Our take on the news

It will be interesting to see what emerges from a public records request in Grand Coulee causing the police department to review some 13,000 documents. It’s not clear what one of the department’s own officers is looking for, but what is clear is that it’s definitely relevant to the public interest.

• Civil service commissions stand as a buffer between civil servants, who can make politically unpopular but correct decisions in the course of doing their jobs, and government administrators and politicians who may be influenced by other pressures. The fact that Grand Coulee’s commission is vacant at a time when there is obvious turmoil within the police department is unsettling.

• News of a loss at Coulee Medical Center is not unusual; the facility posts gains and losses throughout a typical year, but the size of the accounting write-down, $1.9 million, is not a typical adjustment. In a shifting economic landscape for healthcare in general, CMC’s governing hospital district commissioners will do well to keep a healthily questioning attitude regarding their finances going forward.

• Electric City’s decision to push ahead with public cleanup of private property is encouraging and could stand as an example long needed in the local community.

• Congratulations are certainly due to the Ridge Riders and President George Kohout for turning around the organization best known for the Colorama Rodeo last year. They are well deserving of the recognition given last week by the members of the chamber of commerce.

Scott Hunter

editor and publisher