Commentary | The Daily Chronicle

Mossyrock’s 2025 Blueberry Festival Parade grand marshal Buddy Rose with his eldest daughter Natalie Gonzalez, younger granddaughter Cecilia and older granddaughter Claudia, photographed in Morton in 2024.

Brian Mittge: Mossyrock honors keeper of stories on water, fire and blueberries

They say “you can’t go home again,” but that’s not just a sentimental saying for Buddy Rose. The longtime chronicler of East Lewis County life and history literally … more

8/1/25

Chehalis City Councilor Kevin Carns is a former state government representative and chair of the Gifford Pinchot Secure Rural Schools Resource Advisory Committee.

Commentary: It's time for a permanent solution for counties like ours

In Lewis County, we are proud of our forests. They’re not just part of our landscape — they’re part of our heritage, our economy and our way of life. But when more than a third of … more

8/1/25

Sen. John Braun poses for a photo outside The Chronicle in Centralia on Thursday, July 17.

John Braun: Reaction to federal shift on homelessness highlights state Democrats’ failures

Democrat leaders in our state have found a new reason to criticize the federal government. This time it’s the July 24 executive order about ending crime and disorder on America’s streets … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia | 8/1/25

An excellent view of the Knab School building with children in front of a split rail fence. The photo was captured in about 1906.

Julie McDonald: Grove family ancestors settled on Layton Prairie in 1800s

When Francis Linwood of Toledo married Jerry Grove, she joined a family with a long history in Lewis County, one that started with Laura Omeg, who traveled by wagon in 1889 from Needy, Oregon, near … more

By Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 7/28/25

Richard Stride is the current CEO of Cascade Community Healthcare.

Richard Stride: Which America do you live in? A personal reflection on ‘American Nations’

If you’ve ever wondered why Americans can look at the same set of facts and come away with completely different beliefs, you’re not alone. For years, I thought the differences came down … more

Commentary by Richard Stride / For The Chronicle | 7/28/25

State Rep. Jim Walsh speaks during a “Let’s Go Washington” rally at the Capitol in Olympia on Thursday, June 6. Walsh, R-Aberdeen, represents the 19th Legislative District in the state Legislature. He also serves as chairman of the Washington state Republican Party.

Jim Walsh: Cutting through Democrats’ hysterical rhetoric on Medicaid program

The questions I hear most often from people in Southwest Washington right now involve the state’s Medicaid program. Is D.C. defunding it? Is Olympia destroying it? These questions are … more

Commentary by Jim Walsh | 7/28/25

Zac Eckstein is chair of the Lewis County Democratic Party.

Zac Eckstein: President Eisenhower taught us this immigration lesson 70 years ago

July's heat in Mexicali pushes past 110 degrees most days, but in 1955, thousands of disoriented people wandered the Mexican border city under an even more brutal sun. They’d been deposited … more

Commentary by Zac Eckstein, Lewis County Democrats | 7/28/25

Rayanna Wisner smiles as she and her steer, Chase, enter the arena during the Thurston County Youth Livestock Auction at the Thurston County Fair on Aug. 3.

Wayne Fournier: ‘Not just a tradition’ — What the county fair taught me about community

There’s a special kind of buzz in the air when July melts into August here in Thurston County. You can hear it in the rumble of livestock trailers on country roads. You can see it in kids … more

Commentary by Wayne Fournier / For The Chronicle | 7/28/25

The Chehalis River flows through Rainbow Falls at Rainbow Falls State Park on Wednesday, July 2.

Brian Mittge: Over the river and into the woods

OK folks, we’re getting on halfway through the summer. It’s time to do an outdoors check. How are we all doing at getting into the glory that is wooded Washington? Many of you have … more

Commentary by Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 7/25/25

John Braun: Something else we didn’t need — higher fees for fishing, hunting and parks

Republican legislators have rightfully focused on how majority Democrats just approved the largest tax package in Washington history, which will raise state and local taxes by a combined $12.2 … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia | 7/25/25

The entrance of Green Hill School is pictured in Chehalis on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Commentary: Green Hill has become a burden Chehalis should no longer bear

For decades, the City of Chehalis has hosted the Green Hill School, a juvenile detention facility run by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. What was once envisioned as … more

By Kevin Carns / Chehalis City Council | 7/23/25

Commentary: Enough is enough — Washington’s independent restaurants deserve breathing room

Across Washington state, family-run restaurants aren’t just places to eat — they’re places of memory, culture and community. From the teriyaki shops anchoring Seattle neighborhoods … more

By Jared Nieuwenhuis / Bellevue City Council | 7/22/25

Julie McDonald: Nonagenarian recalls life in Toledo schools after World War II

Although her history is rich in Lewis County, Frances Grove spent the early years of her life in Oregon and California because her father traveled from one job to another as a carpenter, welder and … more

Commentary by Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 7/21/25

Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope speaks during the Tuesday, July 8, business meeting at the Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis.

Sean Swope: Lewis County doesn’t need a 50% increase for homeless services — we need accountability

Lewis County just reduced its homeless population by 15% — one of only two counties in Washington to show real progress. So why are unelected state agencies demanding a 50% increase in our … more

Commentary by Sean Swope, Lewis County commissioner | 7/21/25

John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@gmail.com.

John McCroskey: It’s not hateful to want the U.S. to have secure borders

Immigration is not a thorny issue, but Illegal immigration is. If we’re honest, it's not because of Trump, but because of Joe Biden. He made this mess allowing millions in who were … more

Commentary by John McCroskey / For The Chronicle | 7/21/25

Belmore accepts members year-round. You can get information at their website, BelmoreEquestrian.com, or you can email connie@belmoreequestrian.com or donate to support the program through timewithtails.org.

Maureen Harkcom: Local equestrian nonprofit succeeds despite strife from neighbor

You may have read my commentary in June about issues Connie and Cassie Riker and their Belmore Equestrian and Time with Tails nonprofit have had to deal with thanks to a nuisance neighbor. It … more

Commentary by Maureen Harkcom / For The Chronicle | 7/21/25

Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, stands in the wings of the Senate floor at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.

John Braun: A big step toward restoring public safety: Auto thefts fall to historic low

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs has kept a record of the auto thefts reported across our state for each month since 2002. In those 23-plus years, the statewide number never … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun | 7/18/25

Claquato Cemetery Board Member Angie Vlach reads a poem hanging on the wall of the historic Claquato Church on Thursday, July 17. Behind her are Claquato Cemetery Board President Brett Mitchell, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation Board Member Edna Fund, and Claquato Cemetery Manager Lacie Jendryka. (Photo: Brian Mittge)

Brian Mittge: New life in our oldest church

Walking through the doors of the Claquato Church really is like stepping back in time. The room is empty save for a dozen white wooden pews, a pair of organs and a modest platform at the front … more

Commentary by Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 7/18/25

Lewis County Democrats Chairman Zachary Eckstein smiles for a portrait at The Chronicle’s Centralia office on Thursday, Dec. 26.

Commentary: Lewis County families deserve better than budget rhetoric

Lewis County families are facing real challenges, and we need our representatives fighting for us, not providing cover for policies that make our lives harder. Sen. John Braun's recent editorial … more

Commentary by Zac Eckstein | 7/17/25

Commentary: Congress must act now on SRS funding lifeline

Rural counties like ours don’t ask for special treatment. We just ask for fairness — and for the tools to do the job of serving our communities. That’s why the Secure Rural Schools … more

By Lewis County Commissioners Lindsey Pollock, Sean Swope and Scott Brummer | 7/16/25