News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Is your salary less than $160,200? If so, you’re among the 94 percent of American workers who pay into Social Security all year long. But there’s a privileged group that’s about to stop paying into Social Security for the rest of 2023: People who make $1,000,000 a year. Their last day of contributing to Social Security was February 28. That’s not even the worst of it. Tucker Carlson, who makes a reported $8 million a year, stopped contributing to Social Security on January 8. Joe Rogan, who reportedly makes $4 million a month, stopped contrib...
Back on Jan. 11, Peter Funt's column appeared in The Star newspaper, titled, "Cry me an atmospheric river." The author wrote about some of the terms used in weather forecasting, and how news media have sprinkled melodramatic dust on these terms, causing some to react like the person in the painting, "The Scream," by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Let's take a leisurely swim into the waters of the phrase "atmospheric river." It is real, and is recognized by meteorologists. Yet, it shouldn't...
While the coronavirus clobbered many businesses, pharmacies were not among them. In fact, since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, local pharmacists have become vital cogs in dispensing crucial medical advice. Pharmacies adapted their businesses quickly after the pandemic outbreak three years ago. According to the December issue of Pharmacy Times, drug stores increased their accessibility to curbside service, traditional drive-through windows, and home deliveries....
The Running Start program, which allows high school juniors and seniors to earn college level credits, will expand to include sophomores if a proposal in the state Legislature is approved. “It’s a heavy lift when you’re a junior and senior to try to accomplish your two-year degree in those two years,” said Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-Wenatchee. “A little running start to Running Start might be good to actually accomplish some of the two-year attainment that we’re seeking in the state.” Running Start allows high school students to earn credits at co...
It’s past time for an energy reality check. If we are to meet our soaring demand for electricity and produce it without coal and natural gas, we must double down on nuclear power. Today, U.S. nuclear plants generated enough electricity to power more than 70 million homes. It’s the most reliable source of electricity operating at full capacity over 90 percent of the time. It is “greenhouse gas” free, yet many activists are pushing to close, not build, nuclear power plants. If President Biden a...
Students should spend more time in school and less time on break so they retain the learning they acquire during the school year. That’s the opinion of Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, who has introduced a bill in the state Legislature that adds five days to the school calendar. “SB 5505 takes swift and decisive action to support learning recovery with a simple solution — providing our students with additional access to their teachers, their peers, and to dedicated support staff,” Hawkins said. Under current law, schools are require...
Homelessness is still a big issue throughout Washington, and while the state has spent millions, the governor wants to invest more. In a press conference Jan. 19, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee said while certain encampments have been cleared as a result of past funding efforts, there are still not enough places to house the homeless. “Many of these people have chemical addiction problems that have to be treated if they’re going to succeed. Many of these people have mental health problems that have to be treated,” Inslee said. “Wher...
Consumers will be able to purchase more low-THC liquid-infused products in a single purchase if a bill in the Legislature wins approval. “HB 1249 is necessary to ensure that the evolution of consumer preference, and access to an increasing variety of these products, reflects those preferences and is aligned with the law,” said Douglas Henderson, Painted Rooster Cannabis Company CEO. Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, introduced the bill. He said he recently became aware of new products in the market, including a low-THC infused beverage made and sol...
After the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took major heat last week from considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves, the Biden Administration quickly reversed course, saying they would not support such a ban. However, this doesn’t mean the future of gas-powered appliances is completely safe — that the CPSC would make such a shocking push in the first place should not be taken lightly. While it’s unlikely you’ll find government agents knocking on your door asking for you to hand...
Four dogs sat in a House hearing room and two more watched the room over Zoom as a legislative committee discussed rules dog handlers must follow in courthouses for dogs to assist people who are providing testimony, including youth with disabilities. "I can't say how amazing these dogs are when something bad has happened to your kids, my kids. Really, they're our kids. All these kids belong to us," said Ellen O'Neill-Stephens, founder of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation. "To be able to provide...
How about some encouraging news for our state? It even made the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Although Boeing didn’t outsell or make more airplane deliveries than its rival, Airbus, in 2022, it made substantial gains after three years of costly setbacks. Some may exaggeratingly compare the company’s problems since the onset of the coronavirus to the “Boeing Bust” (1968-72) when Congress ended funding for the SST (Supersonic Transport). That cancellation hit Seattle hard. It trigger...
