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No question, the state's decision to sue the Department of Energy over Hanford cleanup is an unwelcome turn of events.

The diehards among us were out the door long before this newspaper was delivered.

In a land where so many are used to so much, this is a Thanksgiving with a difference.

Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver's decision to abstain from voting on next year's budget raises an interesting question.

Thanksgiving is traditionally the time to enjoy turkey and pumpkin pie, but pasta! Ah, that's a favorite year-round.

Last year judges were surprised to see an alternative high school make its way to the regional "We the People" civics contest.

Increasing environmental, economic and geopolitical pressures are forcing the U.S. to invest heavily in alternate energy and environmental technology to an unprecedented degree.

Gratitude and giving thanks are more than a seasonal concept for me.

What is the value of education? This is a personal question that has different meaning for everyone.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, environmental groups and the Northwest tribes suing over the latest salmon plan seem to have forgotten the law of unintended consequences.

Making health care accessible is a complicated problem that will not be solved in the foreseeable future. A solution requires addressing issues which go well beyond the discussion during the presidential campaign. While a national solution is well into the future, there are things that can and are being done to help address this need in our community.

I was grateful to participate in the Tri-City Herald's Community Conversation on access to health care. I was impressed by the diversity of the participants and their thoughtfulness and concern. My main impression of the conversation was that the topic was too large and too complex to identify the problems, analyze the issues and propose solutions, in the scope of two evenings conversations. At best, we listed some of the problems, and shared our ideas about the directions in which we hoped the solutions would be found.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a communications consultant for Group Health here in the Tri-Cities. I am not a clinician. I have, however, had personal and family encounters with our medical system that were by turn frightening, amazing, infuriating, uplifting, frustrating and enlightening.

Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad:

Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad: