News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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On August 31, 2021, I injured myself when a 400-pound welding table fell off a cable, knocking me down, causing a severe laceration to my right leg requiring surgery. I have lived in this community since 1969 and have had limited encounters with our local hospital. I had formed a somewhat passive opinion of the emergency medical care available, however this injury gave me a new and more definite perspective. From admittance to discharge, my care was excellent and complete from the all members of the medical team. I was so impressed with the...
A little-noticed initiative by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, and six other senators would boost local jobs, accelerate sales, and improve economies. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, S. 2434, is designed to help local news media support their newsgathering missions. One provision goes far beyond offering aid to community newspapers, local news websites and other news-gatherers. It would help small businesses to dig out of the economic doldrums by supporting their advertising costs in local news outlets, which in turn will help...
Our daughter Kim is in the thick of Louisiana storms again. Five years ago, their home in Denham Springs was flooded, with up to four feet of water in the lower floor. They had experienced 30 inches of rain in a couple day’s time. That’s about three years of rain around here. She and her husband, Bruce, had to strip wallboard and insulation from the lower floor and replace the floor, appliances and furniture. It was a three-month long project. Kim and Bruce live on the river, and with that amount of rain the river overflowed its banks and the...
Before we examine what scientists are expressing about our upcoming 2021-22 winter, I want to share a recap of 2021 summer weather data. Let’s take it month by month. June — six days over 100˚F, 16 days over 90, high temperature of 113.8˚F and 0.49 inches of precipitation. July — four days over 100, 14 days over 90, high temperature of 104.1 and 0.08 inches of precipitation. August — five days over 100, 10 days over 90, high temperature of 104.1 and 0.42 inches of precipitation. For the three...
As Washington state and the rest of the world continues to process through the COVID pandemic, governors throughout our nation — Republicans and Democrats — have utilized their offices and authorities in a variety of ways. In Washington state, the Emergency Powers Act (RCW 43.06.220) authorizes the governor to declare emergencies and issue orders in response to those declared emergencies. The original version of this law was enacted in 1969, at a time when likely no one would have anticipated any emergency lasting multiple years. On Feb...
It is not surprising that COVID-19 which ravaged the world was disastrous for our country’s economy. Millions died from COVID complications; offices, stores and factories closed, and people were forced to quarantine at home. The good news this Labor Day is vaccines are working and readily available. As a result, our job market has dramatically improved. People are eating out, shopping and traveling. Our economy is healing. Vaccines were developed and deployed at “warp speed” under President Donald Trump. Having Americans inoculated as quick...
The video portraying an American Air Force plane moving on a runway with a mob of Afghani citizens running beside the aircraft and some on the outside of the aircraft presented an embarrassing image of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. The fast collapse of the American sponsored Afghani regime is equally distressing. Young readers may not recall, but the U.S. experienced a humiliating final exit from Vietnam in 1975. Photos portrayed desperate people climbing to the top of the U.S. Embassy attempting to get aboard departing helicopters. Pe...
Here is a small example of some of the history of the climate change theosophy. “It is already too late for the world to avoid a long period of famine. Paul Ehrlich said the time of famines is upon us and will be its worst and most disastrous by 1975. He said population of the United States is already too big, that birth control may have to be accomplished by making it involuntary; by putting sterilizing agents into staple food and drinking water and the Roman Catholic Church should pressure into going along.” — The Salt Lake Tribune, 11/17...
Life is full of changes, and they hit at an early age. I was born on a farm outside Palouse, and we didn’t have indoor plumbing. Our facility was located about 25 yards from the house and alongside our parking area. It was a two-hole outdoor toilet. I could never figure out why we had a two-hole toilet? I guess I never felt like I knew anyone well enough to sit there with another person beside me. We didn’t have toilet paper, only a Sears Roebuck catalog. You get the picture? One of my greatest fears is that I would fall in. Now nighttime and...
Throughout American history, the burden of keeping our great nation free and secure has largely fallen on the shoulders of the men and women bravely serving in our Armed Forces. The care we provide to our veterans reflects our gratitude for the courageous servicemen and women who selflessly risk their lives in the protection of others, and it is my responsibility to ensure that the federal government keeps its commitment to provide our veterans with the respect and highest level of care they deserve. I have had many opportunities to sit down wi...
When thinking of England’s fabled Sherwood Forest, the medieval images of Robin Hood and his band of archers and swordsmen hiding in the woods giving the Sheriff of Nottingham a hard time comes to mind. Who would envision a crew of young American oil workers concealed among the giant oaks drilling oil wells? However, the crude production from those wells was essential in helping fuel the D-Day invasion launched from English shores in 1944. Until Guy Woodward and Grace Steele Woodward published “The Secret of Sherwood Forest – Oil production in...
It’s time to play the blame game. Who exactly is at fault for the rapid collapse of Afghanistan? There are those who can’t see the similarities between this collapse and the one we saw in South Vietnam. I think it is a carbon copy! I know of a local serviceman who was on one of the last helicopters out. The French failed in Vietnam So we went in, and with 55,000 dead later, we barely got our people out before the full collapse. On my three trips to Vietnam I was shocked to see the streets full of fighting-age men and women who were content to...
