Child categories
| Category | Path |
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| Editorial | /Opinion/Editorial |
| Letters-to-the-editor | /Opinion/Letters-to-the-editor |
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: A proper thanks...
Like Rob Bates said in his column that sits next to this one in the print edition for Veterans Day, the “Thank you for your service” messages he gets each year on this holiday to honor living veterans can come across as uninformed, though well-intentioned and appreciated, nonetheless.
COLUMN: What does service mean to you?
Veterans Day for me means I will be the recipient of ritualistic platitudes such as “Thank you for your service,” from people who have no concept of the rewards or costs of service. I don't think those who repeat this mantra have ill intent, and I know that repeating such phrases is actually done with extreme gratitude. It is simply done without understanding the sacrifices that were made.
COLUMN: It’s time to get serious about solving our state’s energy challenges
For residents of the Pacific Northwest, January 2024 might be memorable because of the winter storm that brought ice and severe cold to the region, leading to major power outages. It might be memorable, but there’s also a good chance you have moved on with little or no recollection of that particular storm amid a jumble of winter memories. But for anyone who works for an electric or gas utility, the dates Jan. 12-16, 2024, really do stand out. That’s the week in which the region came dangerously close to not having enough energy to keep our homes warm and lights on. The memory of that storm, and the wakeup call that it provided about the urgent need to produce more energy, came up for discussion at the Energy Solutions Summit on Oct. 30 in SeaTac. The gathering was the first in a series of solutions summits stemming from Washington in the Making 2040, a long-term economic vision for Washington launched in June by the AWB Institute and Washington Roundtable.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Support local causes this holiday season ...
If you’re looking to enjoy the holidays, you’re not alone. Across the Columbia Basin, people will be baking turkeys, holiday shopping, decorating their homes, and reminding children to behave or they’ll get coal in a stocking.
LETTER: Homelessness demands compassion, not control
In July 2025, President Trump signed “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” The order frames homelessness as a crisis of addiction, mental illness, and public disorder. It directs federal agencies to support states that expand civil commitment programs and prioritize treatment over housing. While it promises funding incentives, it risks reducing human beings to problems of “crime and disorder” rather than neighbors in need. For the veteran without a home or the family priced out of housing, this framing misses the mark. Utah rushed to comply, announcing a 1,300-bed homeless services campus in Salt Lake City. Leaders say it will provide treatment, recovery, and transitional services. Supporters call it bold action; critics warn it could become a warehouse for the poor. The campus may help those with severe health needs, but it risks overlooking the many who are homeless simply because housing costs outpace wages.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Focusing on civic literacy...
Over the course of the last year, we’ve published several stories and opinion pieces related to civic discussions and literacy. There’s a reason for that.
Ephrata Superintendent message to the community
Tiger Community: Our world seems more divided than ever. Everywhere we look, differences spark conflict, quick judgments dominate conversations, and it can feel like understanding is impossible. These are challenging times—and our kids see it too.
LETTER: The high cost of school construction: A call for reform
Excessive soft costs • 35-45% of school construction budgets are consumed by soft costs – engineering, design and planning – before a single nail is driven or cement poured. • These costs must be reined in and redirected toward actual construction.
COLUMN: The military oath
So we all know from the get-go, the oath of enlistment is the same across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is codified in 10 U.S.C. §502. “I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
COLUMN: Head west, they say
This column came together probably as quickly as my decision to move from Columbus, Ohio to Moses Lake. When I graduated from Denison University in May 2024, I remember being overcome with emotion after receiving my degree.
