Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Editor's note: Byrne Bennett is a reporter for the Lincoln County Record-Times. Any opinion expressed in this column is his own and not necessarily that of The Record-Times or Free Press Publishing. President Ronald Reagan once said, "America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere." The members of our Armed Forces are the keepers of that beacon. If not for them, that light would have been snuffed out decades ago. Veterans Day...
Lowering our flags to half-staff is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes, whether they be men and women in our armed forces or police officers killed in the line of duty. It is a vivid reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by those who serve us. Unfortunately, after those flags return to the top of the pole and time passes, we tend to forget that the suffering for the friends and families continues. The loneliness, financial stress, and emotional strain lives on....
It's no secret that crime has worsened throughout Washington in recent years, thanks to laws passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature and a decrease in the number of law-enforcement officers in many communities. While we've seen a spike in many areas of crime, retail theft and other retail crimes are especially a problem. Retail crimes hurt not only stores and shops, but also consumers because these crimes force retailers to raise prices. The Legislature, the governor...
Demand for Electric Vehicles (EV) is soaring — accelerated by climate change concerns. EVs reduce tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and buses which are responsible for 30 percent of our greenhouse gas pollutants. The switch to EVs is worldwide and growing. The Simply Insurance website projects by 2040, 58 percent of global vehicle sales will be electric. In 2021, China’s EV sales jumped to 3.3 million. Chinese government officials told automakers that electric vehicles (EV...
Today is November 1, 2022. The month in which we acknowledge our gratitude and thankfulness for the things we have been given. I believe that gratitude and thankfulness should be celebrated every day. I ask the 2022 high school students that sent out invitations did you express your thankfulness and gratitude for the gifts given to you? Personally when I get an invitation I send out a gift. Of the nine announcements that I received only three students thanked me for my gift. Think about it, only 1/3 thanked me…When you s...
This in follow up to the article written by Drew Lawson in the last publication on October 20, 2022. First off, I would like to say I am that ex-wife of the man with pending charges of rape of our daughter. I am absolutely horrified and mortified that this article was written and I was not notified this was going to be published. Many people have reached out in concern of the material that was in the article. If you have to put a “WARNING: This article deals with highly sensitive subjects, including sexual relations, i...
A window to apply for an exemption from a payroll tax that begins in July 2023 is still open, but it will only be open for about two more months. It closes Dec. 31. If you're one of the people who has private long-term-care insurance (LTCI), purchased before Nov. 1, 2021, you'll want to jump through the exemption hoops available on the "Exemptions" page of the WA Cares website. WA Cares is a mandatory social program created by the Legislature in 2019 to benefit some...
To "Build Back America" key workers must return to jobsites. It is not good enough for President Biden to lean back on low unemployment numbers claiming success when employers cannot find workers. Inflation is a huge deterrent. It has been running at over 8 percent. Last April, the New York Post reported: "White-hot inflation has forced the average American household to cough up an extra $460 per month, as surging prices for food and fuel put family budgets across the nation...
We have a predator problem. And hunters are noting that it gets worse with each passing year. In the state Department of Fish and Wildife’s District No. 1 – the northeast corner of the state comprising GMUs 101, 105, 108, 111, 113, 117 and 121— cougars and wolves kill almost 20,000 deer a year. Hunters last year killed an additional 3,600, bringing the annual reduction in deer numbers to over 23,000. That does not include additional loss by bear, coyote, bobcat, automobile or other mortalities. Fish and Wildlife offic...
Finally, Republicans have settled on an issue besides inflation, opposing abortion, contraception, fair elections, CRT, and books on gender. That is to attack President Biden. Two recent Letters to the Editor in local newspapers are examples of disparaging Biden. Telephone push polls bashing Biden are common. Representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, spent much of her Spokane Town Hall smearing Biden. Her recent letter appealing for donations claims Biden has an irrational radical agenda. CMR says she is for equality and other...
I recently saw a post on Facebook for a film screening regarding transgender people, children, and the question, “what is a woman” that is being held at the church. Surprised that church members are interested in this topic, I watched the film myself. After watching the film, I wanted to reach out to my former faith community and share in the discussion. The film takes a topic that is worthy of discussion and unfortunately, does not give an accurate depiction of transgender individuals, their families, medical providers, or...
I recently commented on negotiations between Gov. Jay Inslee and unions on the upcoming contracts for state employees. As I said before, while I don't fault the proposed salary increases for state workers under the reported deal during this time of high inflation – or even the $1,000 retention bonuses that some state workers will receive – I am very unhappy with one type of bonus that will be given to state workers, as well as how negotiations were done in secret. In case you...
Six-man football. I’d never heard of it before mid-August. When I played football, it was the traditional, 11-man variety. Heck, I didn’t even know there was anything else. Playing for Kiona-Benton, my team always had more than enough players to have mostly different players on offense and defense. But over the last few years, I’ve learned about – and developed an appreciation for – 8-man football. Along with it, I’ve gained a lot of respect for the athletes playing both sides...
For Washington residents, the decision on who to vote for in the race for U.S. Senate should be a no-brainer in the Nov. 8 general election. The fact that incumbent Patty Murray, a westside Democrat, doesn’t want to debate Republican political newcomer Tiffany Smiley should be enough to chose the challenger. But there’s a lot more to Smiley than her bold challenge of the well-funded, career politician. Smiley has a story to tell. It’s a story of standing up for what’s right. It’s a story of defending her family and farming....
As a citizen of Odessa, I have always had an interest in Odessa’s medical delivery system. The reason for my interest is another story. In my conversations with other citizens, I have been asked to express concerns that we agree are important. There has been much leadership change in the hospital administration, specifically, three CEOs in the past three years. Leadership demonstrated during the previous CEOs tenure was the most harmful to the health of the whole community. A lot of good hospital employees have left or were f...
There wasn't much notice for August's webinar hosted by the WA Cares Fund. It was titled, "Long-Term Care Planning for Near-Retirees." I finally went back for a watch. In addition to presentations from government employees about changes that were made for near-retirees in the last legislative session when it comes to WA Cares - the new social program supporters and public agency heads are trying to pass off as an insurance policy for workers, even calling a new payroll tax a...
Here is a simple question: How should we measure the success of climate policy? The answer should be, “By maximizing CO2 reduction for every dollar spent.” This smart approach is standard practice for many private companies. Both Microsoft and Amazon spend on projects that are the fastest and most effective at reducing their impact on the climate. For example, a government subsidy for rooftop solar in cloudy Western Washington costs about $200 to reduce one metric ton of CO2...
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...
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...