Each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries constituting 180,000 tons of hazardous material, and the situation is likely to get much worse as the world shifts to electric vehicles. Everyday-green.com reports more than 86,000 tons of single-use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C and D) are thrown away. They power electronic toys and games, portable audio equipment and flashlights and make up 20 percent of the household hazardous materials in our garbage dumps. Unlike composted waste, batteries are hazardous and contaminate our...
For the past 20 years, our men and women have served heroically in Afghanistan to protect both global security and the shared interests of our allies across the world. Now, President Biden risks making their sacrifices all for naught with his most recent display of failed leadership. Today, during an address from the White House, President Biden doubled down on his questionable approach and emphasized that he has no remorse for the human calamity we are seeing unfold. President Biden has failed the American people, the men and women in...
OLYMPIA - In recognition of the National Park Service system’s 105th birthday, Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will offer free entrance to state lands on Wednesday, Aug. 25. On this day, visitors to Washington state lands will not need a Discover Pass to park. Discover Pass free days apply to all visitor parking on DNR and WDFW lands and in day-use areas at Washington state parks. Washington state lands agencies encourage visitors to enjoy this f...
Last month we looked at our June heat wave that was created by a heat dome. The drought we are currently in was written about as well. In this column I will take a deeper dive into drought with a look back at historic droughts in the nation. Put your hiking boots on and let’s take a dusty walk back into history and look at droughts from our North American past. Scientists and historians have done the research and have shared their results of major droughts here in the United States. As their r...
The Olympic Games are over. I watched about enough of the competition that I was interested in — mainly track and field, basketball and volleyball. While the games register winners and losers, it is my opinion that there are no losers. It is no small feat to represent your country in the games. It takes thousands of hours of practice, dedication, and sometimes luck to get on the Olympic team. I don’t recall ever personally meeting an Olympic competitor from any country. A shirttail relative of mine was determined that their young daughter wou...
Last week, Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, joined me in Central Washington to hear firsthand from farmers in our district about the challenges they are facing. While GT certainly appreciated the diversity of product Washington produces, the takeaway from all our meetings was clear: our farmers are in desperate need of a reliable workforce. From hop growers to tree fruit farmers, every single producer we spoke to had the same issue: there is not enough reliable labor to work their fie...
Time is short, but action is necessary! Gov. Jay Inslee and Democrats who control the state legislature need to postpone implementing the sweeping “Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program” to determine its future financial viability and find better alternatives for coverage. The new law, also known as the Washington Cares Act, is a mandatory, public, state-run, long-term care insurance program. Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, Washington employers must withhold a new payroll tax ($58 per $10,000 of wages) to fund it. Even then, some paying the...
Thursday night some of us woke up to the fire fight. Thank you, Chief of Police and Mayor for telling us, the people in this sleepy little town, that this would take place for about three hours. Am I wrong in thinking the U.S. Army has an area in Yakima for just these kinds of games? Just to let you know, that was the rudest thing you could have done. All those that woke up to that. Old people, and let’s not forget all the combat veterans we have in this area. Carol Daily...
Governor Jay Inslee, I ask what do the powers to be think they can do to offset the so called climate change. I ask how many times the climate of the earth has changed over the Billions of years? This area was once covered with Ice 14,000 years ago, before that this area was a tropical forest there were Gingko forests Mammoths, Rhinoceros. As far as I am concerned the so called climate change is the natural process of the earth. One volcano will produce more greenhouse gasses in 24 hours than all the cars on earth in several years. The climate...
I was lucky to travel when the best hotels were still inexpensive. The Okura Hotel in Tokyo was part of the International Hotel chain. Cost for an overnight stay today would be from $400-$600. I paid $18 for a first-class room with all the amenities that only the Japanese can think of. When I arrived, a small army of nurserymen were building a small forest in the lobby area. By the time I left, their forestry project was done and a beautiful Japanese garden was there for patrons to enjoy. I stayed in the Grand Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, a...
For months, activists and bureaucrats alike have told the American people to “believe in science” – to take the pandemic seriously, to practice social distancing and handwashing, and to wear masks and get vaccinated. I have consistently called for these same things, and thanks to the remarkable efforts of private industry and government regulators through Operation Warp Speed, we are fortunate that Washington State has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, with 57.3% of the population fully vaccinated, exceeding the natio...
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were billed as the “Hydrogen Olympics!” Then along came COVID and sporting events worldwide were put on hold. The summer games were delayed until 2021. Postponing the games cost Japan billions and thwarted its efforts to showcase the Japanese “Green Growth” strategies. Japan, like the United States, plans to become carbon-neutral by 2050. While countries like China are betting on lithium batteries, Japan’s centerpiece is hydrogen. As Japanese researchers develop new technology using renewable electricity generated...
When conventional food supply chains had difficulties adapting at the start of the pandemic, farmers markets and local food systems clearly displayed the resiliency of short supply chains as interest in local foods spiked nationwide. Farmers markets across the country did what they could to safely open for the farmers and the customers who had come to depend on them, with 72% of market organizations in the U.S. operating the same number or more market days during summer 2020 as in summer 2019, according to the Farmers Market Coalition. The...