Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 421 - 445 of 1893
A time to think, reconsider What a free and open society we have: There are a host of laws for gun control and anti-trusts (monopolies) that are somewhat bypassed, too many authorities and politicians, much of the public being overactive and hysterical, business and groups like the NCAA letting politics interfere, internationals trying to dominate the world media, internet, mobile phones, radio, TV and the movies. Peaceful protests are violent and destructive. Medical workers are too demanding and over-cautious. Democrats...
Right now, the only people who can opt out of the WA Cares Fund, a new long-term-care (LTC) program that is supposed to be fueled by a payroll tax on workers, are those who had private long-term-care insurance (LTCI) purchased by Nov. 1, 2021. Their numbers are below. Our 2019 study on the then-proposed law found that between 2022 and 2053, taxpayers would pay more than $30 billion for the state to realize net savings of just over $1.2 billion. We look forward to a new...
If you live in Spokane, you know about its waste-to-energy facility which burns up to 800 tons of solid waste a day and can generate 22 megawatts of electricity---enough to power 13,000 homes. It is part of Spokane’s overall system that encourages recycling and waste reduction along with generating power. But what about the landfills spewing greenhouse gases from rotting trash? Earlier this year, Washington lawmakers approved legislation requiring large garbage dumps to c...
Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week that he will finally end governing under an emergency order — after more than 900 days —on Monday, Oct. 31. When the Legislature next convenes, it should ensure that this type of ongoing emergency governance without affirmative legislative approval never happens again. Whether or not you agree or disagree with every decision the governor made for the last 900-plus days, the fact remains these decisions with vast impact on individuals and...
Over the years, Seattle leaders faced “Herculean” challenges yet found the will, resources, and determination to come together and tackle them. Today’s conundrum is to overcome the city’s growing wave of crime and illicit drug trafficking. Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat summarized the predicament best. “During a time that, one hoped, was going to mark some summer recovery from the social dislocations of the pandemic, Seattle is instead continuing to slide backward-...
Where does all the money for our county roads come from? You may be surprised to know that, in Lincoln County, only about 15% is generated from property tax revenue that is received from parcels of land in the unincorporated areas of the county. Parcels of land in our towns do not pay property taxes for county roads. About 21% comes from the federal government. Most of this money is for competitive projects that the county has applied for as well as safety money for guardrails...
Myth: It makes no difference if one calculates cow feed intake on a dry matter basis or an as-fed basis. Answer: Oh, but it does matter! Okay, here we go! This is one of those topics that probably caused more confusion among my students than most any question I asked them (or had them calculate on an exam!). Let’s make some practical sense of this and how it applies to the real world for cattle producers. Before we can address this concept, we define our terms: As-is (or a...
Just want to compliment the very good impartial and accurate reporting that Drew Larson does! I lived in Davenport 20-some years ago, and this beats anything I’ve ever seen! Thank you Paula Husky...
Since the Davenport Times and Odessa Record merged to create the Lincoln County Record-Times, our two-person news staff has worked together to report on news, community and sports items in Davenport, Odessa, Reardan, Harrington and the surrounding areas in Lincoln County. Leveraging that staff to turn in a small-town weekly paper that goes up against any small paper in Eastern Washington quality-wise has been hard, but rewarding work. Now, we’re looking to expand that even f...
Last week, Fairchild Air Force announced it was erasing Col. George Wright because the history surrounding him is considered by some divisive. In place of his name being associated with a housing area and street, the military opted for “Lilac Village” and “Willow Loop,” respectively. The move comes two years after Spokane canceled the highly decorated Army leader, as well – Fort George Wright Drive was renamed Whistalks Way, in recognition of the wife of Spokane tribal wa...
My husband and I recently got into a discussion about the differences in the labeling of chicken. He saw a post on social media outlining the supposed differences between “pasture raised,” “cage raised,” “cage free,” and “free range.” It is easy to get caught up in the virtuous marketing of “pasture raised,” “cage free,” and “free range” versus “cage raised.” It is easy to imagine flocks of chickens strutting through pristine green fields and foraging for their food, but to...
Twisted Logic Does it make any sense that many of our elected Congressional Representatives, Senators and those down ballot are arguing that the 2020 election was stolen? They were on the same ballots, counted by the same election offices as the presidential candidates. So the whole election must be unfair if we follow the logic. Therefore, if Biden lost, how do these politicians, mostly Republicans, explain their own victories and justify their present employment? Nancy Street – Cheney Critical Race Theory? I want to k...
Gov. Jay Inslee responded to the national COVID-19 health crisis by closing the public schools in Washington state to in-person instruction from March 2020 to September 2021 and allowing them to reopen sporadically the fall of 2021. The governor also mandated the use of masks and other face coverings and implemented social distancing rules in daycares and schools from March 2020 to March 2022. We are now learning that two years of these strict policies have imposed long-term...
