Supporting local, small businesses is more important now than ever. With the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses are among the hardest hit. Reasons? They do not always have the ability to social distance due to space constrictions, they may not have an on-line presence to continue with sales…
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Kamiah’s weekly newspaper has a new owner, and the commitment to community journalism will continue to be the focus.
Heavens, it has been a year so far. But that’s not what we’re about at this moment.
A clear example for the need of the Second Amendment can be stated in one word:
The problem with the First Amendment is supporting it -- not in theory, but in practice.
Idaho citizens have the voter initiative process as a tool to have a say in their political system and in shaping public policy. Two bills before the Idaho Legislature propose to change the state’s voter initiative process; one to improve it, the other to encumber it.
“How can newspapers promote civility when they see it’s incivility that sells?” asked Idaho County Clerk Kathy Ackerman.
A fool’s errand: The feeling you may get when trying to participate in a comment period on proposed public lands management projects.
After more than 40 years as a Lowell/Syringa News correspondent for the Idaho County Free Press, Marie Smith is retiring.
Crash was reported on U.S. Highway 95 at milepost 135. Whoops. That should have been 235.Five miles south of Grangeville, by the way.Sorry about the mistakes. The reporter was “de-thawing.” Oh, that’s more of a slang term and kind of nonsensical.
If it sounds like we’re harping every year to “shop local,” it’s because we are. That’s because we know what it’s like to be a small business that relies on the support of the community to employ its people.
I’ll try not to smile when a raised eyebrow asks me, “why would you buy a newspaper?”
One less gun is in the world. Ask the ocean whether that teardrop made it any saltier.
With the coming of Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11, we note that so much has been said and preached on the subject of soldiers, war and sacrifice that any subsequent words add little, and, in fact, seem trite and redundant.
We get asked, “Who do you recommend in this election?” Our answer is usually some variant of, “Choose the boring person.”
What does last week’s Innovia Data Walk tell us about Grangeville?
Sickening, that’s what it is, that our western senators need to go on bended knee to the federal government to request funding for what should be provided as a matter of duty.
Where were you 18 years ago?
Your cemetery district needs you, and your fire district, and your city council, and your school board.
Should access to medicinal marijuana be allowed in Idaho?
Grangeville steps into the seat of state power next week when Governor Brad Little comes to town for the Capital for a Day event.
Not since Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers have we been treated to such a song and dance as the Idaho Department of Labor (IDOL) is giving us as their “Achy Breaky Heart” reasons for shutting down its physical location in Grangeville.
Enough seriousness now. Border Days starts this week.
Nothing solves a problem so efficiently well as taxing it. Just look for what it’s done to eliminate smoking, for example.
Ada County and the Idaho State Police are taking flack – unwarranted, in our opinion -- for their enforcement and prosecution of three out-of-state truckers who were transporting industrial hemp through Idaho.
This weekend, Riggins is literally at center stage, and White Bird will be off like a shot.
Neighbors helping neighbors: One of the great things about living in rural communities is folks’ readiness to jump up and assist those in need. That compassion and concern is exemplified in our emergency medical technicians – EMTs – who are being recognized as part of National EMS Week, May 19-25.
There but for the grace of God….
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa.
When it comes to a proposal for a walking/biking path in Grangeville, we have this to say:
Voter initiatives are a rarity within Idaho – three within the past 20 years -- yet here the legislature is considering how to make this process more cumbersome and, as a result, discourage citizen involvement in its political process.
Providing coverage to our EMS providers for psychological trauma is not only a good benefit, it’s a public recognition of how we value their service.
Survey says: Half of Idahoans admit they are unwilling to make lifestyle adjustments to stop climate change.
New federal standards for Idaho identification cards have been in the works for more than a decade, but only recently has getting the ID become a pressing priority -- we’re a year and a half out from it being enacted.
Our men and women in the military serve and sacrifice to protect not only the values Americans hold dear, but to protect current and future generations. So, it is ironic that those same individuals – injured as a result of that service -- are not supported by our nation to assist them in bri…
Idaho ranks seventh for having the worst drivers in the nation.
Petitioners have an uphill battle to fight in their efforts to recall Kooskia Mayor Charlotte Schilling.
Although the new federal rule for hospitals to list their prices on their web sites began Jan. 1, this may not be as big of a help to patients as it initially seems.
Governor Little has an exciting opportunity to take fresh eyes and innovation into addressing a long-standing problem concerning marijuana, make a policy that reflects the values and desires of its residents, and lead the nation in how this substance should be handled.
Recently the Moms Demand Action group formed in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, which, according to news reports, is advocating to prevent unintentional firearm deaths among children by educating parents and gun owners about responsible gun storage.
Meetings are most often the drudgery we make of them. It’s time we reinvent how we conduct these to make them more informative, productive and better attended.
When purchasing local, you are essentially supporting yourself and your family. Repeat studies have shown that your local businesses give back to their communities at a far greater percentage than do national chains.
Idaho County is second to none in how it honors and recognizes its veterans; not just on holidays, but every day. It’s easy to be reminded of this during commemorative events, such as Veterans’ Day.
Juvenile crime records are under lock and key, and Idahoans as a whole are losers in this deal, the result of a state supreme court rule that exempts these from disclosure.
Idaho voters on Nov. 6 will be deciding on Proposition 2, Medicaid eligibility expansion. As part of the voters’ decision-making process, the Idaho County Free Press has compiled guest opinions and press releases from the past few months concerning the proposition.
Silly to ask? A waste of time, tax dollars? We’ve heard this referenced to advisory votes and the fire district formation being posed on the Nov. 6 ballot, and we’ll have to say we strongly disagree. Yes, the results are significant, but more importantly, raising such questions forces the community to engage in and dialog on issues it may otherwise ignore or sidestep.
Oh, the days. Halloween night is the only time it’s universally accepted to beg strangers for handouts. And it’s a fun time for kids to play dress-up and be someone or something else for this exciting evening. Yes, and then adults put their social politics baggage into the mix and screw up yet another fun time.
There are times when northern Idaho feels less a part of a state and more an extended backyard for our southern neighbors. This is one of those times.
The atmosphere for mass media today has become increasing hostile. The continued demonization of national print and broadcast journalists has trickled down to the regional and local levels.
Go have some fun at Oktoberfest. We insist. That’s an easy order, but we have an ulterior motive for saying so. Participation helps this, and other such community events, thrive and continue.
