News
Columbian Newspaper
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Tornado tears through Nebraska, causing severe damage in Omaha suburbs
OMAHA, Neb. — A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon, demolishing homes as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. It wasn’t yet clear if anyone was injured or killed in the storm. |
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Police in Everett issue alarm after 3 babies overdosed on fentanyl in less than a week
EVERETT — Officials are sounding alarms after a baby died and two others apparently also overdosed in the past week in separate instances in which fentanyl was left unsecured inside residences, authorities said. |
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YouTube comedian to appear at state fair
PUYALLUP — If you’re in the mood for comedy, you can find a show this fall at the Washington State Fair. |
The Chronicle - Centralia
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John Braun: The hits just keep coming from Democrats' cap-and-tax law
Anyone who buys gasoline already knows how the price of a gallon of unleaded regular in our state has shot up since majority Democrats’ cap-and-tax law — the so-called Climate Commitment Act, or CCA — took full effect in 2023. The same gas costs significantly less in Oregon and Idaho, which are free of a cap-and-tax policy. Washington customers of an Oregon-based natural-gas company know they are getting hit at more than the gas pump. Their billing statements include a “WA Climate Act Fee” line item showing what the law is costing them. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) wanted to do the same for its customers, but this past fall, Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office and the state Utilities and Transportation Commission forced PSE to keep that information secret. "Whenever the people are well informed,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1789, “they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights." Clearly the advice from the attorney general’s office was intended to keep Washington’s cap-and-tax law from attracting the notice of PSE customers. Cap-and-tax is also behind the recent passage of House Bill 1589, which gives PSE a path to not only end natural-gas service to 900,000 customers but also forces those customers to bear the cost of electrifying their homes — which could be up to $70,000 each. Common sense says other utilities will likely want to be included under this same policy to comply with the cap-and-tax law, at the expense of consumers. Let’s add another one to the list of damages tied to this wrong-headed law. In Grays Harbor County, taxpayers will see their property-tax bills go up because of an agreement that devalues the most valuable property in the county — home to the natural gas-fired electricity-generating plant in Satsop — by more than $100 million over the next few years. As a news report put it, “Signed by the Grays Harbor county assessor and the property owner, Grays Harbor Energy, the agreement states that the high costs of carbon credit purchases imposed by the state’s Climate Commitment Act substantially reduced the plant’s market value.” When the value of one property, like the Satsop plant, goes down, every other property owner has to pick up the tab for the loss. Lewis County property owners have experience with this situation because of the closure of the TransAlta operation north of Centralia. The county assessor calculates the additional property-tax hit to owners of a $250,000 home in the East Grays Harbor Fire and Rescue District, which surrounds the Satsop facility, at $217 per year. Property owners may have to bear more costs from other taxing districts, as well. To be fair, the Satsop plant’s situation is also complicated by another law brought to you by Gov. Jay Inslee and majority Democrats: The “clean energy transformation act” from 2019, which also requires an end to coal-fired power. Senate Republicans offered an alternative that would have made a difference for the Grays Harbor Energy Center, which is the county’s largest taxpayer. Senate Bill 5043 was a piece of the Power Washington plan we unveiled in late 2022, before the damage from the cap-and-tax law became so apparent. It would have responded to the 2019 law by recognizing that power plants that comply with the state greenhouse-gas emissions performance standard are consistent with Washington's long-term policy for electricity. This policy would have helped to ensure the diverse energy portfolio our state needs. Inslee and his Democrat allies wouldn’t hear of it. SB 5043 didn’t even receive a public hearing. In January, our state experienced a brief cold snap. PSE responded by asking its customers to reduce their energy usage, while a Democrat state senator took to social media to celebrate her access to natural-gas heat. Afterward, I pointed out how the Democrats’ energy agenda jeopardizes the reliability of our power grid. They push for more electric vehicles while failing to defend the lower Snake River dams and the carbon-free hydropower they produce. They support the natural-gas ban charted by the PSE bill. They are reducing our access to power rather than expanding it. Sure enough, one of the “yes” votes on HB 1589 came from the Democrat senator who praised the natural gas that had warmed her when the power went out just a couple of months earlier. Simply banning fossil fuels and taxing an overworked grid is not a real-world solution. You wonder who will be harmed next by the cap-and-tax law, and how. ••• Sen. John Braun of Centralia serves the 20th Legislative District, which spans parts of four counties from Yelm to Vancouver. He became Senate Republican leader in 2020.
