Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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If you don’t have a plan in case of emergencies, now is the time to do so. Like, right now. Why wait? Because it can’t happen to you? Because fire will never reach your doorstep? Because no one in your family will ever have a heart attack? Because freak accidents don’t happen to you like power tool batteries blowing up in the back of your car, starting a fire? Well, those things do happen. When people think of preparedness kits, they get too focused on the big things—the earthquakes, flood, fire...
Picture this. All 208,916 people in Spokane GONE! Over 200,000 fellow pilgrims have already died from Covid 19. Trump’s national plan appears to be “herd mentality”. I think he means “herd immunity via catch it and become immune or die”. Trump gives himself an A+ in dealing with the virus while he holds superspreader rallies, ridicules wearing masks and falsely claims only old people are vulnerable. He muzzles public health professionals while allowing public relations personnel to mess with CDC & NIH data and websites. Meanwhile, he rushes to...
About 800 miles south of my office, the leaders of North Valley Baptist Church in Santa Clara, Calif., are no doubt having conversations about how to move forward. The church, which was mandated to close and remain closed earlier this year due to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Santa Clara county’s decrees, chose not to comply. After moving ahead with what they believed was the mission of the church, they are now faced with more than $52,000 in fines from various governments and agencies. H...
Like other nations, China is struggling with the deadly Covid-19 virus and suffocating under mountains of trash its residents generate each day. Wuhan hospitals generated six times as much medical waste at the peak of the outbreak as they did before the crisis began. The daily output of medical waste reached 240 metric tons, about the weight of an adult blue whale. While the pandemic has dramatically improved air quality because people are working from home and not commuting, it has been a...
Donation are overwhelming facilities, so great has been the outpouring of support from people within and out of Whitman County for the victims of last week’s firestorm. So many items have been given, so many tangible blessings, cups are overflowing. Now that the adrenaline has worn off and the imminent physical danger is past, the community, friends and family, need to be as willing to support the emotional and mental needs of those who have been traumatized. It’s not surprising, nor is it any...
The heyday of the Republican majorities in Congress occurred in 2017. They spent their political capital to reduce taxes, mostly for the rich and the ultra rich. Money is power, power is money, and both work to undermine democracy. All of this is being done to weaken our system of checks and balances, to give Trump and Republicans more power and more money. When Trump was elected, though shocked, some people said that his worst instincts would be kept in check by our system of checks and balances. Let’s review this: Appointees who reported T...
After reading and watching the news online and on TV, it appears that our country is divided into those who care about property and those who care about people, and most astute observers could easily identify which political party caters to each group. Since I have traveled and lived in many different countries of the world – some “developed” and some “developing “ which President Trump called “shithole countries”, I have never seen such wretched living as some people experience in certain parts of the United States. The disparity in...
"Are you guys ok?" It's the first thing we say to each other in the Malden/Pine City area these days. Once that question is answered, it is immediately followed by, "Is your house ok?" We lost so much on Labor Day. Our community's heart got burned up. Malden and Pine City are more than a collection of buildings. They were where we fought for years to get a library and finally got one. It was where we met, all of us for miles around. The Masonic Lodge Hall that burned held every bit of history...
Sitting at the dinner table Monday night, the topic of evacuation came up. One town had been evacuated, one was being evacuated, another was being told to prepare for the order to evacuate. A wall of smoke took up the sky every time we looked out the living room window. There was really no reason to worry—that is, unless the wind shifted south. If our neighboring town was told to evacuate, then the fire had altered course and we may have to face the question of what to take. Although we d...
On behalf of the residents on Catalona Heights in Colfax, we want to salute the efforts of all the firefighters this past Labor Day in combating the fires that engulfed many of our homes and property. We would also like to send a sincere thank you to friends, neighbors, and family for their quick efforts in saving precious photos and personal keepsakes when the thought of losing our home was a possibility. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our neighbors, Jerry and Loree Pugh and their family. Thank you to the wonderful community we live in....
