Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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Question Just out of curiosity, why do people concerned about the quality of care at the clinic or anywhere in the OMHC run to Facebook 411? Instead of taking this concern, where the issue can be discussed with the board of directors at OMHC? I assume it has much to do with convenience or laziness. All this does is further drive down public confidence in the OMHC. This in my opinion, is one of the bigger reasons for our excellent facilities’ decline in patient usage. After all, we are one of only two towns in Lincoln C...
I’ll soon be hopping into the pickup for the long drive from Olympia back home to Ritzville. These past few days were spent in our state capital for Senate Assembly Days, which has included several committee, caucus and individual meetings. Things got busy even before I reached Olympia. On my way west last Tuesday, I stopped in Ellensburg to meet with the new president of Central Washington University, Jim Wohlpart, over a cup of coffee. We had a good chat about a number of t...
In June, Gov. Jay Inslee dictated there would be a permanent COVID-19 vaccine mandate that extended beyond the reach of his emergency powers. When the Legislature convenes in the new year, our other elected representatives need to take that unfair requirement away. I was told it might be possible with a budget proviso. For now, rules have been written — effective Nov. 4 — and a COVID-19 vaccine is now required for taxpayer-funded employment in state executive and small cab...
I was surprised to learn that Republicans are starting to use Ranked Choice voting to choose their candidates in their internal primaries. I thought Ranked Choice Voting appealed only to Left wing types. One reason I’ve read that many people like Ranked Choice Voting is because it allows everyone to vote for their favorite candidate without worrying their vote will be wasted if their first choice does not win, since if their favorite candidate gets tossed out, then their second choice gets counted as their vote. Another r...
Despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing on-line but making in-store purchases. The National Retail Federation reported an estimated 166.3 million people visited stores from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year — an 8 million increase from last year. The good news extends to on-line sales. E-commerce retail revenues this year are projected to grow to $554 billion compared to $360 billion in 2019—the first year of...
Thanksgiving was my favorite time of year growing up, and in many ways, it still is. Of course, some of that magic has disappeared as I get older, but the meaning remains the same. For me, Thanksgiving at its core is about family and spending time together. Unfortunately, as the years have passed, I have lost much of my family due to cancer or other ailments. As we all get older, our friends can sometimes become more like our family when our own is missing. As a result, we...
Dr. Don Llewellyn Livestock Extension Specialist Director, WSU Lincoln County Extension, Davenport, WA Myth: The mystique of "water belly". Here's one that is especially relevant for our youth producers and their animals for the fair. I think most cattle producers who have been around the business for a good while will agree that when you think you have about seen it all, eventually you will get a big surprise. Such is the case with "water belly." First, let's point out here...
Give President Joe Biden some credit for mid-term election Democratic successes when most everyone, including the media, predicted otherwise. Instead of focusing on himself, he quietly avoided states where he’s unpopular and helped Democrats win Pennsylvania where he grew up and is still popular. He presented us with our country’s greatest challenge: to save our democracy from autocratic ambitions of the MAGA faction that dominates the Republican party. He inherited a mess and time spent cleaning it up detracted from tim...
If you read the headline of this column and first thought, “what in the world are they talking about,” we don’t blame you. Let us explain. A good chunk of our staff was born in the dreaded millennial era, and sadly, many from this era have made the hit TV show “The Office” their entire personality. While we don’t claim to have suffered this setback, sometimes, a Michael Scott quote or two creeps into our minds in rather unhelpful situations. Take, for instance, the 2022 general election. (Michael Scott, for those unaware, is...
Forest health, climate change, and a plan that got almost no input before being announced is at the heart of the "carbon project" announced by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources last week. The project, developed by Finite Carbon, proposes to set aside 10,000 acres of forest in Western Washington, once set aside for marbled murrelet habitat and then cleared for logging, for carbon offsets that can be purchased by large companies in trade for their greenhouse...
Editor's note: Byrne Bennett is a reporter for the Lincoln County Record-Times. Any opinion expressed in this column is his own and not necessarily that of The Record-Times or Free Press Publishing. President Ronald Reagan once said, "America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere." The members of our Armed Forces are the keepers of that beacon. If not for them, that light would have been snuffed out decades ago. Veterans Day...
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....
One recent October day, I looked around and suddenly realized things had changed. No, it wasn’t the fact that since my recent marriage, I can’t seem to find where anything is located in the kitchen. It was newspaper-related, and it was an excellent change: We had a staff, a staff that is doing an exceptional job at their vocation. As a result, our advertising has grown (please keep it this way and keep buying ads, Lincoln County businesses, please and thank you), our sto...
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 governor...
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 (EV...
Today is November 1, 2022. The month in which we acknowledge our gratitude and thankfulness for the things we have been given. I believe that gratitude and thankfulness should be celebrated every day. I ask the 2022 high school students that sent out invitations did you express your thankfulness and gratitude for the gifts given to you? Personally when I get an invitation I send out a gift. Of the nine announcements that I received only three students thanked me for my gift. Think about it, only 1/3 thanked me…When you s...
This in follow up to the article written by Drew Lawson in the last publication on October 20, 2022. First off, I would like to say I am that ex-wife of the man with pending charges of rape of our daughter. I am absolutely horrified and mortified that this article was written and I was not notified this was going to be published. Many people have reached out in concern of the material that was in the article. If you have to put a “WARNING: This article deals with highly sensitive subjects, including sexual relations, i...
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...
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...
We have a predator problem. And hunters are noting that it gets worse with each passing year. In the state Department of Fish and Wildife’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, automobile or other mortalities. Fish and Wildlife offic...
Finally, Republicans have settled on an issue besides inflation, opposing abortion, contraception, fair elections, CRT, and books on gender. That is to attack President Biden. Two recent Letters to the Editor in local newspapers are examples of disparaging Biden. Telephone push polls bashing Biden are common. Representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, spent much of her Spokane Town Hall smearing Biden. Her recent letter appealing for donations claims Biden has an irrational radical agenda. CMR says she is for equality and other...
I recently saw a post on Facebook for a film screening regarding transgender people, children, and the question, “what is a woman” that is being held at the church. Surprised that church members are interested in this topic, I watched the film myself. After watching the film, I wanted to reach out to my former faith community and share in the discussion. The film takes a topic that is worthy of discussion and unfortunately, does not give an accurate depiction of transgender individuals, their families, medical providers, or...
I recently commented on negotiations between Gov. Jay Inslee and unions on the upcoming contracts for state employees. As I said before, while I don't fault the proposed salary increases for state workers under the reported deal during this time of high inflation – or even the $1,000 retention bonuses that some state workers will receive – I am very unhappy with one type of bonus that will be given to state workers, as well as how negotiations were done in secret. In case you...
Six-man football. I’d never heard of it before mid-August. When I played football, it was the traditional, 11-man variety. Heck, I didn’t even know there was anything else. Playing for Kiona-Benton, my team always had more than enough players to have mostly different players on offense and defense. But over the last few years, I’ve learned about – and developed an appreciation for – 8-man football. Along with it, I’ve gained a lot of respect for the athletes playing both sides...
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 chose 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....
