “Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well,” when hearing about the passing of someone they knew. My head will fill with a scene of a handful of mobsters on a couch with an open package of dead fish on a bullet-proof vest and think, “He’s sleeping with the fi...
Letter to the editor, I would like to give a shout out to the doctors, nurses and staff at our Lincoln County Hospital! Years ago, when my kids were growing up, my husband and I frequently & unfortunately had many visits to the emergency room. You know kids, whether a bad flu, stitches, or anything that can worry a parent enough to travel for an emergency. As the kids got older and visits became fewer, I had forgotten how lucky we truly are to live close enough to a community with a smaller hospital. On August 11th I had an...
Two myths in agricultural labor continue to persist: H-2A visa labor is cheap and there are enough Americans to cover the needs of U.S. farms. The H-2A visa program, which provides legal working status to agricultural workers from abroad on a temporary basis, is a federal program administered by individual states. It is designed to be a last resort. The program requires farmers and ranchers to prove there are no local workers to fill available jobs in agriculture. First, Employers must advertise for a local workforce for a...
Water engines and sand batteries are novel ways to cut CO2 emissions and reduce China and Russia’s grip on vital energy materials. China, the world’s top miner and refiner of 17 rare earth metals (RARE), can chock off our supply whenever it feels it can leverage our country and allies around the world. It did so last June. Meanwhile, Russia cutoff natural gas and oil to the European Union (EU) when its army invaded Ukraine. To combat those embargos, Japanese automakers are devising ways to reduce the dependence on lit...
News of Charlie Kirk’s murder reverberated through the nation like thunder warning of storms to come. Kirk was an iconic superstar, a self-taught young man with endless energy, a quick wit and a charming, boyish smile that attracted massive crowds at college campuses. His trademark was to sit behind a table with a microphone and “debate anyone.” Students would challenge him on everything from hot-button topics like abortion, transgender policies and DEI to his support for capitalism, his religion — even which Star Wars se...
