Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 512 - 536 of 3749
There’s buzz out recently about mouthwash killing COVID after a published study by Penn State amazingly found that it had 99% efficacy, just like it says on the bottle. Mouthwash usually contains some form of peroxide; the old school stuff had alcohol. So, I started thinking. How else can we achieve those results without the rigors of nightly oral hygiene? Consumption! Now, I do not advocate knocking back shots of peroxide unless you want to see your lunch a second time, but alcohol comes in many flavors pleasing to the pallet, and with a l...
Olympia is clearly out of touch with Eastern Washington, and you won’t have to look any further than your ballot to figure that out. In addition to the East versus West gubernatorial battle, you’ll find Referendum 90, pitting many rural parents against a few city-based lawmakers and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal over the measure. Referendum 90 targets Senate Bill 5395, a so-called “comprehensive” and “inclusive” sexual education curriculum being mandated by those in Olympia. For the last few years, a version of...
Okeydokes: Great customer service at the Colfax Post Office Pet Peeves: Icy bridges Snow before Halloween...
People have changed their travel preferences to minimize their COVID-19 exposure. Travel trailers and motorhomes are iconic symbols of campgrounds in our “great outdoors.” Meanwhile, outdoor recreation increased once the initial lockdowns were lifted. Before the pandemic came ashore in the U.S., the number of active camping households was increasing. It reached 1.4 million in 2018. In effect, outdoor recreation came before “social distancing” had a name. As travelers try to keep their separation...
We have a serious threat in the Whitman County commissioner race. Tom Handy is running against incumbent Dean Kinzer. Mr. Handy is an outspoken backer of the CAP (Colfax, Albion, Pullman) Trail, along the idle rail line. In a recent letter in the Gazette and Daily News, Nancy Mack encourages people to vote for Mr. Handy. She states, “We need commissioners who will lead this effort and who understand the value that capital projects such as bike trails bring a county like ours.” Do we want a commissioner advocating for a trail at our doors? No!...
I am writing in opposition of Referendum 90. This is a sex education bill that is inappropriate for K-12 children. It is supported by Planned Parenthood, World Health Organization, and LGBTQ community groups. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s website doesn’t give all the details of the program. The sample material presented to the Senate was so explicit that it was blacked out, and they want to teach this to our children? Too graphic for adults but okay to teach to children! Really? This program’s intent is to elimi...
I wholeheartedly support Dean Kinzer for reelection to the Whitman County District 2 commissioner position. Dean is a business owner/farmer, has knowledge of the business climate and economy of the county. He is an instrumental board member and chairman of Southeast Washington Economic Development Association (SWEDA). With Dean’s participation, knowledge of the business community, and effective leadership as county commissioner, during this COVID pandemic SEWEDA has given $1.8 million in small business emergency grants within Whitman County. D...
I’ve lived in two exclusive vote-by-mail states during my time as an eligible voter. My first ballot ever cast was via the mailbox in Oregon. There, the ballots are due in the hands of election officials by 8 p.m. election day to be counted. Now living in Washington, I’ve trained myself not to worry about election results until the Friday following election day, due to the state’s postmark deadline eligibility for ballots. I’ve often wondered how the country would react to the Washing...
Okeydokes Pumpkin spice season is here! Color changes brought on by autumn. Pet Peeves Pumpkin spice EVERYTHING....
Ballots are in the mail. By this time next week, you could have already filled out and returned your ballot either via the mail or at a dropbox location. There are only two candidates for each position with a handful of other levies, initiatives and measures. You have a little more than two weeks to fill out your ballot and return it. Unlike the primary election, there is no excuse not to be educated about the things you are voting on. Now is not the time to delve into all the flaws, faults and...
To the average American, China’s control of the world production, processing technology and stockpile of critical metals is not their concern. However, to our military and high-tech leaders, it is a very big deal. Our government has a list consisting of 35 metals considered to be vital to our national economy and security. While 17 are classified as “rare earth” and are not commonly known, all are critical components of products such as smart phones, laptop computers, lithium-ion batte...
