Whitman County Gazette - Serving Whitman County since 1877

I should lighten up and tell a joke. The definition of insanity is doing something over and over, while expecting different results. Every year since 1915, we have tried drug prohibition; year after year, over and over, while expecting a drug free...

Gordon Forgey, in your editorial (“Free Speech?”, March 7, 2019,) you lament the poor reception of conservative ideas on campus. Could it be that, given the parameters of logic and reason, contemporary conservative theory has little to offer to...

So the new Columbia County Sheriff is not going to enforce Initiative 1639 that 60 percent of Washington voters supported. Did he not take an oath to uphold the laws of the State of Washington when he was sworn in as sheriff? How does Sheriff Joe...

I did not vote for Trump. Almost every day my choice not to elect him is vindicated by what he does and what he says. The worst fear I have is how he puts the U.S.A., our country, at risk. This is a so-called Commander-In-Chief who abruptly without...

The animosity expressed by tone of voice, facial expressions and questions about undocumented people (i.e. illegal aliens) at political meetings amazes me. I attended a 'Conversations with Cathy' meeting in Medical Lake in October 2018 when disdain...

Sometimes you don't have to say a whole lot to say a whole lot. I support Colfax Chief of Police, Rick McNannay. --Ron Conrad, Colfax...

How refreshing it was to see the picture on the front page of the Gazette February 7, 2019 edition. A public meeting in the Steptoe school gymnasium was held on a floor that had been protected from damage caused by rocks, mud and water damage. My...

I would like to tip my hat to the Colfax High School staff and students for their generous hospitality in allowing the Southeast District 9 1B schools to hold their district tournament at the high school last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It begins...

Frank Watson, in your opinion “State of Our Union," (WC Gazette, Feb. 14, 2019) you voice well-founded concerns about government intrusions in our lives. You state, “If the federal government can go beyond the Constitution to regulate abortions,...

Although others have written about the importance of vaccination in light of the measles outbreak in Southwestern Washington, our representative Joe Schmick believes that decision is best left up to parents and their doctors! He is known as the...

It’s not likely they colluded. Yet on Jan. 31, publisher Gordon Forgey of the Whitman County Gazette and managing editor Devin Rokyta of the Daily News published editorials on the dangers of ignoring vaccinations. The reason? Washington State’s...

Dear Editor, Frank Watson wrote a powerful column (1-31-19) regarding the prohibition of marijuana and other drugs. He said, "The argument that made the most sense to me was, 'What we are doing now isn't working.' " That's what I tried to say....

There has been shootings at schools for decades, but none like the shootings of today. The first mass school shooting was at the University of Texas, with 17 people killed, which included the shooter, Charles Whitman. He went to school with the... Full story

I would like to encourage every concerned Whitman County resident to attend the meeting on Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Steptoe School, when a petition will be reviewed with the county commissioners concerning zoning and ordinances, road conditions,...

Frank Watson (Jan. 24, 2019, "Declaration of a Non-Candidate"), your self-admitted deficits would make you the perfect GOP candidate. Frank, you underestimate your potential. --Mark Olson, Seattle...

Credit to the Gazette for choosing to include “Colfax students walk out in wake of gun violence, others stay inside” as one of 2018’s top stories published in the Whitman County Gazette. In joining many other students across the country who...

Yes - there is indeed a national emergency. If unchecked, it could destroy our great democracy. It is called Donald J. Trump. --Dick Warwick, Oakesdale...

Kudos and thanks to Jana Mathia’s editorial last week! She did an excellent job of encapsulating a complex problem and making it understandable. We live in a system of systems, all interacting to maintain life on Earth. If one system gets out of...

I'm feeling smugly superior to Frank Watson, which is silly, except in a small way. His column of 10-25-18, "Demand comes before Supply," shows that when it comes to drug policy, he's lost in the woods, barking up the prohibition tree. "If we want...

I had the opportunity to go to the swearing in ceremony for Judge Hart. The court room was packed. It's not often you can eat cake in the superior court. That on its own shows how down-to-Earth Judge Libey is, and if you thought his humor to be as...

Oh My Gosh! I didn't think I would ever agree with anything written by Frank Watson. Yes, we are to the point where universal, government sponsored health care is desirable and possible. The easiest way to organize it seems to be Medicare for all....

Once again, an editorial of yours was on the mark. Climate change is here and now. Two scientific studies in the last two months have reiterated what we have been hearing for a couple of decades, only with more urgency. Poland just hosted the 24th...

A reason the petition (Malden petition misses budget vote-Nov. 28) was necessary is because, even after the results of the Felton Hall Survey with many citizens sharing their ideas/comments, even after multiple families spoke at a council meeting...

The newly released National Climate Assessment highlights the growing and extreme dangers of climate change in every region of the U.S. This week, a bipartisan bill – the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act - was introduced by three...

The Council on Aging & Human Services is pleased to report that in fiscal year 2017, 88 percent of all donations and grants entrusted to COAHS went directly to program services. The Finance Committee of the Board of Directors, Don Cox, Duane...