Opinion / Guest Commentary
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 310
City Hall'er: Asking for the public's feedback
The train’s horns going through Ritzville have been an issue with our citizens for years. We at the city have seen a renewed interest in addressing this issue. In the past, support or objection by the community has been split on... — Updated 1/30/2020
Business Commentary: Copper is making a comeback
Government leaders, doctors, and medical researchers worldwide are working feverishly to stop the spread of the coronavirus and keep it from becoming a global pandemic. Wuhan, one o... — Updated 1/30/2020
Business Commentary: Dams are the Northwest flood busters
A year ago, much of America's heartland was inundated by Missouri River flood waters. At least 1 million acres of U.S. farmland in nine major grain producing states were under... — Updated 1/23/2020
City Hall'er: Come have coffee with the mayor
Everyone at the City of Ritzville works to keep you informed of our policies and decisions. Except for rare executive sessions by the city council, our meetings are public. This inc... — Updated 1/23/2020
Library Corner: How you can play a part in what's being offered at the Ritzville Public Library
Imagine getting to hold the future in your hands. As the main purchaser for the library, that’s the way I feel every month as I look through catalogs and reviews of upcoming books that won’t be released for months. Should we... — Updated 1/16/2020
Guest Column: State Rep. accused of domestic terrorism asks for due process
Under our Constitution, anyone accused of a crime has right to see all the evidence against them, to face their accusers, and to call witnesses in their defense. I have been falsely accused of being a “domestic terrorist” by a... — Updated 1/16/2020
Guest Column: It's time to define when 'adulthood' is
The minimum age to purchase tobacco is now 21, a move that has been applauded on both sides of the aisle as a means to prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths. Yet the sam... — Updated 1/16/2020
Column: Sulfur standard aims to curtail maritime fuel oil
With the new decade comes an international air pollution regulation which hastens the switch from high sulfur fuel oil to either diesel or LNG in ocean-going ships. The mandate... — Updated 1/8/2020
Library Corner: What's coming to East Adams Library in the new decade
It’s a new year and a new decade! The older we get, the more places and things we want to see but it may seem like we have less time, energy, and money to do these things. The Washington State Library has loaned us a virtual... — Updated 1/2/2020
Column: For the sake of Washington's economy, Boeing needs strong tailwinds in 2020
As we launch into 2020 and the ensuing decade, Boeing faces very strong head winds which are major concerns for those of us living in the Pacific Northwest. Things are vastly... — Updated 1/2/2020
EARH Corner: Taking inventory of the year that was at EARH
As we wrap up a year and, indeed, a decade, it’s a good idea to take a little inventory. As to things done, there’s a lot of good news. We have more primary-care providers, enough so that prompt appointments, even same-day... — Updated 1/2/2020
Column: Caring local small businesses make ours 'A Wonderful Life'
At Christmas, millions watch the 1946 movie classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” While it is labeled “fantasy drama”, the show gives us a glimpse of reality and reminds us... — Updated 12/26/2019
Library Corner: Looking back at our local newspapers
As we look forward to the holidays and the inevitable tick into 2020, I can’t help but look back at our local history and how it’s been preserved and reported by our newspapers and their reporters for six generations. The... — Updated 12/19/2019
Column: Bridges shouldn't have to sink to be replaced
Bridges shouldn’t have to sink to be replaced. However, at times that’s what it takes. Too often new projects succumb to years of fighting among interest groups and endless... — Updated 12/19/2019
Column: WDFW needs to back off of land acquisitions
Earlier this month, state Department of Fish and Wildlife Director officials said they needed an additional $26 million to effectively manage its existing lands and programs. They s... — Updated 12/19/2019
Column: Hydrogen fuel cells gaining momentum
In the coming decade, investors are betting that hydrogen will become a prominent fuel which can eliminate CO2 discharges from the vehicles it energizes. According to the U.S. Energ... — Updated 12/12/2019
Weekly Column: Promoting rural STEM education
Science, technology, engineering, and math – more commonly known as STEM – have become some of the most highly demanded careers in our nation’s economy. Schools across the country and in Central Washington have emphasized... — Updated 12/12/2019
Library Corner: Reflecting on the library's accomplishments this year
December is always a time to reflect on our accomplishments in the past year, and East Adams Library District has much to celebrate this year! Since January, we’ve had 15,029 people visit one of our library branches -- whether... — Updated 12/5/2019
Column: Retail-tainment may save malls in future
Preliminary sales trends from Small Business Saturday show a continuing increase in smartphone purchases even among shoppers patronizing local merchants. According to the... — Updated 12/5/2019
Giving thanks to our farmers
Each Thanksgiving, I am reminded that in Central Washington, we have a lot to be thankful for. We are blessed with gorgeous national forests and public lands, powerful rivers and dams, and bountiful farm land. As we gather with... — Updated 11/26/2019
Business Column: Boeing's resiliency is being tested
The grounding of the 737 MAX is testing Boeing’s resiliency. It has turned the company upside down in just six months. Boeing executives and engineers have been under duress... — Updated 11/21/2019
Column: Making a renewed commitment to conservation in the West
The students of Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers were recently given a second chance. Earlier this year, the future of these programs was threatened when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed closing 9 of the... — Updated 11/21/2019
Business Column: Greatest Generation slipping into history
Just before Veterans Day, the last known survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor died at age 98. With the passing of George Hursey of Massachusetts, it closed that chapter o... — Updated 11/14/2019
Column: Our veterans deserve the thanks of a grateful nation
I have never met a veteran who did not inspire me. From the hundreds of veterans who receive assistance from my office seeking lost medals or help with VA benefits to the veterans and their families I meet at community events and p... — Updated 11/14/2019
Library Corner: EALD striving to provide access for the whole community
Access. It takes just 6 letters to sum up the true reason for a public library to exist. And this isn’t just access to the most recent best seller or the latest action blockbuster, though those play their own integral part in... — Updated 11/14/2019