HEADLINES & HISTORY SINCE 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024
Vol. 145 No. 17
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Rep. Mosbrucker will not seek reelection LOU MARZELES EDITOR
CONTRIBUTED
COUNTY DRAMA CONTINUES: A full-scale conflagration among Klickitat County commissioners and with the Sheriff’s Office continues, with an explanation offered on why a town hall meeting was canceled and a commssioner’s response to charges by the sheriff.
Why the town hall meeting was canceled RODGER NICHOLS FOR THE SENTINEL
Klickitat County Commissioners gave explanations for some recent actions at their meeting April 16, including why Commission Chair Lori Zoller canceled the town hall meeting that had been scheduled for that evening. It should be noted that Commissioners Dan Christoper and Jake Anderson both said they were not involved in that decision. The question came up during public comment, asked by Luke Throop, the new news director for Gorge Country Media, which operates KLCK, Y102, and other stations locally. It is the Klickitat County Commissioners’ custom to let everyone in the public express their comments before responding to any of them, so commissioners did not respond immediately. The next person to comment, though, was Greg Wagner, who said, “I can answer Luke Throop’s question. I received an email this morning from Alicia Grumbles the clerk, and the reason the town hall was canceled was because Mr. Throop announced on his show that it would be about the sheriff and the jail.” When it came time for commissioners to respond, Zoller said she had concerns because the previous town hall had been sharply heated. “It was not civil discourse,” she said, “and it was very threatening and upsetting to some people in the room as well as staff. “When Friday came, I had emails of concern about being able to speak because they felt like they’d be shouted down because that meeting had been put on local radio by Luke Throop,
stating it was the sheriff’s town hall. That hijacked our meeting.” We contacted Throop, who provided an audio copy of the newscast in question, which took place April 8. After an opening story about the agenda for The Dalles City Council that evening, he said, “The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office has announced an upcoming town hall to discuss the proposed closure of the Klickitat County Jail. The town hall is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 16 from 6-8 p.m. The meeting will take place at the county building and will be available for citizens to attend online.” Throop also provided a screenshot of a Klickitat County Sheriff’s Facebook page from four days previously, announcing the town hall. It reads: “From Sheriff Songer: There will be a Town Hall meeting in person and on Zoom from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in the Commissioner Chambers in Goldendale [sic].” It then gave the address of the county courthouse and provided a link for the Zoom meeting. It did not mention the subject of the town hall. In a newscast dated April 10, Throop said this: “At the Klickitat County Board of Commissioners yesterday, the commissioners announced they would be holding a public town hall meeting next Tuesday, April 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the commissioners’ chambers to discuss the matter of closing the Klickitat County Jail. I must apologize; earlier I stated that the sheriff announced the town hall, which was a public announcement made last Friday on the sheriff’s office Facebook page. Yesterday I missed the commissioner’s meeting. I did miss the
Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer has charged two county commissioners with ineptitude at the least or outright lying at worst in response to a proposal to close the county jail and instead take prisoners to the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facilities (NORCOR) in The Dalles. He added that the commissioners’ assertions of having detailed, conclusive conversations with NORCOR administrators were false, citing his own communication with sheriffs associated with NORCOR. On Monday County Commission Chair Lori Zoller countered Songer’s claims. “First, keep in mind the whole situation revolving around the jail is due to actions or lack thereof that happened under Sheriff [Bob] Songer’s watch,” Zoller stated by email. “Let’s make this very clear. Over the past year, two events have surfaced that caused potential and pending litigation under Sheriff Songer’s watch. As such, the County is under a microscope for human health, safety, and personal rights.” Zoller said that legal action against the county would have a ripple effect throughout county offices. “The County as a whole will lose financially, impacting
staying “healthy and happy,” she states. She does not rule out the possibility of returning to politics sometime in the future. “For now,” she says, “I need to pause to spend time closer with the people I’ve been blessed to serve.” Mosbrucker’s 50-plus bills signed into law began in her first term with her Yes Vets bill in 2015 to support veterans employment. Most prominent among them was the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons bills, closely followed by her legislation on domestic violence and rape kit reform. Recently her anti-fentanyl bills including Ivan’s Law, named in honor of Ivan Howtopat, a young Native American man who committed suicide in the Klickitat County jail during fentanyl withdrawal;
See Gina page A8
Mosbrucker to hold town hall meeting Rep. Gina Mosbrucker will hold an in-person legislative town hall meeting in Goldendale on Friday, April 26, to discuss the recently completed legislative session. “The champions of this year’s legislative session in Olympia are the people of Washington,” said Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale. “They brought us some very significant initiatives to make needed changes in our state. We passed three of those citizen initiatives, including I-2113 that restores the ability for law enforcement officers to