I am a Colfax Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and was on initial attack of the Colfax West Hill Labor Day fire. I wanted to applaud the local citizens who chipped in to keep their’s and neighbors’ properties “wet” as we were attacking the large wind-driven flames. They need to hear their efforts were greatly appreciated. Terry Olson, Colfax...
Most schools in Washington state will remain closed this fall. Some school districts are tightening their belts in anticipation of the COVID-19 budget cuts that are coming. But last week Gov. Jay Inslee bypassed the Legislature and the decisions of local school districts to protect the jobs of unionized school bus drivers. He’s made sure money will keep flowing for school buses that are not carrying school children. Here is the background on his action: In early August, the school districts o...
Not only is the world in the grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic, but America’s western wildlands are burning up as well. Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters California has a dual crises: the massive wildfire complexes and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “At this time last year, California had seen 4,292 fires that burned 56,000 acres. So far this year, we’ve had 7,002 fires that have burned a whopping 1.4 million acres.” California reports more than 660,000 coronavirus cases. In Washington, the gig...
Last week, the Idaho House of Representatives approved legislation calling for Gov. Brad Little to end his state’s emergency declaration. Shortly thereafter, the Idaho Senate followed suit, albeit approving different legislation. Maybe that’s what our governor, Jay Inslee, is afraid of. Maybe he’s afraid our elected legislators will end his shutdown and tackle an ailing budget that he has yet to responsibly address. Or maybe he just enjoys muzzling other political leaders across the state...
With Fair time approaching, I’d like to pass on a great suggestion I heard from one of its supporters. Why not spend Fair dollars (and we’d all have spent ‘em!) on boosting our great downtown businesses? They’ve had a tough year; why not make a difference where we can? Melissa May, Colfax...
In the recent primary, King County overwhelmingly voted for “Unlawful Inslee.” “Unlawful” because a flu-like virus that does not increase the death rate does not constitute a disaster that warrants emergency powers. “Unlawful” because “the governor must terminate said state of emergency proclamation when order has been restored in the area affected” (Revised Code of Washington 43.06.210). “Unlawful” because mandates that suspend the Bill of Rights violate the supreme law of the land. Unlawful Inslee is King County’s pick. The theft of our righ...
In the early 1990s I was a deputy prosecuting attorney for Whitman County. One of the interesting tasks of my position was to be a member of a panel certifying absentee ballots. The other representatives on the panel were the county auditor and a county commissioner. This was before voting by mail, so these ballots belonged to Whitman County voters who had requested to vote absentee, rather than in person. There were never many absentee ballots at that time, perhaps 25 or so, and we would compare the signatures with the voters’ signatures of r...
Okeydokes Quick responses and hard work from county fire departments. Community response during pandemic. Especially the local teachers. Pet Peeves When you put free zucchini for the public to enjoy out in your garden wagon and somebody steals the garden wagon....
Now that college football season is gone for half of the United States, representing the most significant hit to the sports world during COVID-19, it suggests – since we’re still in this – perhaps sports administrators should use part of this time to look at what has been underlined by the past six months. Sports mean something to a society. Even to non-fans, who benefit from the social element and residual effects of a nation’s shared experience. So a few things to look at, how about, with the...
Here in rural Whitman County, we depend on the USPS to deliver medicine, or receiving and paying bills, for communicating with family and friends with letters, cards and presents, and even to receive this newspaper. If I had to use a commercial carrier for these services, the cost would be greater than I could afford. Now, as our mail service is caught up in politics, we need to realize mail service will continue to deteriorate after the election unless federal support is provided soon in order to maintain or improve this essential service....
Sunny summer weather helped restaurant owners and workers recover after they were broadsided by the coronavirus pandemic last March. However, as fall morphs into winter and diners are forced back inside, the big question will be: Are there enough customers to keep what’s left of the restaurant sector financially viable? The worst fears of many American businesses are coming true. With no recovery in sight from the COVID-19 pandemic, 72,842 businesses across the U.S. have permanently closed, a...
