Opinion - Covington Reporter

There is no place like home in Maple Valley | Erica Spalti

For the past few weeks of the summer I have been informing you, the great people of Maple Valley, about the great things that locals in our community have done or are doing currently. However, unless you recognize my name, you have zero idea who I am.

Oil spills: Are we any smarter? | Laura Pierce

Have we learned anything from British Petroleum’s debacle in the Gulf? Frankly, I think we’ve learned just how much we don’t know. And because of that, we should cease drilling in U.S. waters until there’s better science to be had.

Will you vote yes on one of the initiatives asking

Good bet the Tea Party is doomed to the political dustbin | Ryan Ryals

I am really loving this top two election style, even though voters didn’t seem as willing to oust the incumbents during this primary. Fifteen candidates on the ballot for senator? It won’t take long until the ballot is as long as the voter’s guide, with over 50 or even 100 candidates for the best offices. I might even try to scrape up the money to run next time (Ryan Ryals, Prefers All Night Party).

The acceptance of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour | Chaz Holmes

Walking toward the Tacoma Dome Saturday evening for one of Lady Gaga’s shows on The Monster Ball Tour, her tour bus stands out in a sea of fans.

Jobless benefits a vicious cycle for employers | Don Brunell

Finding a job is the best substitute for an unemployment check, but as more and more Americans exhaust their jobless benefits, employment opportunities remain sparse. In July, the state unemployment rate was 8.6 percent, down from 9.5 percent a year ago; however, in parts of Washington it is in double digits. The Portland-Vancouver metro area reports 13.3 percent unemployment, about the same as last year.

Voters go for the familiar in August election | Andrew Villeneuve

If there's an anti-incumbent, electoral revolt going on in the United States this year, voters in the Evergreen State evidently aren't interested in playing a part in it.

Do you believe illegal immigrants are a serious th

The challenge is to find the candidate who will best represent | Ryan Ryals

If you’ve been reading the papers lately, you’ve probably noticed political mini-scandals popping up with regularity this month. Wife beater? Time to resign! Juvenile conviction? How can such a person effectively represent us! Can’t be bothered to vote in primaries? Clearly, this candidate doesn’t care about democracy.

The rivalry between the Huskies and Cougs lives on | Kevin Hanson

Walking along a busy street in Seattle’s University District, a young passerby asked if I hunt ducks from my tractor. The out-of-the-blue question was wholly appropriate, considering it was Apple Cup Saturday and – like anyone of good character and in possession of more than a thimbleful of common sense – I was letting the world know My Color Is Crimson. The Washington State University hat and Cougar sweatshirt were an automatic target for what was, I thought, a relatively clever one-liner.