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League of Women Voters registered new citizens to vote
This month, the Trump administration issued a directive preventing the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from involving non-governmental organizations in voter registration at Naturalization ceremonies. The League of Women Voters Spokane (LWVSA) did register newly naturalized citizens and others at this ceremony.
The LWVSA consulted USCIS and it was determined that since this ceremony is being held at Central Valley High School and not at a USCIS facility LWVSA may register voters. For more information, here’s a link to September 2, 2025 NPR article “Trump administration blocks groups from voter registration at naturalization events” by Ashley Lopez https://www.npr. org/2025/09/02/nx-s15525875/trump-naturalization- voter-registration-uscis The candidates were from 27 countries including - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Berna, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea (country in Africa), Germany, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Gloria Jean Wells Newport
False analogies bewildering
In response to the September 10th letter titled “Update on Immigrant Driver,” the writer’s persistent use of false analogies is bewildering. They attempt to equate the death of three human beings to “no animals were harmed.” They seem to diminish the central point: three individuals were tragically killed, period! Additionally, the writer makes unfounded, stereotypical assertions that a conservative cable news network would refrain from broadcasting an incident if the driver were a different race without any support. Regarding the TPS for Haiti, the information I found according to uscis.gov is that “the effective date of any termination is February 3, 2026”, not July 1, 2025 as they stated.
Renee Webster Newport
CREATE brings great shows to Newport
“There’s nothing to do in Newport! I have to drive all the way to Sandpoint or Spokane to do something fun!”
I’ve thought and said that myself. Well, I was wrong. It’s exciting to see more and more opportunities and events are happening here.
I can’t afford to pay $60 or more for concerts in the bigger places, but I don’t have to.
CREATE Arts Center brings some very talented people to Newport who have a wide variety of styles. They also showcase homegrown talent with the likes of “Popeye Rose Band Social Club” and harmonica player Carl Rey and slide guitar player Truck Mills. These are people who embody the old adage “What are these guys doing in a small town like Newport?”
CREATE’s events are also as cheap as a lunch for two at McDonald’s.
Need fun in your life?
Truck, Carl and “Popeye Rose” are playing Oct. 4, 6-9 p.m. Then on Oct. 25, “Haywire,” a nine member band from Spokane, will be presenting music from the 1920s through the 1950s. That concert runs from 6-8 p.m.
From my own experience, these concerts in an intimate setting are fun, relaxing, energizing and affordable.
Why go out of town when you can enjoy great music here? Newport is on its way to having it all!
-Lee Shaver Newport
1,000% cut to prescription?
Numbers matter as opposed to one’s political ideology. When you are told by a politician that he is going to save 1,000% of your prescription cost, your mind should ask, how do you save more than 100% of anything? Likewise, how does is a $1.1 trillion cut from Medicaid/Medicare offset by a rural healthcare program of $50 billion. Ask our congressman how giving back only 5% of a Medicaid/ Medicare funding cut impacts our rural hospital and healthcare.
He will likely tell you that his vote to cut Medicare saves the program for those seniors that really need it.
That assumes that millions of seniors like me are abusing the Medicare system with our selfish use of it. The idea is that your treatments are wasteful and inappropriate while other treatments are not.
I don’t have a medical hobby. I don’t enjoy invasive medical treatments and operations. I don’t love waiting for medical care and spending precious lifetime left playing with the medical system.
The congressman’s problem is that he needs to find savings in programs like Medicare to fund his supporter’s tax breaks. The congressman’s rich supporters must have a return on their investment in his campaign for re-election.
Pete Scobby Newport
Do the math
Our congressman voted to delete $1.1 trillion in Medicaid over the next 10 years.
That equates to $110 billion annually. His recent spin” is to proclaim the funding of $50 billion over the next five years. This would be the rural health care “lifeline.”
This “lifeline” funding amounts to less than 5% of the healthcare funding that is being eliminated. If you equate this to Washington, and the supposed funding our state will receive, this equal to about $2,50 per resident.
The fact is, the Big Beautiful Bill will drastically harm rural healthcare. Rural hospitals will be required to cut back services or even close.
This is serving our 5th District?
Robert W. Schutte Newport
Revival
Kamori, thanks for the kind words last week! We do what we do. Each week we put out truth. Those not seeing it aren’t seriously looking for truth. The media spins the truth and some are still listening.
Charlie Kirks memorial service was five hours of Gospel revival. Trump, Vance and most of the cabinet attended.
Most of them spoke. Every one of them mentioned their faith and how important it is to them. Trump even spoke of our creator.
Since Charlies murder there have been more than 120K inquiries about opening new chapters of Turning Point USA. Charlie’s death created a firestorm across the country and around the world.
Recently an NFL stadium was covered in Turning Point signs. A revival has begun.
Charlie’s murder has taught us one thing, his death was followed by prayer vigils, George Floyd’s death in 2020 was followed by burning down cities and destroying property. It’s easy to see where the violence originates. The far left.
Trump dropped a bomb in a presser. Linked Tylenol to autism. Bomb? Linked the vaccine schedule to autism.
Former FBI Director James Comey indicted on Federal charges. Tip of the iceberg.
‘No one is above the law.’
Enjoy the show.
Glen Pierce Spokane/Cusick
County turnover at once?
Reading through the “Who’s In Charge” guide again, I noticed something that raises questions about terms and continuity.
Many Pend Oreille County offices — like the Clerk of Superior Court and Prosecuting Attorney — all have terms ending in 2026. That could mean a large turnover of leadership at once. Is that intentional, and could it affect stability?
