Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 694 - 718 of 3749
The President is concerned about the economy, as well he should be. Our Governor is concerned about the disease spreading across our state and nation, as well he should be. We are in the midst of a global emergency, both medically and economically. The data for almost anywhere but China show that the pandemic has yet to level out. The rate of new cases continues to rise. Hundreds of patients are dying each day in Italy, Spain, Germany and across Europe. I agree with the scientists when they warn about the potential impact on the homeless. I...
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” —Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote often arises in the context of government overreach. In this age of Wuhan Flu —or COVID-19, as those pushing political correctness would say —it still applies today. On Monday evening, Gov. Jay Inslee followed the lead of California Gov. Gavin Newsome and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in ordering residents to remain in their homes...
Pet Peeves: Colfax Park Department hiring extra help so they don’t have to work themselves. Bring back the full page trivia! Especially while everyone is stuck at home. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office...
I very much agree with Kiah Miller’s letter regarding the immorality of calling COVID-19 the “Wuhan Flu”. So I was dismayed to see 2 articles in the same issue written by the new WCG publisher, Roger Harnack, again repeating this phrase. Mr. Harnack, would you please explain your reason for continuing to do so when this is an affront especially to our Asian-American community members? Elaine Hickman, Seattle...
Car accidents and the seasonal flu differs significantly from COVID-19 that comparing the deaths from them is dangerously misleading. The two key differences are the time span during which they impact our healthcare system, and the second is how contagious they are. First, car accidents happen throughout the year. Sure some long weekends increase car accidents and inclement weather increases the number, but generally it is below the capacity of our healthcare system. It is obvious, but must be stated in this comparison. Injuries from car accide...
Washington State Democrats have submitted a bill (SB 5395) to mandate sex education in schools grades K to 12 without the approval of parents or guardians. This should be a big help for those Democrats who want our children to learn that if they get pregnant they also have the right to get abortions to kill their babies. Democrats, what is your next brilliant plan? Could it be we also need to have mandatory training in our schools on how to use a gun to shoot each other? That way we can be assured that those children who haven’t been taught t...
Chris Armitage is running as a Democrat for Representative in the 5th Congressional District against Cathy McMorris Rodgers. He is well-educated with a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Master’s degree in homeland security. He has been trained in the military and has spent seven years in the Air Force, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, so he knows the 5th District very well. In addition, he has also been deployed to the Middle East, so has first-hand experience living and working in that region. Chris has well-defined and art...
Some years back, in the biggest town in a small county outside our 9th District, there was a clothing store. Upstairs was the office of the area's weekly newspaper. Week after week, year after year, the clothing store published the same advertisement in the newspaper, displaying its name, address and a drawing of a coat rack, to signal what people could buy there. No brand names, no sale prices, nothing else. The message this ad sent was clear and reassuring: "We're still here." It's a complete...
An area teacher encouraged her students that while they are stuck at home, they write down what is happening and how they are feeling. She pointed out that they are living what will be history someday and should document it. The old adage is, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So, if the events of today will be chronicled in history books tomorrow, what are you learning? Is it a time management lesson as you have to schedule laundry and office emails around high s...
I want to express condolences to all of us for recent losses in our local and regional community: 1. The retirement of Gazette Editor Jerry Jones, whose name became synonymous with the Colfax Gazette (Whitman County Gazette) and who was the trusted and unfailing reporter and photographer who chronicled our county sports, the county fair and decades of events that defined our community; 2. Fonk’s, a centerpiece building in our Main Street historic district that fell victim to a fire last week. In the earlier years, Fonk’s was the five and dim...
My second job out of college was editing a weekly newspaper, The Honeoye Falls Times, in a village outside Rochester, NY. That was 1962, light- years ago. Today, in the Age of Internet, I still appreciate the homespun quality of hometown newspapers. The Gazette provides meaningful information to a sparse rural population. Sadly, many small newspapers are either failing outright or are being gobbled up by faceless corporations. In contrast, I like what I’m seeing at the Gazette. It appears that Free Press Publishing and Roger Harnack, your n...
“Uh, this is Jerry Jones here at the Gazette,” how many times I’ve heard that over the years. Jerry Jones wanted his stories to be accurate and thorough. Many times, as did others, I got a call from Jerry, wanting to verify and add to information he’d gotten in an obituary. Or he wanted to supplement news of an area alumni who had achieved something great beyond Colfax or Whitman County. What will I do without Jerry Jones at the Whitman County Gazette or Daily Bulletin? I will miss his daily trek for the latest happenings at the courtho...
