Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026
Vol. 147 No. 17
$1.00
Health Department to be impacted by state budget cuts Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel Klickitat Commissioners covered a lot of ground in their April 21 meeting. In the morning workshop session, Public Works Director Jeff Hunter expressed frustration about a problem at the Lyle boat launch. “People don’t realize that it’s a county road,” he said. “It’s from the days when there used to be a ferry. We have ‘No parking’ signs so people can use the launch, and they took the signs right out.” After that, Hunter said Public Works installed signs with special screws that can’t be removed and
set the posts in concrete. “Well, they ripped the post out, concrete and everything,” he said. “And they took the whole thing away.” He said he would notify the sheriff, and they’d have to anchor a replacement sign in a large rock or a Jersey barrier. Public Health Director Erin Quinn said health departments around the state had been notified of a significant cut in state funding. “Statewide, there will be $21 million of cuts,” she told commissioners. “I know that will impact our department. I have no idea what that will look like.
We haven’t gotten any heads up if it’s going to be programmatic or overall. We know that July 1, we anticipate running a very lean department.” In the formal afternoon session, commissioners opened rebids for repairing the stucco on the county courthouse and repainting it after a first round of bids came in higher than the county’s budget. Once the bidder’s qualifications have been approved, the county will confirm the winner. But the best quotes of the day, as usual, came from county lobbyist Zak Kennedy, who noted that in a previous session, they had succeeded in getting the legisla-
ture to approve the designation of frontier counties. “Imagine you’re a downtown Seattle legislator,” Kennedy said. “Senate, House, doesn’t matter. Most likely Democrat, probably never driven your car on a gravel road in your life. And so they look at frontier counties, and they basically look at us from a position of complete neglect. We need to leverage that.” He said in the past, the only kind of flexibility the state had given counties was the flexibility to increase taxes. He suggested that, working together, frontier counties might be able to get some flexibility on regulations that did
not work well in rural areas, such as additional dwelling units, or ADUs. “In downtown Seattle, someone living in your garage is a big deal,” he added. “Out in the country, someone putting a small apartment in the garage or shop or barn or whatever could be a quarter mile away from your house or more. Nobody cares. There’s no danger there. Could we possibly get some exemption in there for the frontier counties, because it just doesn’t make sense.” Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved: • Historical Preservation Grant
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Contributed
NEW CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE: Dr. Konstantine Bunde stands in front of his office in what used to be the Goldendale DMV branch.
Building goes from DMV to chiropractic clinic Lorrie Fox For The Sentinel
The old Department of Motor Vehicles building in Goldendale isn’t where most people expect to find a chiropractic clinic. But for Dr. Konstantine Bunde, D.C., it made sense the moment he saw it. After 15 years practicing in Wasilla, Alaska, he and his family relocated to Klickitat County, where he had been visiting for more than two decades. When the opportunity arose to open a practice in the old DMV office, a building nearly everyone in town recognizes, the decision to rent it was easy. “It’s the right size, and it’s in a great location with good parking. As a new business in town, it’s really nice to be able to tell people that I’m in the old DMV building because everyone knows where it is,” Bunde said. Bunde started his practice in Alaska shortly after graduating from chiropractic school. After several years in the field, he connected with other chiropractors in the area including one who in-
fluenced his approach to expand beyond standard adjustments to include traction and spinal decompression for chronic spine conditions. At his new Cascade Chiropractic and Decompression clinic in Goldendale, Bunde’s approach is centered on identifying and correcting the underlying structural problems in the spine, not just temporarily reducing pain. He combines spinal decompression, chiropractic adjustments, and targeted rehabilitation to restore spinal alignment, improve posture, and support long-term function. “What makes the practice unique is the focus on structural correction and measurable change, using research-based methods rather than symptom-based care alone,” he said. He welcomes patients of all ages, noting that spinal health matters at every stage of life and adding spinal decompression therapy is especially helpful for adults dealing with chronic back pain, disc issues, or nerve-related symptoms.
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Gray wolf population in state at highest recorded level Aspen Ford Washington State Standard Washington’s gray wolf population is at its highest count since the state began monitoring in 2008. State and tribal officials counted a minimum of 270 wolves and 49 packs, including 23 breeding pairs at the end 2025, according to a new report from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The numbers are estimates from last winter’s surveying and include lone wolves. It marks a 17.4% increase from 2024, when the tally was 230 wolves and 43 packs. That year marked the first decline since counting began. In 2023, the state recorded 254 wolves and 42 packs.
“The growth is pretty consistent in what we’ve seen in our recolonizing population throughout recovery,” said Trent Roussin, a wolf biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The state groups wolves into three recovery regions: Eastern Washington, the North Cascades, and the Southern Cascades and Northwest Coast. The increase was fueled in part by six new or reestablished packs. In northeast Washington, three packs were reestablished. Officials recorded two new packs in the North Cascades and one new pack on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. There were no known wolf
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Contributed: Victor Baca
CAR ABLAZE: Photographer Victor Baca caught the moment of explosion in a car fire off Columbus Avenue Friday afternoon. Firefighters quickly had the blaze under control.
What would a Super El Nino mean for Goldendale? Lou Marzeles The Goldendale Sentinel Goldendale and the surrounding Columbia Gorge region could see a shift toward warmer, drier conditions later this year as scientists monitor the possible development of a rare and potentially strong El Niño weather pattern. According to the World Meteorological Organization, there is a growing likelihood that El Nino conditions will develop as early as late spring or summer, with some models suggesting the event could strengthen significantly into what scientists sometimes call a “super El Nino.”
While El Nino originates in the tropical Pacific Ocean, its effects can ripple across the globe—including into the Pacific Northwest. Historically, El Nino shifts the jet stream southward, often steering storms away from Washington and Oregon. For inland areas like Goldendale, that pattern tends to bring unusual temperatures, reduced overall precipitation, and earlier snowmelt and drier soils, all of which tends to disrupt normal expectations. Climate researchers note that El Nino winters in the Inland Northwest “often bring warmer than normal temperatures and
below normal snowfall.” That combination can have cascading effects. Less snowpack in the Cascades means less water feeding rivers and reservoirs through the summer months, increasing the likelihood of drought conditions and stressing agriculture. Why Goldendale may be especially vulnerable Goldendale already sits in a relatively dry zone east of the Cascade Mountains, receiving only about 17 inches of precipitation annually—much of it in winter. That baseline dryness means even modest shifts in weather patterns can have outsized impacts.
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Lawsuit alleges County discriminated against reservist Lou Marzeles Editor A former Klickitat County employee has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was denied a promotion and ultimately fired because of his military service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. The complaint, filed April 15 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, names Klickitat County and County Administrator Robb Van Cleave as
defendants. Richard Foster, a county employee of approximately 10 years, claims he faced ongoing discrimination tied to his military obligations, culminating in his termination earlier this month. According to the lawsuit, Foster began working for the county as an economic development specialist and steadily advanced, eventually serving as interim director of both the Economic Development and Natural Resources depart-
ments. He received consistent raises, positive performance evaluations, and obtained advanced professional certifications and a master’s degree during his tenure. Despite that record, Foster alleges he was passed over for a newly created director position in late 2025. The lawsuit claims the position was never publicly posted and was instead given to another individual without a
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