Phelps surpasses his goal:Raising swimming's profile - If Hollywood ever makes a movie about Michael Phelps, don't look for the latest Tinseltown heart throb to play the lead role. He just wouldn't fit the profile. Phelps is an unassuming, average-looking guy with a long body and arms, short legs and big feet...MORE...

08/20/08 Letters to the Editor - Return joy to angel on earth To the editor -- Lois Champoux, cancer survivor, cancer mentor, friend and angel here on earth, is truly a person to admire. The Aug. 10 article is a delightful tribute to Lois as mother and "saint with ALS" by her son, who...MORE...

Your vote counts only if you cast it - A vote is a terrible thing to waste. Yet way too many people in Yakima County are on the verge of blowing off today's primary election. As of Monday morning's mail, county election officials reported that only 26,466 of the 93,989 ballots sent out by t...MORE...

Drop baseball, softball from Games? It just shouldn't be so - Say it ain't so ... somebody! Baseball and softball will go on a four-year disabled list and may face career-ending injuries as part of the Olympic Games. Both sports are out of the Olympics as of the 2012 London Games. That decision was made by the Inter...MORE...

08/19/08 Letters to the Editor - Thank council instead To the editor -- Armchair critics need to stop tearing down predominantly sincere and dedicated public officials who contribute their time helping make the community a better place to live. The Yakima City Council recently approved...MORE...

08/16/08 Letters to the Editor - Letters to the Editor for Aug. 16, 2008...MORE...

08/18/08 Letters to the Editor - To the editor -- Cancer is the No. 1 killer of Americans under the age of 85. More than 565,000 Americans will die from the disease this year. It is time to recommit our nation to the war on cancer -- and that challenge begins at h...MORE...

Require supervision for young hunters - In the wake of a tragic accident in which a 14-year-old, unsupervised hunter shot and killed a hiker he mistook for a bear, state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials now plan to look at new regulations for young hunters. That's certainly in order an...MORE...

08/17/08 Letters to the editor - Vote Hess for House To the editor -- If elected, how long before Norm Johnson becomes one of the "old boy's network" in Olympia, as he is in Yakima? Mark Peterson (Forward Yakima Initiative) wrote a letter saying his group endorses Norm because of his pro...MORE...

08/15/08 Letters to the Editor - Vote for Schweppe To the editor -- If you want a class act to represent our community, please vote for Al Schweppe. He is experienced, having worked and grown up in politics. It has always been his passion and he knows key people in Olympia. He was a capt...MORE...

State income tax? Rossi's attempt to tar Gregoire is spurious - With all the big-ticket items facing this state, from an economic downturn to education and health-care needs, we don't need red herring issues -- such as talk of a state income tax -- cluttering up the political landscape in this election year. It's alre...MORE...

With prices falling, let's not abandon fuel conservation - Crude-oil prices fell to a 14-week low Monday and for Washington motorists still reeling from record gasoline prices, there is reason to hope that the downward trend will continue. According to an AAA survey, the average price of regular had slipped from...MORE...

08/14/08 Letters to the editor - To the editor -- I am writing to support David Elofson. I worked for David for 13 years as his legal assistant and then later as a Rule 9 Intern in the Law Clerk Program. He mentored me in this program even though it took a gre...MORE...