After two years of an online and hybrid Legislature that severely restricted legislators' direct contact during the pandemic, the House and Senate chambers were full of people reuniting and greeting each other. at the opening of the state Legislature Jan. 9. A main issue at the start of the session was moving past the COVID-19 pandemic and adopting new rules and procedures that allows for in-person and remote participation. President of the Senate Denny Heck, the lieutenant governor, said...
Coupled with the rapid growth of data centers we rely upon for internet service and information storage is an increased demand for electricity to power millions of computers and cool the mammoth buildings in which they operate. Data center computers are integral to our everyday life and store everything from cooking recipes to complex engineering blueprints. They are heavy power users, consuming 10 to 50 times the energy per floor space of a typical commercial office. Energy inflation combined...
As we begin a new year, I thought it relevant to consider our home planet — Earth. Maybe, like you, when I view images being obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope it validates a personal observation: Earth is inconsequential in the totality of Space. Our limited scientific knowledge offers a hypothesis; there could be other planets in other universes that can support life forms. Humans have visited the Moon, and they will again. Now, there are proposals to visit Mars. Both require life support systems so one can simply survive in those h...
Looking ahead to 2023, one of the most significant shifts America needs is to return to is an “All of the Above” strategy which expands our energy options rather than further restricting them. That strategy was incorporated in the 2005 Energy Policy Act signed into law by President George W. Bush. It was inclusive and focused on incremental improvements coupled with innovation. However, in the last couple of years, our political leaders have hastily and unwisely narrowed fuel options to exc...
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 trees are living year...
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 older canal...
Looking over weather data from my personal weather station of the past five winters, December, January and February, were interesting, though no trends are revealed. A half decade of data does not create a trend. It's just not enough data to crunch and draw some conclusions. I mention this because it's arbitrary to make a statement about climate solely based on short-term weather observations. I've included a chart with data for low temperature and snowfall for the past five years. As you can...
There have been a few letters to the editor of The Star newspaper regarding the unofficial “announcement” of Dollar General Corporation being interested in establishing a store in Grand Coulee. I say unofficial because the origin of this statement was made by a non-employee of Dollar General Corporation. The corporation, which headquartered in Tennessee and was founded in 1939, currently operates over 18,000 stores in 47 states. Committing a bit of time, I searched the internet for bac...
I applaud Mr. Darryl Hackworth for his ambition and eye for opportunity — certainly that is part of our forward thrusting culture. However, I do believe there are some important facts to deliberate upon when considering inviting chain stores into our small community. Question #1: How well do such chain businesses as Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar support small towns and urban neighborhoods? Answer #1: Research reveals that in smaller, more economically vulnerable areas these chain stores actually add to economic distress. Q...
The good news is, despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing on-line but making in-store purchases. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported this year an estimated 166.3 million people visited stores from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday----an 8 million increase from last year. It is the highest estimate since NRF began tracking this data in 2017. The good news extends to on-line sales. E-commerce retail revenues this year are projected...
We’ve been visiting the area for 15 years and recently purchased land for our retirement home. The culture of the GC community is reminiscent of the small towns we grew up in and we intend to get involved. Reading about the plan to allow Dollar (General) to invade the area was dismaying! Not only do these stores undermine local merchant stability (just like Walmart) but they are notorious for L&I infractions! Corrine Behme...
Lowering our flags to half-staff is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes, whether they be men and women in our armed forces or police officers killed in the line of duty. It is a vivid reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by those who serve us. Unfortunately, after those flags return to the top of the pole and time passes, we tend to forget that the suffering for the friends and families continues. The loneliness, financial stress, and emotional strain lives on. That is when those husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and parents need...
Legendary Raider wrestling coach Steve Hood, who retired in 2019, is being inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Hood will be inducted into the hall of fame in Yakima on Nov. 5, and a community dinner will be held at the American Legion building in Electric City on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. That free dinner will include a main dish, and attendees are encouraged to bring sides, salads, and desserts for a potluck. More information can be found by...
A Veterans Day assembly will be held at Lake Roosevelt on Nov. 10 from 9-10 a.m. in the high school gym, and veterans and their families are welcome to attend. Middle school and high school bands will be performing patriotic marches, and a slideshow will be presented showing veterans from the local area, their names, dates of service, and which branch of the military they served in. Further submissions for that will be accepted up until Nov. 8, band teacher Gabriel James said. "The more the...