07/06/08 Letters to the Editor - The Yakima County ban on fireworks has been in place since June 1995; for the past 13 years fireworks stands on the reservation have benefited from this ban. As you may recall, before the ban fireworks were sold all ove...MORE...

Let's focus on deeper issues this election - In the end, this election must not be about which presidential candidate can better wrap himself in the flag than the other. The issues are simply too important to be clouded by such unworthy campaign rhetoric. John McCain is practically the definition of...MORE...

07/05/08 Letters to the Editor - To the editor -- Re: The June 27 article regarding Ellie Heffernan, who passed away June 21. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have known the wonderful Ellie Heffernan. As a Yakima Valley Community College alum, I am one of the tho...MORE...

Happy 232nd birthday, America! - We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the authority of the good People of these Colonies...MORE...

07/04/08 Letters to the Editor - Thanks for letting us have a say To the editor -- I want to express my thanks and a big "Hooray!" for the changes in your online newspaper that allow a comments section for most articles. It is a feature I have enjoyed in other online newspapers very much...MORE...

Parents, help drown-proof your kids with swim lessons - The 100-plus degree heat this week proved once again two truths of summer: * People -- and kids in particular -- are attracted to water to cool off. * That attraction has the potential to end in tragedy. But it doesn't have to. So once again we urge paren...MORE...

07/03/08 Letters to the Editor - Not free to celebrate To the editor -- I have some questions about the fireworks ban. Should it apply to everyone? Whose independence are we celebrating? Does a ban violate our rights as a people? As I see it, the whole idea is to celebrate Independence D...MORE...

Court rightly rules out executions for child rape - Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy clearly understood that it would be tempting to let emotions overrule reason in a case that may define the court's just-ended term. But Kennedy and his fellow justices made a proper ruling last week when, by the na...MORE...

07/02/08 Letters to the Editor - Yes to individual rights To the editor -- Recently, by a 5 to 4 vote, the Supreme Court made an historic finding that the Second Amendment to the Constitution contained an individual right to keep and bear arms. They found, essentially, that the word "peo...MORE...

State performance audit will give Yakima more bang for the buck - At its request, Yakima will be the first city in the state to undergo a special state performance audit, and we do like that it will be conducted without interference from City Hall. State Auditor Brian Sonntag made it clear last week that his office will...MORE...

06/30/08 Letters to the Editor - To the editor -- I applaud the efforts of the Yakima Police Department and their Proactive Enforcement Unit. This unit, along with the YPD Gang Enforcement Team, is the type of organized effort that law enforcement agencies througho...MORE...

Bottom line? Officials’ overreaction to ‘crime’ was equally offensive - It was wrong for two McMinnville, Ore., middle school boys to swat the behinds of their female classmates last year. It was boorish behavior that should have been reprimanded by school officials and parents. And certainly the girls had every right to comp...MORE...

Bearable animal incident is a good lesson for all - OK, we'll admit we have a fascination for bear stories like some people are drawn to horror movies. Bears are big, scary, wild, unpredictable, cute in their own ursine fashion. And did we mention scary? We especially like the kind of stories with a happy...MORE...