News

Columbian Newspaper

Letter: Regulations slow progress
Author: Mark DiVittorio, VANCOUVER

I was intrigued by the article on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program progress (“I-5 Bridge replacement environmental impact statement to be published Sept. 20,” The Columbian, Sept. 11).

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Letter: Trump is for the people
Author: Bryan Yinger, BRUSH PRAIRIE

So, I’m supposed to believe our current vice president will fix the mess she has created if we just vote her back? A “new way forward” . . . from her own administration? That is rich.

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Letter: Harris supports ungodliness
Author: Bob Mattila, BRUSH PRAIRIE

A vote for Kamala Harris, I believe, is a vote to ask God to destroy the United States of America. She is completely for abortion and many other ungodly things.

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Death notices for Sept. 18, 2024
Author: The Columbian

Anthony J. Byrum, 43, Vancouver, died Sept. 11, 2024. Camas Cremation and Burial Services, 360-858-8919.

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Seattle Times Politics

It’s surreal when the lie machine comes for your hometown
Author: Danny Westneat

Columnist Danny Westneat is originally from Springfield, which Trump slandered for eating its pets. It's been galling to watch how the totally fake can become real.

DemocracyNow!

Georgia's Deadly Abortion Ban: The Tragic Deaths of Two Black Women, Candi Miller & Amber Thurman
Author: webdev@democracynow.org (Democracy Now!)

At least two women in Georgia have died since the state’s six-week abortion ban went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Candi Miller and Amber Thurman, both Black women and mothers to young children, died after they were unable to access care for rare but typically treatable complications caused by medication abortion. We hear more from ProPublica editor Ziva Branstetter, whose publication reported on the preventable deaths of Miller and Thurman, and from reproductive justice advocate Monica Simpson. “We are in a maternal healthcare crisis in our state,” says Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, an organization that works throughout the southern United States on behalf of communities of color, which disproportionately suffer the impacts of restrictions on abortion care.

Israel Blamed as Pager Explosions in Lebanon Kill 12 & Injure 2,800; Hezbollah Vows to Respond
Author: webdev@democracynow.org (Democracy Now!)

At least 12 people were killed and over 2,800 people were injured Tuesday in Lebanon when electronic pagers used by many members of Hezbollah — who had switched to the older technology over concerns of mobile phones’ vulnerability to security breaches — exploded simultaneously across the country in a coordinated attack on the group. Individual explosions occurred in supermarkets, cafes, houses and in other public places. Many of the injuries were sustained by civilians who were not carrying the pagers themselves, including at least two children who died from their wounds. According to a Reuters report, Israel’s Mossad spy agency had managed to plant explosive material in a batch of pagers bought in recent months by Hezbollah, which has vowed to retaliate, deepening the risks of a broader regional war. We discuss the attack with three guests: Beirut-based journalist Mohamad Kleit, Human Rights Watch’s Ramzi Kaiss and Palestinian American journalist Rami Khouri. Kaiss says the “indiscriminate attack” on the Lebanese population — which Kleit additionally describes as “terrorist” — is “unlawful under the rules of war.” “What the Israeli attack using the pagers did was completely throw out the rulebook,” says Khouri, as eyes are on the region in preparation for another possible Israeli escalation.

Headlines for September 18, 2024
Author: webdev@democracynow.org (Democracy Now!)

The Chronicle - Centralia

Prep girls swimming: New beginnings get underway for area teams

OLYMPIA — There’s a new era for girls swimming in Lewis County and South Thurston County.

The combined program of Centralia, W.F. West and Rochester as well as the individual schools of Tumwater and Black Hills High Schools are all ushering in new head coaches this season. Leah Rietema and Cortlynn Opdahl are taking over as leaders of their alma maters at Black Hills and Tumwater, respectively.

Those two began their journeys at Tuesday’s five-team meet held at Evergreen State College that featured Olympia, Aberdeen and Sammamish Lake. No teams scores were kept for the meet.

“I never imagined that I would start coaching Black Hills this early in the game,” Rietema said. “I always wanted to. It feels really special to be back home and back with the Wolves. It is definitely unique.”

Opdahl has just seven Thunderbirds out this year and one of the reasons she was offered and took the job was her desire and passion to increase eyeballs to the sport. She pointed to lack of awareness and lack of funding as the two main reasons.

Tumwater’s school district also does not have its own pool, leaving all home meets to be held at the NAIA institution in Olympia. Opdahl herself didn’t start swimming until her senior year at Tumwater.

“For us to not have a pool, it is so obscure to me,” Opdahl said. “I’m fighting for that. Swimming is one of the (sports) that is underdeveloped in Washington State. Specifically in Lewis and Thurston County. I want to grow the program from seven girls to 20-30 girls.

“All of us have the same mindset which is to grow the sport. There is something powerful about learning together.”

Rietema has a younger Wolves team this fall. The 2018 graduate of Black Hills believes having the balance between setting a standard and making sure the girls are enjoying the sport is beneficial for all involved.

Plus, she gets an added benefit of being able to relate to her team.

“It is coming a little faster and more natural to me,” Rietema said. “I’m just trying to build a relationship with each of the swimmers and I get kind of an inside scoop of how far I can push them and where their goals are.”

Returning state qualifier Makayla Sarsfield finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke and third in the 50-yard freestyle for the T-Birds. Her 50 free time of 29.88 seconds is near her best time from last fall.

Fellow senior Jenna Kalar earned a runner-up placement in the 100 butterfly and was fourth in the 200 individual medley. Those two plus Brailey DePrano and Lily Wagner snared fifth place in the 200 medley relay.

Wagner took fifth in the 500 freestyle and Sarsfield anchored Tumwater’s 400 freestyle relay.

“I pushed them pretty hard this meet,” Opdahl said. “People say progress isn’t linear, but with these girls, it is going to be exponential. They’ve crushed all my workouts I’ve given them. They are going to do extremely well come districts and sub-districts.”

Black Hills was paced by a third place finish from Riona Johnstone in the 100 breaststroke and a fifth place performance by Abby Holbrook in the 100 butterfly. Johnstone and Holbrook were also on its fourth place 200 freestyle relay.

Johnstone’s time was a six-second drop from last year while Holbrook dropped two seconds.

“We did really well,” Rietema said. “I was extremely proud that everyone tried their best. All of our races were really good. I’m trying to feed off of them as much as I can and they’re pretty responsive to me because of that trust.”

NYT Politics

111 Former G.O.P. Officials Back Harris, Calling Trump ‘Unfit to Serve’
Author: Peter Baker
The signatories of a letter endorsing the Democratic vice president included former members of Congress, defense secretaries, C.I.A. directors and other national security officials.

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