The guide also lists fouryear terms for both District and Superior Court judges. I had thought judicial terms in Washington were longer. Is our county an exception, or is this the norm?
In Bonner County, commissioners rotate differently — two end in 2027, one in 2029. That staggering seems designed for continuity, but does it also change how voter influence works between districts?
These aren’t criticisms — just questions that come from looking closely. Thank you again for publishing the guide and making this information accessible.
Saundra K. Park Newport
Inflated cost of living
Federal government is working to reduce our tax burden. Our inflated cost of living in WA State is not impacted by tariffs, as Olympia would like us to believe.
Olympia, not the Federal Government, is cutting Medicaid programs to citizens.
Olympia is totally responsible for WA inflated cost of living.
Olympia recently imposed significant tax & fee increases on businesses & consumers.
This included fuel taxes, B&O taxes and fee increases for every interaction in WA. Our local government agencies (i.e., city, county, auditor, schools, hospitals, libraries, etc.) are asking for fees/bond increases. These look like only pennies but when each continues to ask for more and more from citizens it accumulates. Most property values increased an incredible amount resulting in higher property taxes. All agencies will benefit from this, why do they need more? Where is the money going? When will it be enough?
How much more must citizens pay to WA state? WA governments need to learn to work within their budgets as we taxpayers live within ours. I suggest 3% a year decreases in local government budgets, not the huge increases they are proposing. I encourage voters to vote no on all fees and increases.
Tamara Newman Newport
Vote by mail ensures more people
I wish to commend Lori Larson, Stevens County auditor, and Marianne Nichols, Pend Oreille County auditor, for their very powerful defense of vote by mail published as a op-ed recently in this paper. They laid out the process, history, secu- rity and accuracy of the system we use, in a straightforward essay which ought to put to rest any hesitation voters may have with this voting system. Coincidentally, the Oregon State Auditor published a similar defense of vote by mail, including the compelling statistic that over the 25 years that Oregon has used vote by mail, with more than 60 million votes cast, there were 38 incidents of vote fraud and every one of them was successfully prosecuted. No doubt Washington statistics are similar.
Vote by mail ensures more people get the opportunity to vote, and really, isn’t that what a true democracy aspires to? It is encouraging that elected Republican officials have gone on record to reassure the public that our voting system is safe, secure, convenient and accurate.
All voters, regardless of party affiliation, owe these officials our thanks.
Dianna Michaels Colville
Regarding the Oath to the US Constitution
When elected officials take office, they take an oath to Protect, Obey, and Defend the Constitution, we expect them all to do just that.
Our current President has taken the Oath twice, and has shown his disregard and disrespect for the Constitution repeatedly.
We have thousands of Americans serving in the military, the National Guard, and in thousands of other offices nationwide, who have also taken the same Oath. They are now taking orders from a President who is not protecting or defending the Constitution.
If our President is giving orders that are clearly unconstitutional, you, as a member of the military, have an obligation to your Oath to refuse to obey his unconstitutional orders.
Joel Jacobsen Newport
Kirk a victim, not martyr
The murder of Charlie Kirk was a terrible tragedy, and I prayed for his family and our country when I heard the news.
He appears to have been killed by a gunman acting alone who was not part of any broader movement and had acquired his weapon legally.
His death does not make him a martyr; it makes him a victim. I feel pain and grief for his loss, just as I do for all other victims of crime that day who have been ignored.
I fell pain and grief for the loss of the Minnesota legislators who were slain earlier this summer, and the Catholic grade school children killed in Church the first day of school, also in Minnesota. Why no candlelight vigils by the House Speaker for these victims? Perhaps because they did not have connections to the powers that be in Washington DC?
A martyr is defined as someone, who, given a choice, adheres to his convictions knowing they may be killed for those convictions. Kirk was not given a choice to renounce his beliefs as he did not know he was going to be assassinated by a crazed individual, who I hope is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All people die with various political and/or religious beliefs , but not all people die as martyrs Greg Hicks Spokane
Letter writer lying
Regarding Scobby’s Sept. 17 letter: Claim: Government’s response to Kirk’s murder “seems” politically motivated. Fact: “Seems” reveals your severe, delusional bias.
Claim: Shooter is assumed to be leftist. Facts: Shooter engraved Antifa (leftist group) messages on bullets, family testimony reflects hatred of Kirk, an increasing support of “gay and transgender rights,” and negative view of father’s Trump support.
Claim: Government needed shooter to be gay with transgender lover to explain killing. Facts: All of those things are true.
While uncomfortable for some, this is what the fact set supports and the murder was a predictable downstream result of leftist rhetoric falsely painting Kirk as fascist.
Claim: Shooter made a military sniper shot.
Facts: Shot was easy.
Short range for weapon, optic installed, still weather, stationary target.
Claim: People are being fired for not liking Kirk.
Fact: People are being fired for celebrating or condoning a murder.
Claim: The government is censoring the left. Facts: Nearly every mainstream news organization leans left per Allsides including CNN, CNBC, CBS, NPR, MSNBC, AP among others. A corporate decision to take Kimmel off air for a few days is not government censorship. Looking back on your previous articles, anyone can see that you are a chronic liar.
Stop lying!
Jonathan Hepp Newport
Corruption anyone?
It seems that Tom Homan, the border czar, was caught by the FBI in a bribery sting. Now the DOJ has dropped the investigation. Do you suppose that one of us, caught on tape, accepting a bag containing $50,000 for favors rendered would receive the same favorable treatment? The corruption of this regime is staggering.
Steve Bennett Newport