I am writing to implore you in your editorial work about the coronavirus outbreak to impress upon people in no uncertain terms that they must take this seriously. We are going to be in a world of hurt anyway, but ignoring the Governor’s STAY AT HOME order is only going to make it worse – more deaths, including putting healthcare workers in more jeopardy than they already are by overwhelming the limited capacity we have to care for those needing hospital care. This needs to be made real to people! Ignoring the Governor’s order to STAY HOME...
I am writing to express my immense disappointment in the decision to include references to COVID-19 as the “Wuhan flu” or “WuFlu”, as included in the “Gazette takes measures, continues coverage” article in the March 19, 2020, edition of the Whitman County Gazette. Even if written or said in passing, it is unacceptable to refer to this virus by any name that ostracizes a group of people, for it paves the way for racism and false narratives about large groups of people who did not have anything to do with the virus. I know that the Gazette and...
The efforts to contain COVID-19 have disrupted basic aspects of daily life across southeastern Washington―and for good reason. But if we’re not vigilant, this virus will wreak more social and economic damage than it must. It will distract us. Recently, federal agencies released a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the 14 Columbia and Snake River dams. The last day to comment―April 13―is fast approaching. As the Tri-City Herald Editorial Board recently wrote, “The coronavirus eventually will pass, but the future of our region depends on wha...
I would like to thank, as Mr. Rogers would say, all the "helpers". I apologize because I will overlook someone. Thank you to those who work in healthcare, garbage collectors, all school employees, grocery store, post office, firefighters, government, and everyone else. I know everyone is trying their best during this stressful pandemic. Bless everyone and their family and friends who may be at risk or suffering. My dad used to tell me that if I caught crabs and put them in a 5 gallon bucket, I would never have to put a lid on to keep them in...
Study after study shows the importance of social connection to overall health, especially mental. With the current emphasis on social distancing and fears of spreading disease, it can be easy to forget the importance of maintaining that aspect of our mental health. While we rejoice in our wireless accomplishments, we remain a herd animal drawn to the company of others. Sadly, those most needing to distance themselves are the ones that already suffer from isolation. Some elderly individuals alrea...
If you think the run on toilet paper is just an American thing, think again. On March 10, Business Insider (BI) reported: “The spread of the coronavirus has brought with it panic-buying of food and household essentials, despite the attempts of governments to discourage stockpiling. But no item has made more headlines than the humble toilet roll.” “From buying enough toilet rolls to make a throne, to printing out blank newspaper pages to serve as extra toilet paper, people have had a seemi...
Sex education is complicated because biology is complicated. We should base education on truth, to the extent that we can discern the truth. I'm not going to give an opinion, because my mind can not encompass the intricacies of genetics. Here's what I found on the first website I dove into. I'm now dizzy, and not going back for more! It begins with "Research suggests that..." It's not simple xx and xy. It's 46XX and 46XY and 45X and 45Y and 47XXX and 47XYY and 47XXY and 49XXXXY and "some males are born 46XX due to the translocation of a tiny...
Unintended consequence or bureaucratic power grab? Given the things being ordered behind locked doors of government offices, I’ll take the latter. Tonight, March 25, when the clock strikes midnight, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is banning all fishing and boating statewide. This closure comes on the heels of a previous order to ban all camping on publicly owned, state-managed lands. The closures, Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say, is in keeping with Gov. Jay Inslee’s Mon... Full story
Engrossed Senate Bill 5395, the sex education bill mandating “inclusive” curriculum beginning in kindergarten has been hotly contested this legislative session in Olympia. But with the House and Senate both backing the bill, it’s likely to become an issue locally. Under the bill sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, an openly lesbian Democrat from Federal Way, all public schools statewide would be required to start teaching a curriculum that includes gay, lesbian, transgender and other “protected cla...
Nobody knows how deep the impact of the coronavirus will be, but one thing that it is destined to test is how effectively people will work from home. Washington is at the point of the spear. Of the 22 U.S. deaths attributed to COVID-19, there are 19 in our state. To avoid further exposure, employers are encouraging telecommuting, canceling meetings, events and travel, and, taking extra caution to sanitize work locations. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is among the carriers taking additional...
I want to suggest for future elections we provide a space on the ballot for Russia to indicate who we should vote for. This would be a great benefit to our legislators so they wouldn’t have to spend the next four years and millions of tax dollars trying to find out if a candidate is being supported by Russia. We should also allow Russia to spend as much money as they wish putting ads in the media for or against any candidate. It couldn’t be any different than the baloney we get now from most candidates in the media. Certainly most of our vot...
