Columns
See the latest columns from CDA Press!
Sky-high stunts
Janet Lee Orcutt wasn’t suicidal or intoxicated when she jumped from the eighth story of the Coeur d’Alene Resort …
Parents, let your children know about key issues
Knowledge is about learning, becoming informed. The retired people of Kootenai County have time for the luxury of continuous learning, and I suspect they are k…
English: Should it dominate?
It’s tempting to consider English the most important means of communication; humans do tend to be egocentric. Yet with 7,097 living languages in use, humility begets curiosity: Is English, or should it be, the ling…
The Bureaucrats of War
Americans celebrated Vietnam Veterans Day earlier this week. What some of our citizens do not know is that the war was started under false pretenses. As a Viet…
Technical and higher ed key to empower Idahoans
The 2016 legislative session featured a governor-supported focus on education, particularly professional technical education, now called Career Technical Educa…
Smiling through the tears for Anna
If I were writing this column with pen and paper instead of the computer, it would be stained with tears. This community, this world, and most intimately the family of Anna Pearce are mourning her death ... and cel…
Words: Use 'em or lose 'em
As language erodes into textspeak, it begs the question: Just how important are words?
Major Northwest quake may be a ways off yet
Last week I wrote about major earthquakes, including the possibility of one along the Pacific Northwest coast. Many of the big shakers are felt in Alaska and California.
Bagpipes, golf and cupcakes: what a day!
March came in like a lamb and is headed out the same way so it’s not surprising that there were golfers enjoying the game on the last day of winter this past Saturday.
No whips for these chicks
I’ve never understood why bunnies symbolize Easter. We hide eggs, and we don’t eat rabbit, so why not the underrated Easter chicken? Chocolate roosters, anyone?
Want to improve primaries? Kill 'em
Idaho Secretary of State Lawrence Denney, who as House Speaker was instrumental in bringing the closed-primary system that discourages large numbers from voting, is now working with colleagues from other states to …
Bottom line: Hillary Clinton most qualified
Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person running to be the next president of the United States. Despite more than 30 years of lies and smear tactics, she is the leader for the Democratic nomination. She is the …
Feeling emotional pain
Emotional pain hurts more deeply than any physical pain a person might inflict on one’s body. The soul carries more pain receptors than the flesh. Losing a daughter to cancer, a friend to suicide, a coworker to dis…
America needs to go back to its roots
Women’s rights. Gay rights. Black lives matter. Right to grow, smoke, and sell our own pot. Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. As Americans we love our rights, now our taskmasters. Dependence on government handouts, Inte…
Property tax: Rate doesn't tell whole story
Each spring, taxpayers can’t help but think about how much we work to pay for government functions. Yes, despite the fact that we benefit from most of those functions in thousands of ways, it’s easy to resent that.…
Here comes the presidential election
My wife and I went to the polls today thinking of all the different variables before us in regard to the presidential candidates and what they say they will do for America if elected. Our concern is not for us pers…