Dear county commissioners, When you consider imposing a 30 mph speed limit on Draper-Brown Road, please consider that it is approximately 4 miles in total length. Of that, about 1.5 miles is basically a straight road heading due north and south. Only the northern most half mile warrants any kind of speed limit, if that. There are already warnings for curves, etc. So to be clear, I am NOT in favor of wasting tax dollars imposing speed limits and signage for Draper-Brown Road. Scott Draper, Colfax...
We had the opportunity to talk to an individual who had firsthand knowledge of the Washington State sex education bill. Here were his comments: #1. The main problem with the bill that passed was the teaching of explicit and graphic material to elementary students, #2 The excessive amount of sexual identities taught #3. No local control for school districts to choose curriculum with parent input. #4. It is an “opt out” program, while most parents are in favor of an “opt in” curriculum, where students aren’t ridiculed for NOT being part of i...
I am urging you to vote for Tom Handy for Whitman County commissioner, and here’s why. I worked as a citizen for 13 years to develop the now beloved Chipman Trail, and I am in favor of the county building a new trail that will extend our existing trails and entice tourists to our area. That new trail would be called the Colfax-Albion-Pullman, or CAP Trail. We need commissioners who will lead this effort and who understand the value that capital projects such as bike trails bring to a county like ours. Tom supports the CAP Trail. Tom u...
To voters who still have a conscience, please be aware that our current Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is in support of the sexualization of young children. To the thousands of people in Washington State who signed the petition to put Referendum 90 on our ballot, thank you. I urge everyone to reject this measure. While I trust the administrators and teachers of my local community to bypass the current Office of Superintendent of Public Istruction’s approved curriculum, which required this TV network warning when the House w...
Who are you? What is your identity or what do you want your identity to be? When your great-grandchildren hear stories about you, see the old pictures and write your biography, what chapters do you want included? That can be hard. Some chapters we want and are never written, others we don’t want and end up being a part of anyway. Some chapters are long, some are short. They all accumulate into the book of one’s life, for better or worse. If we are lucky, we can write some chapter that mat...
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife already manages about a million acres of publicly owned lands statewide. Now, the agency is trying to use recent wildfires as an excuse to regulate more land use, and potentially increase its land holdings. Last week, the agency called for sage-grouse to be listed as an “endangered” species. It will be collecting public comment on the idea through Dec. 30. According to agency South-Central Regional Director Mike Livingston, this year’s fires have destroy...
For several years before broadcasting my weekly radio show, The Brief Congressional Update, on KYRS Thin Air Community Radio (92.3 and 81.1 fm), I believed that the political party to which one belongs really doesn’t make a big difference – just vote for the person who is honest, has integrity, and is friendly. Preparing for the radio show by studying local, state, and national politics, however, I learned so much, and changed my mind entirely. I realized that the political party to which the candidates belongs makes a HUGE difference. Wha...
This may be my last and most important election. I’ll be ninety-nine December 8th. I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime. I grew up on a small farm in South Dakota, lived through the depression, waited for my husband to return from combat in WWII, raised six children, and moved to the Territory of Alaska in the winter of 1946 arriving in my best dress, nylons, and open toe heels. Dressed like that, Alaska’s winter climate will kill you, and it was obvious change was necessary to survive. I believe the nasty political and social climate created by Pr...
It is encouraging to see a competitive race for Whitman County Commissioner, District 2 with two candidates I respect and admire. However, we are in unpresented times with the challenges presented by Covid-19 and it’s accompanying economic challenges for both small businesses and our county. Dean Kinzer has acted as a steady hand at the helm for the eight years I have served with him. I have no doubt that Tom Handy, his challenger, could grow into the position with time. However, Commissioner Kinzer, with eight years of experience, is the p...
“Save the Ta-Tas.” I really do not like that saying. I’m not a big fan of pink décor being strung everywhere, either. Not just because I feel so much pink in an affront to the eyes. In past year, the trumpeting of “Breast Cancer Awareness” feels like the trumpets are slightly out of tune. It has felt like, to me, everyone just wanted an excuse to raise awareness about breasts and were sexualizing and making light of a serious issue. Late one night in October of 2006, I stopped at my grandparen...
