Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
Vol. 147 No. 36
Animal shelter focus of County workshop
Observatory status up in the air Lou Marzeles Editor Goldendale Observatory’s signature telescope has gone dark for public programs, and Washington State Parks is offering little explanation beyond acknowledging a staffing problem that leaves no one readily available to operate the specialized equipment. Solar and evening programs at Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site have been suspended indefinitely, although the grounds remain open daily for self-guided visits. The suspension comes amid the unexplained apparent absence of longtime Observatory administrator Troy Carpenter, who has been closely identified with the facility and its public astronomy programs. The Sentinel attempted to contact Carpenter August 28 after learning that the Observatory website was reporting programs closed because of staffing issues. The newspaper asked Carpenter what was happening, noting that the closure was already having an impact locally: a person who operates a short-term rental in Goldendale reported cancellations from guests who had planned to visit the Observatory. Carpenter did not respond, although the email to him did not bounce back as undeliverable. The Sentinel sent a second request August 31, this time copying Jill Sprance-Carr, Washington State Parks manager for the region. Sprance-Carr responded that solar and evening programs had been canceled “for the time being due to staffing issues.” She said the Observatory campus remained open for self-guided exploration from 6:30 a.m. to dusk daily and referred The Sentinel to the State Parks website for updates. The Sentinel responded that the information was already available on the website and asked for details about what was actually happening at the Observatory. Sprance-Carr’s subsequent response shed somewhat more light on the situation, although it stopped short of explaining the apparent staffing change. “We’ve temporarily paused solar and evening programming at the Goldendale Observatory because the telescope is a complicated piece of equipment that requires specialized training to operate,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, that means we can’t have other rangers fillin when we have vacancies or trained staff are unavailable,” Sprance-Carr continued. “We still invite visitors to come for self-guided tours and look forward to offering programming again as soon as we’re able.” Her reference to “vacancies” raises an obvious question concerning Carpenter, who has served as the Observatory’s administrator for more than a decade and is trained to operate its telescope. State Parks has not told The Sentinel whether Carpenter resigned, was dismissed, was transferred, is on leave, or remains employed by the agency in some other capacity. Nor has the agency provided a timetable for restoration of the Observatory’s public programs. Personnel matters generally are subject to restrictions on what government agencies will disclose about individual employees. The Sentinel has received no explanation from Carpenter concerning his status. For now, the practical result is clear even if the circumstances behind it are not: Goldendale’s internationally known Observatory remains open to visitors, but its centerpiece public programming has stopped. State Parks says it intends to resume programming when it is able to do so.
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Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel
Lorrie Fox for The Sentinel
NEAR UNANIMITY: A speaker addresses the packed room at the County data center workshop Thursday.
Residents urge County to slow down on data centers Lorrie Fox For The Sentinel
Last Thursday’s data center workshop at the Klickitat County Services Building drew a crowd so large that the Mt. Adams Conference Room was standing room only. Staff removed the glass dividing wall and brought in additional chairs for the foyer as constituents gathered and mingled. Outside, parking lots were full. For more than two hours, par-
ticipants pressed Klickitat County commissioners over a growing list of proposed data centers, questioning where the facilities should be allowed, how much water and electricity they could consume, what their construction and operation could mean for nearby communities, and who would pay for the infrastructure needed to support them. Residents who signed up to speak raised questions and voiced concerns that, in many cases, left
commissioners with a clear message: slow down. “This is happening too quickly, and we can’t let it steamroll us,” said Pam, a High Prairie resident who said she has lived in Klickitat County for 37 years. Many called for a moratorium while the county studied the issue. The workshop was not a vote, and commissioners did not impose a moratorium. Instead, com-
See Data page B1
The Klickitat County commissioners’ afternoon workshop on September 3 was a much quieter affair than the morning version but no less passionate for the few who attended. At issue was whether or not the county should pursue construction of an animal shelter or return a state grant of approximately $824,000 originally obtained by former state legislator Gina Mosbrucker. Fortunately, the grant timeline was rolled over into the next state biennium, with a June 2027 deadline. One of the holdups has been that, as a public body, the county would be required to pay prevailing wages for any contractor it hired. Public Works Director Jeff Hunter has estimated that would inflate construction costs from an estimated $600,000 to between $800,000 and $900,000. Using county staff to build the shelter could lower labor costs, but it conflicts with another grant-funded project at the fairgrounds with the same deadline. The same comments have been brought up for years, but at this meeting, for the first time, a narrow path forward appeared possible. Proponents, including Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, suggested building the shelter as an add-on to the building on Potts Lane used by the Sheriff’s Department. The site had several advantages. The building and land are already owned by the county. Attaching it to the existing building would reduce the utilities cost and give access to a bathroom, removing the necessity to include one in a new building. And the grounds are already surrounded by a chain link fence, removing another costly expense. Ultimately, commissioners decided there was a possibili-
See Shelter page B1
Contributed
HORRIFIC ATTACK: Late Saturday night, September 5, a chilling attack sent a patron at Hot Rods Bar on Main Street in Goldendale to the hospital with grave head injuries. This scene from a video obtained by The Sentinel shows at left a woman in green, whom people nearby were calling “Dawn,” as she followed a man toward the victim, seated at right in the white and black baseball cap. Moments later, just before reaching the victim, the man grabbed the metal chair near him and, like using a golf swing, smashed the edge of the chair into the victim’s head. Multiple eye witnesses have identified the woman and the man with her, but pending receipt of the requested police report, The Sentinel is withholding full names to ensure independent verification.
Rejected late ballots jump in state Jake Goldstein-Street Washington State Standard
Victor Baca for The Sentinel
NEW SEASON ON A NEW FIELD: Friday night the Goldendale School District held a ribbon cutting for its new athletic field, which was followed by a game against Riverview. The new field was heartily welcomed, though the Timberwolves lost the game.
Over 20,000 ballots in Washington’s primary election last month were rejected because they came in too late, thousands more than in 2024. This comes as election officials have raised the alarm over the U.S. Postal Service not postmarking mail-in ballots on the day they’re received due to reduced service and faraway processing centers. Officials here have encouraged Washingtonians to use ballot drop boxes or mail their ballots at least a week before election day to ensure they’ll be counted. Late last year, the Postal Service finalized a rule saying that a piece of mail’s “postmark date does not inherently or necessarily align with the date on which the Postal Service first accepted possession of the mailpiece.” Statewide, the number of ballots not counted because of late postmarks increased 32%. In the 2024 primary, 16,131 votes were uncounted because of this. This year, it was 20,267, despite lower turnout overall at about 37%. Over two-thirds of ballots were returned via drop box this year, up a tick from 2024.
See Ballots page B1