By Don C. Brunell Growing up in the 1960s, our parents blamed everything on “The Beatles.” According to them, they were “the punks” from Liverpool who caused all the teenagers to go crazy. Lately, there is another group of “Beatles” giving people fits, only their names are spelled differently. These “beetles” are tiny insects that […]
Editorials
Stopping the presses
This happened in America. Last Friday (Aug. 11), seven police officers and sheriff’s deputies raided the offices of a small newspaper in Kansas, as well as the home of the paper’s co-owner and publisher, arguably because a local businessperson and the chief of police were unhappy with the newspaper’s coverage of them. Based on a […]
Writers on the Range – Wildland firefighters need our support
By Gregory McNamee At any given moment during this smoky summer of 2023, hundreds of wildfires were blazing in the United States — more than 850 as of late July, according to the nonprofit Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. Most of those wildfires ignited in the forests of the American West. Fires were also burning […]
Now that it’s all counted …
There wasn’t a lot for local voters to do with their Primary Election ballots, but the results nonetheless are important going forward. Most notably, the proposed annexation of Twisp to Okanogan County Fire District 6 — a sensible action that finally unifies the entire fire district as one jurisdiction — was convincingly approved by voters. […]
Writers on the Range – Adaptation tips for a new Westerner
By Betsy Marston Hurray, you’ve moved to the rural West from a crowded subdivision or city where the traffic has become an out-of-patience game, and now you want to fit in. You want to learn how irrigation ditches work, build a hen house, and grow fruit trees, wine grapes and a garden. You also want […]
Writers on the Range – A dogged reporter covers our roiling world
By Dave Marston Usually seen with a camera slung around his neck, Allen Best edits a one-man online journalism shop he calls Big Pivots. Its beat is the changes made necessary by our rapidly warming climate, and he calls it the most important story he’s ever covered. Best is based in the Denver area, and […]
Writers on the range – Mental illness treatment: the societal problem that just won’t go away
By Stephen Trimble When I read the Salt Lake Tribune editorial on July 2, my heart sank. A Utah man with severe mental illness had died in a poorly regulated care home, with a mere $8,000 fine levied against the managers. The editorial was fierce: “It doesn’t seem to matter how horrible the care … […]
Together in grief, and love
At first, the only real sounds were a few muted murmurs and the crunch of footsteps. They came from running shoes, hiking boots, work boots, sandals — the varied footware of a congregation as diverse as the community, coming together this evening for a shared purpose with shared emotions. Word had spread that there would […]
Writers on the range – Alaska needs to value its live bears
By Wendy Keefover Grizzly bears in Alaska, called brown bears, that live around the town of Bethel, population 6,325, should have a good life as they don’t interact with many people. But their future is in peril. Alaska’s bears have powerful governmental enemies, starting with the state of Alaska. This spring, state wildlife agents in […]
My Turn – Methow Valley needs more late-life care solutions
By Salyna Gracie This adventure of being human takes us all to the same place eventually — we aim to live a good life as we grow older and someday, we leave our legacy and our earthly body behind when our spirit moves on. Methow At Home was formed by the vision and hard work […]