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Brian Mittge: Laying down a wholesome Twin Cities challenge
Last Saturday was a busy one in our towns. The weather was sparkling like a diamond and a number of communities were hosting work parties in advance of Earth Day. I was working at one of them along with dozens of other people at the Seminary Hill Natural Area. It is a true pleasure to throw a work party and then spend three hours alongside people who got up early and drove across town with the sole purpose of getting their hands dirty. Sometimes, it can be hard to ask people to do a hard, thankless job. But if you’ve already said “show up and work,” then you know that you’re not asking anything of them that they haven’t already agreed to do. Despite working up a sweat, the whole morning had a kind of easy, breezy vibe that left me feeling so heartened and happy. Or, as my daughter used to tell me occasionally when a day was particularly warm and happy, “Dad, I just felt a stab of contentment!” For me, that felt like a gorgeous spring day, sun a’shining in a century-old forest, with people of all ages smiling as they shoveled, clipped, wheelbarrowed and raked. The volunteers from our Friends of the Seminary Hill Natural Area had brought their usual free coffee and cookies for workers, and that kind of thing always sweetens any experience. (I’ve been trying to eat healthy, but I figured hard work earns cookies, so I was in a particularly delicious place.) The good folks at our locally owned Centralia Quiznos again donated sandwiches for us, as they do every Earth Day. That’s a satisfying way to ring in the noon after starting the day with hard labor. Throughout the morning, I saw preschool-age kids working alongside folks in their 20s, 40s and even 80s: Little girls with plastic shovels filling up tiny buckets and carefully dumping them where they needed to go. All of us, from tiny to venerable, were building something sweet together. That’s even better than cookies when it comes to the satisfying savor of contentment. ••• Meanwhile over in the Mint City, the good folks at Experience Chehalis had their own Earth Day work party happening. My friend Hallie Ralls decided to show some Twin Cities love by showing up on behalf of the Centralia Downtown Association, where she is a dedicated volunteer and leader. She wore her baby daughter, Finley, in a front pack as she helped clean up Penny Playground. Over the course of an hour, she picked up 15 pounds of trash (a little more than what her infant weighs). In a playful burst of build-up-our-friendship cross-town rivalry, Ralls challenged the board of Experience Chehalis to see if they can put in more effort next month at the Centralia Downtown Association’s spring cleanup (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5). If someone from Experience Chehalis comes out ahead, she’ll buy him or her a cup of coffee. I love this kind of challenge. While the Battle of the Swamp gets all the competitive juices flowing on the football field, it’s working to be the strongest supporter of our larger shared community that really makes this such a great place to live. As Ralls said, “It was awesome to get out and put in a little elbow grease to make the community a better place to be.” ••• In fairness, I also need to note that Ralls came straight from working in Chehalis to also lend a hand back in her hometown of Centralia, joining her husband and their older daughter at the Seminary Hill Natural Area. Helping clean up two different towns on the same day is quite a feat — and doing it all with a baby is truly impressive. I think that, regardless of who wins her bet with Experience Chehalis, I owe this hardworking volunteer a cup of coffee and a moment of peaceful contentment. ••• Brian Mittge can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com. |
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Letter to the editor: GOP convention was success, despite negative media reports
We, the Lewis County Republican Party, were honored to attend the 2024 Washington state Republican Party Convention in Spokane April 18-20. Our delegation brought 40 elected representatives from Lewis County, who participated in this historic event. The convention was a great success, and we hope the residents of Lewis County were encouraged by the actions taken. However, we feel the need to address the coverage and mischaracterizations by reporters and the media regarding what transpired at the convention. The convention, attended by over 1,800 delegates from all 39 counties in Washington, had the purpose of endorsing candidates for statewide positions, electing delegates to the national convention and voting on the party’s platform and resolutions. The delegates, elected at county conventions, came to Spokane to engage in a true grassroots Republican election process, primarily endorsing their choice for the gubernatorial candidate, either Dave Reichert or Semi Bird. The Washington State Republican Party’s Candidate Committee vetted both candidates, initially approving them for the endorsement ballot. However, late in the process, the committee recommended rescinding their approval of Semi Bird, leading to a contentious moment during the convention. Despite this, through the proper process and with an overwhelming majority, the delegates reversed the committee’s ruling, allowing the endorsement process to proceed. Unfortunately, Reichert, unseen for the duration of the event, decided to withdraw from the process, citing concerns about the party’s integrity. His absence was disappointing for many delegates who supported him and had traveled to advocate for his candidacy. While the media portrayed the convention as chaotic, we want to clarify that the delegates were orderly and engaged in the process, following Robert’s Rules of Order, and the party chair, state Rep. Jim Walsh, was honorable and ensured a fair outcome. In the end, Bird was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party with 72% of the vote. We look forward to supporting all endorsed candidates from this convention and working toward a better future for our state and country. Although the Lewis County Republicans have previously endorsed Bird as the best candidate, we encourage voting your conscience first and supporting the winner of the Republican primary second. Our goal is to encourage further discussion and a unified front to bring the best candidate forward in the Republican Primary without splitting the vote against our Democratic contenders.