If you want a glimpse of parched river bottoms behind “would be breached” lower Snake River dams, look at recent photos of European rivers and lakes. On parts of picturesque Rhine River there is often more dry land than flowing water. Europe is in the clutches of another drought—the second since 2018. It is so severe that countries across the continent are imposing water restrictions. There are massive fish kills and desiccated croplands. Shipping is endangered on the Rhine...
The local news coverage of the celebration for units returning from Iraq and Afghanistan left me with mixed emotions. I was delighted that our fighting men and women were being embraced by our community. At the same time, however, I couldn't help feeling an emptiness as I recalled the lack of welcome for those of us who returned from Viet Nam. We came home to an ungrateful, and sometimes hostile, nation. In some extreme cases, we were spit on as we got off the plane. Some of...
Over the last several decades, many journalists saw hometown community columns as quaint links to how newspapers once operated. But with few journalists left in the Pacific Northwest applying for jobs since the COVID-19 shutdowns two-and-a-half years ago, we’re hoping to revive the idea of publishing content from local community correspondents — no formal training needed. We’re looking for volunteer correspondents who like to tell the world what’s going on in their part of...
There’s a big mystery unfolding in Olympia, but it’s one as predictable as the sunrise. Right now, behind closed doors, the governor and powerful state employee unions are secretly negotiating a pay and compensation budget for the 2023-25 budget. We don’t know what is being discussed. We don’t know what each side is demanding. But whatever they decide, we’ll have to pay for it. And there’s a chance new taxes could be demanded to cover the cost. This process is secret. It...
A report released last week by the Washington State Hospital Association indicates that virtually every hospital in the state is in financial trouble. (here) A recent survey revealed that hospital revenues were up five percent from 2021 to 2022, yet expenses rose 11 percent over the same time period. This is unsustainable. Several, if not many, hospitals are at risk of closing if these losses continue for another year. This includes both rural and urban facilities. Executives...
Thursdays in the summer are often a slower day in the office. The paper has already printed, local folks are getting ready for a long weekend in the sun at Lake Roosevelt and there’s still a week to consider what the newspaper will look like in seven days. Last Thursday, that led to me finally undertaking a long overdue task not done since I’ve been here, at least: organizing the newspaper archives found in our 12th and Morgan Street office. Sometimes, interested local his...
Surprisingly, recent U.S. Presidents and congressional Democrats and Republicans agree America’s economic and national security hinge upon tiny, yet powerful semiconductors. Semiconductor computer chips are the brains of modern electronics that operate our laptop computers, vehicles, and smartphones. They permeate every sector of our lives from farming and manufacturing to health care and public safety. They are embedded in our most advanced military equipment and weapons. S...
The back roads of the Palouse are beautiful this time of year. But there’s a lot more to see if you traverse them on a motorcycle. Last week, after looking at the cost of gas and the weather forecast, I rode my Harley-Davidson to work for the first time this summer. I don’t have a fancy bike; it’s a simple Sportster – no flashy chrome, no windshield or fairing, no saddlebags. It’s kind of a modern day version of the iconic Triumphs James Dean and Marlon Brando rode decades a...
Did you know the governor’s office is currently negotiating pay and compensation with state employee unions for the state’s 2023-25 budget? What is on the table? Will the outcome of these secret talks be no tax cuts for Washingtonians but big inflation pay raises for government employees? That answer is currently a mystery since these government pay raise talks happen in secrecy without disclosure of the financial details until the deal is reached. Why is this secret pro...
For the people living in the Lewis-Clark Valley on the Snake River, Gov. Jay Inslee’s report on destroying four dams tries to offer some solace. After a “thorough review of relevant economic reports and conversations with experts,” the report’s authors have some ideas about how to offset the serious harm that would be done to the community. Reading the vague assurances from the report reminded me of another community hit by the harmful economic impacts of environ...
“But the Constitution does not authorize agencies to use pen-and-phone regulations as substitutes for laws…” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote that and more in his 19-page concurring opinion in the West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (Case No. 20-1530). The Supreme Court recently ruled, 6-3, that the EPA cannot create over-reaching “laws” that bound entire industries; the ruling was released Thursday morning, June 30. The leftwing champions...
Like the old Olympia beer commercials used to say, “I seen ‘em.” No, I’m not talking about “them there artesians” brewing beer in Washington state. I’m talking about “Squatch,” Sasquatch, Bigfoot. He was alive and well in Metaline Falls this past weekend at the annual Bigfoot Festival. The region’s most ardent Bigfoot believers headed to up the Pend Oreille River to investigate Sasquatch evidence, meet the “experts” and hobnob with likeminded individuals. I tagged a...
