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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...
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 missed it, each state worker who receives a COVID...
As clashes between wolves and cattle continue this fall, the discovery of six poisoned wolves in Stevens County and the hearing of arguments that could end grazing in the Colville National Forest by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals have created another complication in an already difficult situation managing growing wolf populations. Depredations continue to be confirmed, putting the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in conflict with environmental activists if they issue kill orders and with livestock owners if they...
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 challege 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....
With Russian President Vladimur Putin cutting off natural gas supplies, Northern Europeans are scrambling and reverting to firewood to heat their homes, boil water and cook. It is rapidly becoming a hedge against skyrocketing energy prices and uncertain fuel supplies. Cuts in shipments of Russian natural gas, used to power electricity grids and heat homes is the biggest factor driving rates higher. Suddenly, Europeans are facing firewood scarcities and bulging orders for wood...
Good to see marching band success After years of apple pie fundraisers, clothing drives, local grants and a COVID-delayed auction, the Cheney High School marching band, under the leadership of Director Josh Wisswell, has secured a quality used tractor-trailer to transport equipment and support the Marching Blackhawks. The fiscally-prudent program also managed to gradually replace uniforms while travels were on COVID-hiatus. How rewarding to see the growth and success of this program. These student musicians and color guard...
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-...
As the senator representing Washington State University-Pullman, tuition costs have always been of particular interest to me. The Biden Administration’s controversial plan to “forgive” hundreds of billions of dollars in student-loan debt has brought new attention to the rise in college tuition, and that had me reflecting on debates we’ve had in the Legislature regarding the cost of higher education. In 2007, I led a successful effort to cap annual tuition increases at our state-run colleges and universities. Democra...
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 further with paid and volunteer opportunities. We a...
I recently had the opportunity to review all 50 state constitutions and confirmed an important fact for the current capital gains income tax litigation in Washington. Although most state constitutions mention how real, personal, tangible or intangible property should be taxed, the vast majority don’t define those terms. Of those that define property, Washington’s constitution has the broadest definition. This is why our state supreme court has repeatedly ruled that in ord...
‘Revisionist’ history more complete If the only way you learn history is from the promoted myths of statues, place names or street names, then you have only yourself to blame for your misguided sense of injury. The revisionist history that offends you offers a more complete picture of the history of broken treaties, difficult native-settler relations and broader inclusion of points of view of historical events. History is far more nuanced and interesting than cardboard heroes and white manifest destiny. It is time to pay mor...
In Washington, this year we’re fortunate to have escaped the historic droughts plaguing other parts of the world. The Columbia River basin water system has been at normal levels which is good for our agriculture, hydropower generation, barging, local water supplies, and fish and wildlife. However, 20 years ago we faced the same severe drought that is afflicting the world’s major river drainages including the Colorado, Rhine, and Yangtze. That water scarcity is forcing factorie...
Last week, Fairchild Air Force announced it was erasing Col. George Wright because the history surrounding him is considered by some as 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 to Whistalks Way, in recognition of the wife of Spokane tribal w...
In a recent op-ed, state Sen. Mark Schoesler, alluded to a new “bad law” that prevents law enforcement from pursuing criminal suspects in most situations. He cherry-picks a paragraph from an op-ed in a Seattle newspaper written by one of his senate colleagues, Marka Dhingra, who happens to be the first Sikh elected to a public office anywhere in the U.S.. (The Sikhs are a persecuted religious sect in India.) Also, she has been a deputy prosecuting attorney for King County for 20 years. I looked up her guest editorial and it...
I am the Washington State Coordinator for the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Frank Watson wrote a beautiful column in the recent edition of the Cheney Free Press. He offered kind words honoring the many volunteers who construct these quilts honoring our veterans and active duty men and women. I shared his column with all 450 members of the Quilts of Valor program in Washington and the comments were very touching. Cindy Hoover Olympia...
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 too often food labeling is deceptive. The soci...
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 harm on the 1.1 million students attending...
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 us had relatives who were part of the protest m...
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...
Implausible as it may seem, gasoline powered vehicles can be part of reducing carbon emissions. They need to be part of the solution and not brushed aside. Take for example, Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, there is a fleet of 33 tour buses powered by gasoline engines. Each year, they transport 60,000 visitors mainly across Logan Pass---the park’s famed “Going to the Sun Highway.” Without them, congestion would be much worse and fewer people would enjoy Glaci...
Next year, one of the state’s newly adopted climate policies, the low-carbon fuel standard, will take effect in our state. The legislation requires companies to blend biofuels or fund charging stations for electric vehicles. Although it has increased gas prices in California and Oregon, the governor and environmental activists claim it would cost Washington drivers nothing, while the prime sponsor testified it would cost no more than 2 cents per gallon. “Don’t let anyon...
I just listened to a campaign ad for Patty Murray, who is seeking another term as our senator. She stated she will fight for us for lower prescription prices, inflation, high gas prices, public safety and a cornucopia of problems we face daily. The senator has been in office since 1993. If she is re-elected, that means she has been in office for 30 years. With all of her experience, why is this the same message over and over with no resolution? More to the point, how did she allow all of these things to happen? I rarely hear...