Elizabeth Rohr Toledo On behalf of the executive board of the Lewis County Republican Party |
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Letter to the editor: Border crisis rages on with no end in sight
For the past three years, we have seen 12 million-plus illegal migrants invade our country. The border is wide open, as fentanyl continues to pour into our country, killing over 100,000 Americans each and every year, and crime is rampant in our cities and towns. Our country has gone upside down. By May 2023, it is estimated that there were 12.3 million illegal migrants who had crossed our borders into the U.S., according to the Center for Immigration Studies. In May 2023, Congress passed H.R. 2 (Secure the Border Act). However, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who represents the state’s Third Congressional District, voted “no” on H.R. 2. In September 2023, Congresswoman Perez voted “NO” on the H.R. 5525 (Spending Reduction and Border Security Act). In March 2024, an illegal migrant Raul Benitez Santana, a Mexican national, here in Washington state, struck a Washington state patrol trooper’s car, killing 27-year-old Trooper Christopher Gadd. You can read the list of serious crimes committed by illegal migrants, by year, in the U.S. IN an online report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Recent arrest of an illegal migrant committing serious crimes against children: A 53-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Tacoma was recently convicted of felony first-degree child molestation, second-degree child molestation and third-degree rape of a child A full list of arrests for serious crimes, murder and assaults against children by illegal migrants can be found on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement website. What really irked me is when Gluesenkamp Perez stated: “No one stays awake at night worrying about the southern border … that’s not what matters to people.” When I saw the video of Marie saying that, I just got so angry. I keep hearing that we will have another 9/11-type of terrorist attack in America, and that it’s not a matter of if but only a matter of when. At what point do we say enough is enough? We must shut down the border and start mass deportation.
Susan Allen Vader |
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In focus: Centralia Downtown Association hosts 'Alice in Flowerland' block party at British Bites
The Centralia Downtown Association (CDA) held a “Alice in Flowerland” block party and fundraiser at British Bites in Centralia on Wednesday. The event raised money for the annual flower baskets in downtown Centralia. The Lewis Carroll-inspired block party featured a number of activities, including seedling planting hosted by Blue Zones Activate Lewis County, balloons from the Mad Hatter Play Cafe, a selection of food from British Bites and a bloom bar hosted by Fern Ridge Floral & Design where guests created their own Alice-inspired bouquet to take home. While the event was free, the CDA raised money to support the annual placement of flower baskets in downtown Centralia. Donations toward helping downtown bloom during spring and summer of 2024 can be made via downtowncentralia.org. Baskets can be dedicated in honor or memory of a loved one, as well as sponsored by businesses. |
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Driver launches off of Pierce County bridge and into river while racing, authorities say
Pierce County authorities caught something big from the White River on Monday. It wasn't a fish. It was a 2013 Acura ILX. The Pierce County Metro Dive Team helped recover the vehicle from the river in Sumner, according to a news release from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. The driver of the vehicle was "apparently racing" another vehicle when he drove off the bridge at 142nd Avenue East and Tacoma Avenue, according to the news release. City of Sumner spokesperson Carmen Palmer told The News Tribune that the 21-year-old drove off the bridge early Saturday morning. He made it to shore and was not injured. The Sumner Police Department responded to the scene Saturday. The Tacoma Police Department and other agencies also helped, Palmer said. "Because of the coordination and the specialty equipment, we did not pull the vehicle out until the 22nd," Palmer said. The dive team hooked up the vehicle to cables, and the vehicle was hoisted 60 feet in the air and onto the bridge, according to the news release. It was towed away afterward. |
Seattle Times Opinion
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North Macedonians’ Seattle visit highlights press freedom, judicial transparency
A Seattle visit from North Macedonia's Judiciary-Media Council highlighted court transparency, press freedom and the state's model Bench-Bar-Press Committee. |
