We are fortunate to live in a country where education is considered a top priority. We are even more blessed to live in a community where our children are given the opportunity to go to schools where…

Normally, you wouldn’t think the cost of electricity would clobber ranchers, but in Hawaii, high power rates are the central competitiveness issue. In fact, the owners of the mammoth Parker Ranch on Hawaii’s big island have calculated their…

It seems that homelessness has made its way to all sorts of places, even Lake Stevens for that matter. While we don’t have a huge homeless population, and I mean those who are actually sleeping on…

Background The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that after January 1, 2014, all health insurance policies must contain 10 benefit mandates as determined by federal regulators. Because of this rule, 16 million people nationally and 290,000 in…

It seems that new apps for teens and tweens are showing up almost daily. One of the apps that has been in the news quite recently, and not for good reason, is Ask.fm. The website, which can also be…

Dear Editor, As one of the Granite Falls School District board members, it is my job to work toward the betterment of this community and serve as an advocate for the student’s needs.  Our priorities will remain in student programs and services…

Ballots have all been counted and the results are in, however, the results for the percentage of Granite Falls voters who actually cast their vote is more than depressing. While it wasn’t a year…

Dear Editor, Lisa Myers and Hannah Rappleye of NBC News verifies President Obama “REPEATEDLY assured Americans that after the Affordable Care Act became law, people who liked their health insurance would be allowed to keep it.” But followed that…

The good news is, America is bringing its troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, that presents a challenge because a large number of those troops will leave the military upon their return. That shift, along with significant cuts in military…

Rep. Dan Kristiansen


Part of being a Washingtonian is an appreciation for the outdoors and wildlife. Each of us can likely recall a time when we encountered a memorable vista or an animal in the wild. 

I remember a time when my wife and…

Each year after IRONMAN has left the majestic beauty of Lake Stevens and the Pacific Northwest it seems there are those who are a bit unhappy with the bike course – I mean drivers, not…

The second special session of your citizen Legislature ended on June 29. All totaled, it took state lawmakers 153 days to complete their work. While no one is proud of the extra time it took to pass the operating and capital budgets, and some…

It’s been a couple of weeks since the horrific bombings at the 117th annual Boston Marathon that killed three and wounded dozens of others and my mind still continues to wander to the pictures…

There are numerous topics that do not receive as much open discussion as they warrant. One of those topics is suicide. To many, suicide is a taboo subject and stigmatized, with the word suicide rarely, if ever, being said aloud. Simply put, that…

My first week serving the 39th District in the state Senate is over and the second just begun. I believe that first week set the tone for what will be an exciting, productive Session. The biggest news…

Twenty young lives and six adult lives were lost only a few short weeks ago in one of the worst school shootings in American history. The actions of one deranged killer has changed the lives of…

The word had been sneaking around town for a few months. Talk of the City of Granite Falls considering a contract with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and while the Sheriff’s…

Before the campaign promises of more jobs and renewed prosperity fade away, elected officials need to understand that those promises must be kept. Our nation needs jobs and new revenue, but the critical question is, “How?” Make no…

I remember just 28 years ago when I turned 18 and I got to vote in my first Presidential Election, my first election period. Ronald Reagan was the incumbent and was running against former…

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney tell voters they want manufacturers to stay in America and create new jobs. The president even promised an audience in New Hampshire that he’d create 4.5 million new jobs, half of those in manufacturing. Why all the…

President Obama’s national health care law was passed with lofty promises but no details. Few lawmakers read the 2,000+ page bill before voting on it, but supporters promised it would expand access to health care, cut health care costs and &mda…;

I continue to be shocked at anyone, especially public figures who make statements that could be considered prejudice or racist. Racist may not always be the correct word because sometimes these…

The Fourth of July brings to mind barbeques with family and friends, fireworks and best of all the celebration of the birth of our country. Of course, in Western Washington, it is also the day before…

The economic news is bad. The U.S. economy added just 69,000 jobs in May, less than half the expected number, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics revised down jobs figures for the two previous months as the unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent….

Don’t lawmakers and politicians have anything better to do than to take away their constituents’ freedom of choice when it comes to soda pop size? In New York City, Mayor Michael…