In The News
A Fresh Start In Congress
by Seattle Times Editorial Board
With what appears to be a striking flip of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats have a tremendous opportunity to forge a fresh start. Washington may contribute to the margin of control. Early returns show Republicans might lose the 8th Congressional District seat with Democrat Kim Schrier leading Republican Dino Rossi. While Republicans still control the Senate, new House leadership will force a reset of President Donald Trump's agenda, forcing him and Republicans to dictate less and c… Continue Reading
11.04.18
Vietnam War Era vets given a thank-you in Port Ludlow
by Jesse Major
PORT LUDLOW - Retired Navy Comdr. Jerry Hamilton was surprised when he learned U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer would honor Vietnam War Era veterans with a pinning ceremony in Port Ludlow. The Chimacum-area veteran, who was one of 23 veterans who received pins Thursday evening at Port Ludlow Fire and Rescue's headquarters, spent many of his years in the Navy in ordinance - nine of which were spent doing explosive ordinance disposal. "In the civilian world that would be the bomb squad," he said. As the … Continue Reading
11.01.18
Veteran pinning ceremony set in Port Ludlow
by Jesse Major
PORT LUDLOW - Today Rep. Derek Kilmer will honor veterans of the Vietnam War era at a pinning ceremony as part of the war's 50th anniversary commemoration. The ceremony will be at Fire Station 31, 7650 Oak Bay Road in Port Ludlow, at 4:30 p.m. Community members are encouraged to attend. Kilmer will present commemorative pins created by the Department of Defense to attending United States veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time between Nov. 1, 1955, to Ma… Continue Reading
10.26.18
Washington Lawmakers Praise Law Enforcement In Arrest Of Pipe-Bomb Suspect
by Natalie Brand
Washington lawmakers are praising the FBI and law enforcement for their swift arrest of a suspect linked to the dozen pipe-bombs sent to prominent Democrats, including two former presidents. "As a nation, we give our thanks to the dedicated law enforcement officers who worked diligently to intercept these threats and apprehend the suspect behind these despicable crimes," said Senator Patty Murray, D-Washington. "There is no place for violence and intimidation in our politics, period. I join th… Continue Reading
10.25.18
Businesses to Reach New Heights at South Sound Summit
by Tacoma Weekly
The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber will host its 2nd annual South Sound Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. This half-day conference has all the components needed to advance South Sound business. The program will kick off with an address by Chamber President and CEO Tom Pierson highlighting the Chamber's accomplishments this year and vision for the future. Conference speakers are composed of both community and business leaders including: Pierce County Executive Br… Continue Reading
10.19.18
Vietnam War era veterans recognized at Port Angeles ceremony
by Jesse Major
PORT ANGELES - U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer honored nearly 100 veterans who served during the Vietnam War era at a commemorative pinning ceremony in Port Angeles. Veterans and their family members packed the Northwest Veterans Resource Center in Port Angeles on Wednesday evening. Veterans who served in active duty at any time between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975, received commemorative pins. "I'm here today with a pretty simple message and that's 'thank you,' " Kilmer said. "Thank you to every per… Continue Reading
10.15.18
Kilmer invites Vietnam veterans to Port Angeles pinning ceremony
by Jesse Major
PORT ANGELES - U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer has invited veterans of the Vietnam War to participate in a pinning ceremony in Port Angeles as part of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War. The event will be held at the Northwest Veteran Resource Center, 216 S. Francis St., at 7 p.m. Wednesday. At the ceremony, Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, will present a commemorative pin created by the Department of Defense to attending United States veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces… Continue Reading
10.15.18
Pierce Transit rolls our electric buses, offers free rides Oct. 17 to celebrate
by PIERCE TRANSIT
On Wednesday, Oct. 17 Pierce Transit will introduce the South Sound community to the area's first all-electric buses. The three new vehicles, obtained with a $2.55 million federal "Low or No Emissions" grant, will run first on Pierce Transit routes 11 and 41. To celebrate the occasion, and in coordination with Wheel Options Month, rides on all Pierce Transit buses and routes will be free Oct. 17, both for new and existing riders. "Electric buses are clean, quiet and good for the environment," … Continue Reading
10.15.18
Can’t we all just get along? Congressman Dan Newhouse tours state with democratic counterpart Derek Kilmer
by Shawn Goggins
MOSES LAKE - To promote unity, civility and bipartisanship, two Washington state-based congressman are touring the state together visiting various sites and talking to stakeholders. The tour also encourages all members of Congress to act accordingly in their political discourse. Dan Newhouse's congressional district includes Grant and Douglas counties and Derek Kilmer's congressional district encompasses Mason County. The tour began on Monday with a trip to the Tri-Cities where the two tour… Continue Reading
10.15.18
Congressman Newhouse takes Rep. Kilmer on a civility tour through the Tri-Cities
by Megan Magensky
RI-CITIES, Wash. - Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) invited Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA) from the 6th district to tour different spots around the Tri-Cities. The pair started the day off at the Hanford site where they saw the vitrification plant. Representative Newhouse says it's exciting to see the process of the plant turning from a construction site to a production site. TRI-CITIES, Wash. - Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) invited Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA) from the 6th district… Continue Reading
