We are a loosely structured group of retired physicians who have lived and practiced in Yakima for three and four decades. We have become increasingly concerned about the state of medical care in our community over the past decade.
Yakima County Superior Court recently declared a mistrial in a homicide case because of juror misconduct. The purpose of this writing is to explain what occurs when a court declares a mistrial and the effect it has on the court, the parties, the witnesses and the Yakima taxpayers.
“I wish my parents understood that being sad doesn’t mean I’m being lazy.”
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the creation of the Washington apples specialty license plates by the Legislature. The first plates became available on July 1.
The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump was a remarkable civics lesson on constitutional issues of free speech. The meaning of the words “fight“ and “fight like hell” were debated at length. It is certainly true that these words are routinely used in political speech and are not, in the…
To the editor — What? What’s going on in our national politics, our education orientation, the country’s elitists?
To the editor — Regarding Candidates for the Yakima Health District Health Officer Position:
To the editor — I urge everyone who hears or reads anything about a domestic terror plot to contact Yakima PD or the FBI immediately.
To the editor — It seems the Yakima City Council is concerned about the street racing in our fair city.
To the editor — The brouhaha over the Health District Board declining to adopt a motion not to contradict federal, state or local laws is almost laughable were it not for a concerted effort of…
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The cost of caring for America’s nearly 6 million Alzheimer’s disease patients is already $600 billion a year, factoring in the cost of uncompensated caregiving. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug treatment that may or may not work but is set to cost $56,000 a year for the average patient — a charge that in most instances will fall to Medicare.
Last December, Oregon lawmaker Mike Nearman was meeting with activists unhappy with the state’s pandemic lockdown. He shared their sentiments and thought he’d do something to show solidarity.
On the eve of President Joe Biden’s summit with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president once again reminded the world why most Western leaders don’t trust a word he says. In an interview with NBC, Putin deployed his familiar arsenal of lies and counteraccusations. The attempted murder of opposition leader Alexei Navalny? Not me. Election meddling in 2016? Fake news. And so on.
The Democrats’ sprawling voting rights bill, known on Capitol Hill as HR 1, is dead.
QAnon is hardly the first conspiracy theory to sweep the nation.
I’ve been hearing a lot of people in the health professions saying that we need at least 70% to 85% of people to get vaccinated in order to acquire immunity against COVID-19. The fact of the matter is it will take nothing less than 100% inoculation to achieve “eradication” of the coronavirus.
As a Yakima-area health care professional, I’m concerned about low local vaccination rates and I’ve wondered what information I could provide to make people more comfortable receiving it. (In the interest of full disclosure, I have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.) Of the 175,000 adults l…
I became interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in fourth grade, when I started in my school’s “Gifted and Talented” program. Math especially caught my attention. It’s exciting that there is always more to learn and typically more than one way to arrive at the …
In rural Washington, where many families live below the federal poverty line, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit our kids hard, and on multiple fronts. They’re struggling with loneliness, lost school time, and hunger. Some have lost parents or other important people in their lives. They’re depres…
On March 31, the Biden administration unveiled a much-anticipated $2 trillion infrastructure plan. The White House released a statement promising investment to “rebuild our country’s infrastructure,” acknowledging that “after decades of disinvestment, our roads, bridges and water systems are…
For nearly three decades, we’ve been grappling with diminishing salmon runs, and these fish are running out of time. Now, thanks to Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, our hopes for the future soar as we contemplate a proposal that combines salmon recovery with true infrastructure modernizati…
As Yakima residents know, water issues here in the West can be contentious — discussions can quickly become arguments. We’re now seeing something quite different in Yakima County. We’re finding some consensus on water issues, with conversations becoming easier as we start from points of agre…
I do not know how U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse deals with reality, but his statement to the Yakima Herald on Dec. 29 leads me to believe he needs a reality check. Newhouse said, "As our national debt grows, it is more important than ever that we focus on reopening our economy and getting Americans…
If you are a regular reader of the letters to the editor, it should come as no surprise that the most frequently addressed topic is our president, Donald Trump. All other topics were a weak second place until COVID-19 showed up last spring.
A Dec. 16 article in the Yakima Herald-Republic states that I am “repeating unspecified concerns” about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. This is simply not true, and frankly I take offense to the allegation that, as a U.S. representative, I would sign my name to a legal docu…
During the first weeks of November, Washington state reported several record-breaking days of new COVID cases — averaging more than 1,500 cases a day. At the same time, we’re hearing encouraging news about vaccine trials and effectiveness.
For adults who have been thinking about earning their GED or learning to speak English, now is the time to act. Strengthening the skills that employers are demanding is more critical than ever in today’s uncertain, rapidly changing economy.
Just eight years ago, Washington state led the nation in working to improve access to justice for the average American by creating a new category of licensed legal professionals — the limited licensed legal technician. LLLTs were modeled after similar successful human resource additions in t…
The oppressive gray blanket that covered the Yakima Valley lifted just enough Saturday to offer hope.
Throughout this year, I’ve been amazed and encouraged by the strength, courage, and compassion of my patients and their families, as well as my colleagues in health care, as we’ve united to all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wearing masks, socially distancing when possible, prac…
September is National Suicide Prevention Month — an opportunity to call attention to this serious public health concern. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults between ages 18 and 24 has considered suicide in the past month. Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States, the s…
No one enjoys restrictions on their lives or businesses. Just like no one likes to get sick. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us as individuals and communities in terms of what we find acceptable. And problems arise when the restrictions drag on for months and months, seemingly with litt…
As a former Selah councilman, attorney and veteran, I am discouraged to see the council sit silently while one man’s political opinions dictate how the city responds to peaceful protests.
The Yakima County Commission does not reflect the diversity of our views and our communities. Latinos and Native Americans make up about half of the population of Yakima County, and yet only one candidate that looks like us or has experienced similar life challenges has ever been elected to …
The Yakima River Canyon is the most beautiful place on Earth.