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How long will we go?
Well folks, we have officially gone from a democratic republic through banana republic, oligarchy and now kleptocracy. Just how low will we sink with Drowzy Don at the controls? Stay tuned.
Steve Bennett Newport
What could go wrong?
Durn! I am not sure if that word is used in Russia, and maybe they don’t know Lonesome Dove where it was fluent, but Putin has to be thinking “Trump, who is a great con man bested him!” Putin might have had more success breaking International Law if he had kidnapped Zelensky first!
There I have praised our DICTATOR/PRESIDENT, my friends will be surprised.
Trump, who cares naught about human rights or laws, abducts a leader of another nation and then meets with oil executives to decide how divide the booty immediately after. Well, that’s normal, right?
Now we are going to run Venezuela? That worked so well in Iraq and Afghanistan, what could go wrong?
Roger Castle Newport
Hyper focus tactic
People who consume a wide variety of news sources have likely noticed a pattern I’m seeing repeated ad nauseum: hyper focus on an incident to rivet attention away from the over-arching goal in order to paint the Trump administration as “evil.” Controlling “elites” I believe command their propaganda arms – the captured mainstream media – to regurgitate scripts that focus the national attention on made-up “crimes” by labeling without evidence every single thing the Trump administration does they don’t like as “unconstitutional” or “illegal.” They endlessly “debate” contrived issues to avoid acknowledging the Trump administration’s real, steady progress.
I believe the most revealing examples, though, are the heart-string pulls they fabricate by elevating illegal alien criminals to “hero” status by portraying them as “hard-working fathers.” Recently a protester was killed as an ICE agent defended himself from perceived imminent harm. Terrible, right? The media elevated her to the status of a martyr. But widen the focus to the bigger picture: ICE agents are removing documented criminal gangs from targeted cities, followed by statistically significant drops in crime. The goal? To stop or at least to mitigate the color revolution I’m witnessing in progress in our country. I’m OK with that!
Kamori Cattadoris Newport
Maduro
DOJ, acting on a warrant, conducted a multi-agency raid to pull Nicolas Maduro and his wife from Caracas and brought them to NY for related drug charges. Swift and clean, no casualties on our side. Trump says we are now running Venezuela until they can have an election. The people of Venezuela were in the streets celebrating and thanking Trump.
Maduro lost his last election but chose to stay in power as a dictator. Socialist Hugo Chavez came into power through a highly contested election. In 2011 Venezuelans gave up their guns and immediately fell into poverty. When they nationalized their natural resources, the government took most of the money.
Trump is ready to send US oil companies there to continue operations. Venezuela will prosper once again. A side note to this is China relies heavily on Venezuelan oil. If they’re thinking about invading Taiwan, they would need Venezuelan oil. Putin needs it also. Any strategy working here?
Yes, there are those screaming for Maduro’s release. In 2020, Sen. Schumer blasted Trump for not ending the Maduro regime and in 2026, Schumer is blasting Trump for ending it. That pretty much says it all. TDS.
Glen Pierce Spokane/Cusick
No vote on bond, levy only way demand responsibility
The new Washington State taxes being imposed are equal to $2,000 per resident annually. While some of these may be avoided by driving less and smoking less most will be paid by each one of us. At the local level the school funding request may be denied by the local voters. The state can only tax you for what you buy or sell, the local government can extort taxes from you with the threat of removing you from your home. The problem begins with a lack of representation for the taxpayers asking for responsible management. A bloated bureaucracy needs excessive funds to maintain its cancerous appetite. If our elected representatives will not require responsible management it appears the only answer is for the voters to say no to onerous requests. The voting taxpayers must stand up and demand responsibility from the elected board members. A no vote on the requested bond and levy is the only way to make that demand known.
-Mike Hanson Newport
Can’t ignore issues of building used by thousands
Putting the Newport School bond in perspective, I look at my house. It is 58 years old and thus was built just 13 years before Newport High School. It has needed lots of repair including the roof, the plumbing, the electrical, the siding and an up-dated kitchen and bath.
The high school is 45-years old. We can’t ignore the issues a 45-year-old building has, a building that is used by thousands of people, students and community members alike, each year. The community members who voted for that bond cared enough for their children, and their grandchildren that they came up with the funds.
Another vote is needed is for the replacement levy. Our community has responsibly voted to continue this levy every three years. This time the levy rate has been reduced because voters are being asked to support it and the bond.
When we invest in our kids we invest in human capital, people who will know how to work together to harness AI and all the other future challenges we can’t even imagine yet. Together we can prioritize our kids by voting locally for the schools they need.
Please Vote Twice for Schools!
Martha Nichols Newport
Music matters
At my first District Office interview, a dozen students asked what my music classes would be like and whether band and choir would be enjoyable. More than anything, they wanted reassurance that music would be fun—in class and on field trips, which some had never experienced.
Over the past two years, I’ve watched our student musicians grow and succeed: attending NEMEA events, auditioning for honor groups, performing at the Festival of Trees, and honoring our veterans. With nearly 100 middle school students enrolled in music, our community continues to benefit from a strong music program.
