HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 16
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Proposed dissolution of FEMA could impact County RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
One notable thing about local meetings last week was that both the Goldendale City Council and Klickitat County Commissioners issued proclamations on National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. The proclamation reads: “Whereas when an emergency occurs, the prompt response of emergency personnel is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property. “And whereas the safety of our emergency responders is dependent on the quality and accuracy of information obtained from citizens. “And whereas public safety telecommunicators are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services. “And whereas public safety telecommunicators are the single vital link for our emergency responders by monitoring their activities by radio, providing them critical information and ensuring their safety. “And whereas public safety communications officers of the
Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management have contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires and treatment of patients. “And whereas each communications officer has exhibited compassion, understanding, and professionalism during the performance of their job in the past year. “Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Klickitat County Board of commissioners declares the week of April 13 through 19 to be National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Klickitat County in honor of the men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep our county and its citizens safe.” In other business, commissioners heard some discouraging words from the county’s lobby liaison, Zak Kennedy. “What it really comes down to, we have huge revenue shortfalls,” he said. “We can’t make our commitments in the state, and they haven’t figured out how to make the two ends meet in the middle. Nobody’s happy in Olympia. Democrats aren’t happy in the House
or the Senate because they’re not meeting their two budgets, and the governor is kind of kiboshing their revenue packages. And the Republicans are just unhappy with each other and with the Democrats. You know, just regular politics.” And the slash and burn treatment given to government grants by the current administration is starting to cause concern in local officials. Emergency Management Director Jeff King reported his department had received an email that morning saying that the Department of Homeland Security Director had indicated her intention to eliminate FEMA in its entirety. “What that means for our emergency management program,” he said, “Is that out of the roughly $250,000 a year that we now use for preparedness, mitigation, all those program activities, and to pay for our three-quarter time program manager, we will only have just less than $21,000 a year left in local funds.” He said that there was some hope FEMA would give funds to the states to be distributed.
See County page A8
Millers are Cattleman of the Year The recent Klickitat County Annual Livestock Growers Banquet began with a sincere invocation from Tammy Kayser, asking for our banquet to be a time of fellowship, celebration, and renewed purpose. When Travis Miller returned home after college, he bought his own cattle and settled into the old ranch house. His mother, Chris, having lived the ups and downs of ranch life, reminded her son, “You can have more time and a better paycheck if you carry a lunch box.” Determined to continue the family legacy Travis and his father, Harry, joined their herds. When Travis met Kelly Link in 2011, that was his missing piece to the puzzle. Travis is an active member of the Glenwood School Board and the local rodeo association. Together, Travis and Kelly continue to educate themselves with new ideas and different options to work smarter while putting in the hard work that ranching for a living demands. The Miller Family will be hosting their Cattleman Field Day on Saturday, May 31, at the lake bottoms in the Glenwood Valley. The fellowship was apparent in Nate Kayser’s stylish speech introducing the OP Kreps and Jim Bridgefarmer recipients. The awards were awarded to the dynamic duo, husband and wife,
modern-day Smokey and the Bandit, Steve and Helen Rolfe. The face of agriculture in Klickitat County would not look the same without these two. They have volunteered for years at the fair, in multiple job titles from, 4H Program assistant, brand inspector, superintendents, stock sale coordinators, organizing the Phil Garner Steak Feed, and the Friends of the Fair non-profit organization. They were supporters of Eleanor Dooley’s livestock barn and organizers of the Shutdown Showdown that gave kids a stage to see their animals during COVID. When they aren’t supporting their children and grandchildren, they still raise top-quality show lambs and support communities dealing with wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. If that isn’t enough, Helen has beaten cancer not once but twice. The kids took center stage for the rest of the evening to be recognized, celebrated and their awards gave a renewed purpose and youthful energy. The Jean Schilling Memorial Award, sponsored by the Rolfe Family, was awarded to Logan Smith. Logan is a sophomore at Goldendale High School and enjoys athletics, rodeo, and his 4H project.
See Miller page A8
Rural hospitals across the U.S. are in crisis LOU MARZELES EDITOR
Yakama leaders celebrate huckleberry permit ban The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (“Yakama Nation”) has issued a statement saying they celebrate the March 31 United States Forest Service announcement of the non-issuance of 2025 commercial huckleberry harvest permits in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The statement said the closure of the 2025 commercial huckleberry season by the Forest Service promotes protection and restoration of tribal resources while allowing time for the Yakama Nation and Forest Service to address multiple concerns pertaining to the berry fields throughout Gifford Pinchot. “We sincerely appreciate the Forest Service’s commitment to
CONTRIBUTED
CATTLEMAN OF THE YEAR: Travis, Kelly, Natalie, Haylee, and Luke Miller.
protecting Yakama Nation’s First Foods from over-harvest and habitat degradation,” said Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis. “Historically, the Yakama Nation has collaborated with the Forest Service under a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate the commercial harvest timing with respect to our traditional harvests, however, we have continued to experience a decline in our harvests that are important to our cultural practices.” Huckleberries are a First Food for the Yakama Nation, commonly honored and used throughout many traditional ceremonies within the Yakama culture. This significance defines the impor-
tance of healthy and harvestable huckleberry seasons. Leaders of the Yakama Nation have witnessed traditional food gatherers returning with fewer huckleberries, often presenting a shortage during ceremonies—and say they hope improvements will come soon. “The Yakama Nation looks forward to continued collaboration with the Forest Service in developing a long-term management strategy,” Lewis said. “It’s understood that huckleberries are a valued resource for both Indians and non-Indians; however, it is important everyone is mindful and respectful of these fields to be able to return next season.”
See Ban page A8
In the rolling hills of rural America, hospitals once stood as pillars of their communities—lifelines for health, jobs, and local economies, much as is Klickitat Valley Health here in Goldendale. Today, many of these institutions are fighting for survival, battered by financial instability, chronic workforce shortages, and restrictive state and federal policies. The stakes are high: the closure of a rural hospital can devastate a town, leaving residents without nearby care and eroding the economic foundation of entire regions. Across the United States, more than 700 rural hospitals— over 30% of all such facilities— are at risk of closing, with 360 facing immediate danger within the next two to three years due to severe financial distress. The causes are complex, but inadequate payments from private insurers and public programs like Medicaid and Medicare are
at the heart of the crisis. “Although the at-risk hospitals are losing money on uninsured patients and Medicaid patients, losses on private insurance patients are the biggest cause of overall losses,” a recent report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) concluded. Unlike their urban counterparts, rural hospitals serve smaller populations, which means less revenue from patient care. Yet, their expenses—such as keeping emergency departments open 24/7—remain fixed. Dr. Harold Miller, president and CEO of CHQPR, explained, “In most cases, the amounts these private plans pay, not Medicare or Medicaid payments, determine whether a rural hospital loses money.” The situation is especially dire in states that have not expanded Medicaid. In these regions, hospitals face higher rates of uncompensated care, further eroding their already
See Rural page A8