engage in vehicular pursuits of criminal suspects. In addition, we provided some vital tools to address the statewide fentanyl crisis. Plus, we were able to prevent tax increases while bringing money home for local projects. Many people have asked me about the session since it adjourned on March 7. This is an opportunity to answer their questions and reconnect to the local community. I hope to see everyone there.” Town Hall Meeting: Friday, April 26 - 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Quality Inn and Suites Hotel Breakfast Room 808 E. Simcoe Dr. Goldendale Coffee and refreshments will be provided. Constituents seeking more information may contact Mosbrucker’s Olympia office: Rep. Gina Mosbrucker Phone: (360) 786-7856 Email: gina.mosbrucker@leg. wa.gov Website: RepresentativeGinaMosbrucker.com
See County page A8
Zoller addresses sheriff’s charges LOU MARZELES EDITOR
Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale, has decided not to run for reelection to the office she’s held for a decade. She is dedicated to finishing out her current term through the end of the year. “Faith sent me to the Capital,” Mosbrucker reflects. “Now faith is sending me home. It’s time for a new chapter, one I know will be my best yet.” In her political life, Mosbrucker was always challenged but never lost an election. She earned high regard as one of the rare people in office who could forge strong alliances across party lines to accomplish significant legislative gains. During her tenure, she prime sponsored and co-sponsored over 50 bills into law, an achievement all the more
remarkable given her status as a Republican in a Legislature long held by Democrats. Many of Mosbrucker’s passed bills inspired similar bills in other states. Her campaign slogan of “Family Strong” remains a core tenet of Mosbrucker’s political approach and now highlights how she approaches her new chapter. “I’m eternally grateful for my parents,” she says. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with them, with my daughters, and my seven beautiful grand ‘angels,’” as she refers to her grandchildren. Also on her must-do list are acquiring her Master’s degree, building her dream home, working on her businesses (she runs the Quality Inn & Suites in Goldendale and operates the Touch of Class dance studio), continuing to serve the community, and
VERYWELLMIND.COM
our Risk Management insurance and potentially our credit rating,” she stated. “That could put the County at risk for future funding and grants. Any budget impacts will have to be taken up in the coming years, and any losses will be spread between the elected and their departments to make up the gap. This does not just impact the Sheriff’s Department. Couple this with continued budget overages, and as responsible officials, the County Commissioners had to take action. She then addressed her communication with NORCOR administration, specifically citing conversations with NORCOR Jail Manager Joyce Orendorff. “During our fact-finding time, many meetings with NORCOR have taken place,” Zoller wrote. “I have met with Joyce Orendorff of NORCOR for discussions about what NORCOR can offer as well as contract considerations. I also know that [Commissioner Jacob] Anderson met with her himself, as well as other members of our staff as needed for information for their work. On another occasion, I met with Ms. Orendorff and Sheriff English, who is the chair for the Sheriff advisory board for NORCOR. During that time, he committed to take our proposals to his board meeting the next day
See Zoller page A8
KEEPING TECHNOLOGY IN ITS PLACE: Guest writer Corynn Kayser addresses the dangers of technology overstaying its welcome for young people. The website VeryWellMind also offers a guide to doing a digital detox; visit www.verywellmind.com/why-and-how-to-do-a-digital-detox-4771321. (“FOMO” above means Fear of Missing Out.)
Time to get serious about screen-time danger NEWS ANALYSIS Corynn Kayser
For The Sentinel Phone usage in classrooms has always seemed a controversial topic. Although electronics can be a great tool for research, communication, and note-taking, some negative effects on education have been seen. Increased screen time, especially time spent on cell phones, has been linked to detriments to the brain as well as psychological, cognitive, sleep, and behavioral issues in children. It may also shorten a child’s attention span and encourage aggressive or violent behavior. When children have their cell phones in the classroom, it can become a huge distraction to teaching. Students may become more focused on what is going on behind the
screen than on what they are supposed to be learning. The effects of electronics and screen time on the psychological health of youth is something that needs to be addressed. When a child constantly has unlimited screen time, it can hurt them in more ways than we may think. Research shows that anxiety levels rise with increased usage, and these devices may become the primary object of adolescent attention. The absence of in-person interactions can contribute to depression. Health professionals are also concerned about the link between excessive social media use and high levels of anxiety, particularly in undeveloped brains. Constantly interrupting their peace, screens need to unplug so students can experience the real world. Being a student in college and having a cell phone on me most of the time, I can attest that these devices can easily disrupt study-
ing, daily tasks, attention spans, and more. There have been many instances where I have had to leave my phone in another room to be able to stay on task and be disciplined enough to get my duties completed without the endless distractions it brings. As far as the classroom goes, I believe cell phones can be a great tool for the upper grades if used properly. That being said, when a lesson is being taught and the device is being used for anything other than note-taking, that is when electronics become an issue. You spend less time engaging with people face-to-face the more time you spend staring at a device. Strong relationships and connections with others are crucial for both the general public and individual mental health, but they become increasingly challenging to build as a result of runaway screen time. When
See Screen page A8