The Daily Chronicle

Gov. Jay Inslee see the arrival of wind turbine components earlier this year in Clark County.

Commentary: Ban Inslee’s Ill-Advised Natural Gas Ban

Gov. Jay Inslee’s end run around the Legislature banning natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings is a bad idea. Even though the state Legislature adjourned last spring without passing … more

By Don Brunell | 9/20/21 | 2 comments

Julie McDonald Commentary: Pandemic Poses Sticky Questions of Mandates, Jobs and Public Health

No doubt about it, we’re living through a confusing, uncertain and rancorous time — in large part because of the coronavirus pandemic and attempts to curtail its spread. Take, for … more

By Julie McDonald | 9/20/21

Governor Jay Inslee talks during a press conference at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in 2019.

Jim Camden Commentary: Attempt to Recall Inslee Faces Even Longer Odds Than Recall of Newsom

With the national media's almost unabated attention to the attempted recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week, several alert readers wrote to ask about something closer to home. That is, … more

Jim Camden / The Spokesman-Review | 9/19/21

Letters to the editor can be submitted to letters@chronline.com.

Letter to the Editor: Seize the Chance a Rewrite Odds on COVID-19 With Vaccine

Some people wonder, “Why should I get a vaccine or wear a mask when it’s still possible to get COVID-19 if I do?” The answer: Vaccines and masks load the dice in our … more

9/17/21 | 6 comments

Letter to the Editor: State Historian Sorry if COVID-19 Comment Offended

Julie McDonald’s Sept. 13 column on the Southwest Washington Writers Conference accurately quoted an email I sent her expressing my misgivings about visiting a county with a comparatively low … more

9/17/21 | 2 comments

The sun sets in Chehalis on an August night.

Richard Stride Commentary: This Suicide Prevention Month, Be ‘The One’ to Help Others

The book “I’m OK — You’re OK” by psychiatrist Thomas Harris published in 1969 is a self-help book and guide to using Dr. Eric Berne’s theory of … more

9/17/21

Guest Commentary: Swecker Was a Fish Farming Pioneer and True Statesman

The Washington state aquaculture community is honoring the life of fish farming pioneer and aquaculture advocate Dan Swecker, who passed away Sept. 1 following a brief illness. Swecker, a … more

By the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance | 9/17/21

Former President George W. Bush speaks during a 9/11 commemoration at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on September 11, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

Don Brunell Commentary: Bush’s 9/11 Epilogue Needs to Be America’s Prologue

This year’s Sept. 11 remembrance fell at a time when America is bitterly divided. It is also a time when we are more acutely worried about where and when terrorists will strike next. Our … more

By Don Brunell | 9/15/21

FILE PHOTO — Bill Moeller walks along the fence line in Centralia.

Bill Moeller Commentary: Good News or Bad News? You Can Make the Call

A recent edition of the Sunday Seattle Times raised that question. It centered around the undeniable evidence that glaciers — at least in our part of the world — are shrinking. We can … more

9/15/21 | 1 comment

John McCroskey Commentary: Parents Need More Choices for Childrens’ Education

In a Sept. 4 commentary in The Chronicle, Liv Finne of the Washington Policy Center wrote “the systems and policies of public education have failed, despite the best efforts of teachers and … more

By John McCroskey / For The Chronicle | 9/15/21 | 2 comments

Letter to the Editor: Why I’m Voting for Joe Kent for Congress

I had the opportunity to meet congressional candidate Joe Kent at a Ridgefield town hall in July. He has three Bronze Stars, 20 years of military experience and was an adviser to President Donald … more

9/13/21 | 3 comments

Letter to the Editor: In Rotten Pandemic, Vaccine Is a Rare Win

I just read your article reporting that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and (I think) deaths are at all-time highs in Lewis County. This seems like a good time to promote the COVID vaccines. Good … more

9/13/21 | 1 comment

Sandy Crowell introduces Roy Wilson at the Southwest Washington Writers Conference.

Julie McDonald Commentary: Conference Draws Writers From Oregon and Washington to Centralia

We did it! In the midst of a pandemic, we held the Southwest Washington Writers Conference where more than four dozen authors gathered in person Friday and Saturday at Centralia College to learn … more

By Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 9/13/21

People wait to be evacuated from Afghanistan at the airport in Kabul on August 18, 2021 following the Taliban stunning takeover of the country. (-/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

Commentary: The Refugee Struggles From the Afghanistan War Are Reminiscent of the Resettlement After Vietnam

Like many Americans old enough to remember the fall of Saigon, the video of people being evacuated from Kabul brings back memories of another time and another war. Those memories — along … more

Jim Camden / The Spokesman-Review | 9/12/21

Letter to the Editor: I Vote for Snaza, But He’s Dead Wrong on Mask Mandate

Thank you Sheriff Snaza. Lewis County now has the second highest COVID-19 rate in all the counties in Washington. In a John Wayne movie, Mr. Wayne made a great statement. He said, “life … more

9/10/21 | 4 comments

Letter to the Editor: Science Is Dead

Did you spread misinformation about COVID-19 today? How do you know? You don’t. Scientific study is just like politics in that diverse opinions achieve balance. When we shut down opposing … more

9/10/21 | 2 comments

Richard Stride Commentary: Considering the Doors and Windows of Our Lives

In the midst of all the negativity we hear and read in the media today, I’d like to talk about doors and windows. Why doors and windows? Well, doors and windows are pretty cool. They are a part … more

By Richard Stride / For The Chronicle | 9/10/21

Pe Ell Mayor John Penberth and his two granddaughters participate in a Pe Ell parade.

Brian Mittge Commentary: Farewell to John Penberth, a Lewis County Original

When I heard that John Penberth died last week, my first thought was how I inadvertently wrote his campaign slogan during his 2004 run for county commissioner. In a news story, I had described … more

By Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 9/10/21

Other Views: Sexual Assault Victims Finally Getting Justice

News that thousands of evidence kits collected during more than a decade of sexual assault investigations are finally being tested brings two old sayings to mind: — Better late than … more

The Columbian Editorial Board | 9/9/21

Letter to the Editor: History Offers Lessons on Afghanistan

Shortly before departing England for the Munich Conference in 1938, Neville Chamberlain publicly dismissed the burgeoning crisis in Czechoslovakia as "a quarrel in a faraway country, between people … more

9/8/21