10.13.18
Pierce Transit Rolls out First Zero-Emission Buses in South Sound
by Amanda Bretz
The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded Pierce Transit a $2.55 million "Low or No Emissions" grant to purchase the agency's first-ever, all-electric, zero-emission buses and related infrastructure. The "Low-No" grant program aims to put a new generation of advanced, non-polluting transit buses on roadways across the nation. The new vehicles will be the first all-electric buses to operate in the South Sound, but it's not the first time Pierce Transit has chosen clean-running vehicl… Continue Reading
10.12.18
OMC urges federal agency to ditch plan for Medicare, Medicaid cuts
by Michael Dashiell
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Loud and clear. Olympic Medical Center officials made their concerns clear about proposed changes to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements during a visit to Washington, D.C., late last month. Olympic Medical Center CEO Eric Lewis; Jennifer Burkhart, OMC chief human resource officer/general counsel; and hospital commissioners Thom Hightower and John Nutter traveled to D.C. Nutter noted similar concerns from Olympic Peninsula residents are being heard in D.C. as well. After u… Continue Reading
10.12.18
Rep. Kilmer honors Vietnam vets in Ocean Shores ceremony
U. S. Rep. Derek Kilmer was at Ocean Shores VFW Post 8956 last Sunday for a Vietnam War Veterans Pinning Ceremony. "Fifty years after the Vietnam War, too many of the 7.2 million living Vietnam veterans who served our nation have not been recognized for their service and sacrifices," Kilmer said. "This simple pinning ceremony is a small way for our community to do something the nation should have done 50 years ago: say thank you." The pinning program was established by the Secretary of Defens… Continue Reading
10.11.18
Proposed Legislation Could Lure New Home Building
by Pepper Fisher
WASHINGTON, DC - This week, Representatives Derek Kilmer and Denny Heck, both Democrats and co-chairs of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, announced the introduction of H.R. 7041, the Preventing Pollution through Partnership Act (or P3). If it passes, it could end up making a difference in the housing crisis here in Port Angeles. Current regulations make building in the city limits more expensive than in the county because of restrictive stormwater run-off permits, which is one of the reasons c… Continue Reading
10.10.18
Roundtable fishes for salmon solutions
by Luke Whittaker
ILWACO - Commercial fishing fleets are skeletons of their former selves and their communities, once known for their abundant natural resources and food production, are suffering from increased poverty and food insecurity. In response, about 50 state and local officials, scientists, researchers, business owners and fishermen convened Friday, Oct. 5, for a 'Fisheries Roundtable' discussion at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco. They explored options to improving coastal fisheries and … Continue Reading
10.06.18
How Jared Polis Gets What He Wants: A Portrait in Four Parts
by Alex Burness
Thirty-two years ago, before Jared Polis was admitted to Princeton at 16, before he hit it big as a 20-something entrepreneur, before he ran for Congress and governor, and before he changed his last name, there was little Jared Schutz, an 11-year-old with a high-pitched voice, skipping school to address the city council. At that time of his life, Jared played almost daily in an urban canyon near his family's home in the uppercrust San Diego community of La Jolla, and one day some neighbors came… Continue Reading
10.06.18
Harrison Medical Center marks its centennial as relocation to Silverdale nears
by Tad Sooter
As the Great War ground to a close in Europe in 1918, another deadly force "struck a vicious blow at Bremerton." The global influenza epidemic devastated the shipyard town, sickening hundreds. A makeshift hospital was organized in the First Methodist Church, and the ill and dying filled hallways, pews and aisles. Among the volunteer nurses tending to patients at the church was Angie Harrison, a relative newcomer to the community. A $600,000 fundraising drive helped finance the $3.2 million, … Continue Reading
10.05.18
Opioid bill awaits president’s signature
by Jesse Major
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Legislation intended to combat the opioid epidemic has passed Congress and is awaiting the president's signature to become law. The bipartisan Opioid Crisis Response Act was approved by both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives last month. The final legislation included provisions introduced by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Mountlake Terrace, who visited Port Angeles in March to learn how the opioid epidemic affects Port Angeles. Cantwell and U.S. Sen. Kamala Har… Continue Reading
10.05.18
2018 TACID Fundraising Luncheon
by Don Doman
've been off the board at TACID for a number of years now, but I like to see how they are doing. The brown bag luncheon offers me that opportunity. Since Nola Renz has become executive director, the annual fundraiser has been held at the Boys & Girls Club facility on the ground of the old Mt. Tahoma High School. I love the landscaping with its dry round stone creek beds and bushy green landscaping. It's simple, but effective . . and feels welcoming . . . much like the organization: Tacoma Ar… Continue Reading
10.05.18
Port Commissioner Jack Thompson dies while on trip to Chile
Jack Thompson, longtime Port of Grays Harbor Commissioner, died overnight in Santiago, Chile, Port officials said Thursday morning. He was there attending the annual convention of the American Association of Port Authorities. Thompson was with his wife Trish and they had been out for a walk on Sunday when he fell and hit his head. He was being cared for in a private clinic and people who were part of the convention were helping facilitate things the past couple of days. Port officials sai… Continue Reading