Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 335
The $5.4 billion expansion of the Panama Canal is paying off for East Coast and Gulf of Mexico seaports. It is putting pressure on the Pacific Ocean-based terminals to be more competitive. The enlarged waterway opened in June 2016 allowing much larger container ships to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Ships carrying up to 14,800 containers can now bypass Washington and other West Coast docks and deliver containers directly to cities from Houston to New York....
The Holiday Season is an especially difficult time for anyone grieving lost loved ones. Evergreen wreaths placed on veterans' graves across America help to ease that pain. More than 2.5 million red-ribboned wreaths were placed by thousands of volunteers, including many family members, on December 17. Those wreaths are made from clippings of balsam firs dedicated to deceased veterans. Each tree growing in Maine has the "dog tags" identifying the fallen service member. The...
A strong mind and body are crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I learned that while recently completing basic training for the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Okla. I was never a stranger to the gym. In fact, I spent every morning working out at FIT gym in downtown Colfax prior to leaving for the military. As a regular there, I always focused on strength training and cardio. Afterward, I would get my morning cappuccino and find myself at my desk in the bullpen at The Whitman...
As a youngster, I looked forward to Christmas. I loved the food, the traditions and especially the presents — what kid doesn’t? In high school and college, the luster subsided. As a wrestler, Christmas was a time for fasting so I didn’t have to move up a weight class. I dreaded running extra bleachers, doing additional up-downs and all the “fat man” jokes from teammates. Christmas would become just one of those “OK” holidays for me after college. As a journalist, I...
It seems like every time you open a webpage, turn on the TV or listen to the radio, you’re bombarded with negativity. We’re on the verge of nuclear war. The recession is upon us. Inflation is high. Every storm is “historic.” Race-based politics are invading every inch of our educational system and lives. And if that’s not enough, the 2024 election season has already begun. It’s enough to get you down, and keep you there. But cheer up. You have plenty to be thankful for this Th...
When the halls of government offices exude consensus and the hive mind takes over, the good ole boy network is usually at play. To open the doors of transparency, it takes new leadership willing to stand up to the closed-minded policy wonks, controlling bureaucrats and self-absorbed politicians. Four years ago, that’s what Clint Didier did when he was elected as a Franklin County commissioner. And his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed – in either the clandestine backrooms of county government or in public. During his term as a...
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...
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 gov...
I recently had the opportunity to review all 50 state constitutions and confirmed an important fact for the current capital gains income tax litigation. 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 order to impose a gra...
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 Washing...
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 u...
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 (...
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...
We have a predator problem. And hunters are noting that it gets worse with each passing year. In the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’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, autom...
You and I may not always agree on who the bums are, but we know that “You’re out!” is a cornerstone of our democracy. Lobbyists, dark money and blind ambition can be thwarted, but only If we vote, and this November, only if we vote against candidates who refuse to accept election outcomes unless they win. Heads I win, tails you lose will not work. Our democracy is on the brink of skidding off the rails into the ditch of autocracy, and the chaos and economic meltdown that history leads us to expect will follow. Those Venez...
The 3-blade electric power generating wind mills in Washington State are, in my opinion, eyesores. The large size of these machines, with the vapid, continuous motion of their huge blades degrades the natural beauty of the landscape in the scenic state of Washington. In the vicinity of Rosalia; and, in the vicinity of Dayton and Pomeroy; and, in the million-dollar scenic view in the vicinity of Briggs Junction in the Columbia River Gorge; and, in many other places in Washington State these huge pieces of machinery degrade...
Partisan state senator Mark Schoesler misses the mark again when he complains about the supposed tax and services imbalance between the two different sides of Washington. He calls free public transportation for west side children discriminatory against eastern Washington taxpayers, who supposedly have to “pick up the tab.” However, children are children, no matter where they live and whether their parents are Democrats or not. Why wouldn’t most voters be happy to pay the extra pittance in taxes to keep children out of the r...
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 choose 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 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...
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-...
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...