Levies help support essential needs such as transportation to events, registration fees, and school instruments— many of which need replacement as part of the upcoming vote. As you cast your ballot, please consider the lasting value music education brings to our students and our community. Steven Munson Newport
Vote to invest in future leaders
My name is Nolan Pierce, a proud Newport High School graduate and a member of the Class of 2027 at Stanford University studying Computer Science. I am writing to urge you to vote yes on the Replacement Educational Programs & Operations Levy and the Newport High School Preservation and Modernization Bond.
As a student at Newport, I saw firsthand how vital levy funding is for strong academic and extracurricular programs. That belief has only grown as I continue my education at Stanford. The Career and Technical Education programs— especially my involvement in the Technology Student Association—were instrumental in developing my leadership, technical skills, and confidence. Those experiences directly prepared me for advanced coursework and leadership roles I hold today at the university level.
The levy also funded technology access and College in the Classroom courses, allowing me to enter college prepared and competitive despite coming from a small rural school.
The bond is equally critical. It will modernize our 45-yearold high school, improve safety, update learning spaces, and enhance athletic facilities— supported by significant state funding that reduces local cost.
Please vote yes to invest in Newport’s students and future leaders, just as this community once invested in me.
Nolan Pierce Stanford, California
Routine maintenance only goes so far
In a 1/7/2026 letter to the editor Mike Hansen (‘What happened to maintenance?’) tries to make a case against the upcoming school levy and bond by conflating the two. He argues that if you have been doing maintenance on the schools then why should we ever need to have a bond to do major repairs or upgrades. As I thought about his argument, I applied the same thinking to what I define as maintenance on my personal big-ticket items: car, truck, home. I spend money each year on these things by keeping up the necessary maintenance: oil changes, brake jobs, tires, roof repair. But this only goes so far. My experience has been that no matter how diligent my maintenance efforts I eventually need to upgrade, maybe a new engine or possibly a new vehicle. My 60-yearold home is even more expensive. To keep up with the hotter summers I recently put in a heat pump system.
So, I think this idea that maintenance covers everything needed for the future is a very weak argument. Or perhaps we need to drastically increase the levy amount and save part of it for future needs.
Sandy Nichols Newport
Minnesota killing what police state looks like
Watching the video of the ICE shooting in Minnesota is witnessing a murder. No crime was being committed, and the women were leaving the scene. In less than 20 seconds ICE agents rushed the car, shot and killed the driver. ICE treated the woman like she was firing a gun at them.
Hopefully, our local police are trained to not shoot at moving cars, and not stand in front of a car they have stopped while other officers encounter the driver from the side. The agent/shooter positioned himself in front of the car creating a hazard to himself. He was able to step out of the way of the car and fire shots through the rolled down driver’s window as the car passed by him. The ICE agents put their own lives in danger with gunfire for no legitimate law enforcement purpose. Why didn’t they just let the driver move her car and leave the scene? This is what a police state looks like. ICE is defaming all good law enforcement officers. The deadly operations of ICE are the opposite of law and order. Our congressman voted $40 billion for ICE and is partially responsible for the deaths that ICE creates.
Pete Scobby Newport
Misleading initiative
After leaving the Festival of Tree’s event in downtown Sandpoint recently I was approached by two women who were seeking my signature regarding an initiative for women’s health. After asking a couple of questions I realized they were talking about abortion, not women’s health issues. I was shocked that someone would refer to abortion as women’s health, it was very misleading. During the discussion they claimed abortion in Idaho is denied to women in cases of incest, rape, and if the women’s life is threatened due to the pregnancy. When I told them this was not true, they insisted that it was the truth. I was again shocked that women in our community are collecting signatures for a cause based on false information. It is illegal, to obtain signatures under false and misleading information.
The primary law that supports the illegality of soliciting signatures in Idaho for an initiative containing false information is Idaho Code § 34-1815 ID Statute 18-622: Idaho law provides exceptions in the case of rape and incest.
ID Stature: 18-604: Idaho law provides exceptions for pregnancy complications, such as ectopic pregnancy, fetal death, and treatment of miscarriage.
Please help me spread the truth about Idaho abortion laws and be aware of the misinformation. Annette Thompson Hope
Need more details on Newport school levy
I find it hard to believe the state doesn’t fully fund staffing positions, as one writer alluded to. What are the actual costs for each? How will these positions be funded when the levy ends or increases in employee costs? There needs to be a detailed financial cost breakdown during the duration of the levy and bond. Furthermore, each of the letters written in the January 7th edition failed to provide a clear justification for the requests, or where a provided cost breakdown is located.
What federal funding did Newport High School receive for HVAC unit maintenance or replacement through the ESSER program? Is there no ongoing facility maintenance? Cost breakdown of infrastructure improvements. Local taxpayers are currently facing increasing property taxes, new state taxes, and affordability challenges, as numerous writers have highlighted. They are growing weary of the recurring thinking, “We can always request a levy or bond.” To enhance transparency with the voters, it would be prudent to provide a comprehensive financial breakdown for each FY. Not a generation as provided on the District’s website. Additionally, it would be beneficial to outline the measures implemented to address the issue prior to the levy or bond initiative.
Renee Webster Newport
