The High Ground: Voices from Eastern Washington

Sign in Subscribe

Grant Fredericks

College Reform Plan Could Collapse Washington State Athletics

College Reform Plan Could Collapse Washington State Athletics

A Small‑School Athlete on the Bubble Rhiannon Davies doesn’t run for national headlines. As a junior psychology major at Eastern Washington University, she competes in cross-country and track, where she recently set a personal best in the 5K at the Lewis-Clark State Invite. Davies, like a few thousand

The Next Fire Is Already Smoldering: What Washington, D.C. Is Willfully Ignoring in Ferry County

The Next Fire Is Already Smoldering: What Washington, D.C. Is Willfully Ignoring in Ferry County

“It was moving pretty fast. I could see the flames and was like, ‘I think we’re going down.’” —Gina Lawrence, Colville tribal member, recalling her evacuation during the 2020 Cold Springs Fire (High Country News, May 2025) Gina Lawrence didn’t wait for the official warning. As flames from

Left to Burn: EPA Grant Cuts Are Smothering Rural Washington’s Fight for Clean Air

Left to Burn: EPA Grant Cuts Are Smothering Rural Washington’s Fight for Clean Air

The Air Is Still, But not Clean In the early days of summer, with wildfire season looming, the people of Washington’s Methow Valley are preparing for smoke. But this year, they’re doing it with fewer tools and less help. Jasmine Minbashian, director of the Methow Valley Citizens Council,

A Silent Culling: What 51,000 Preventable Deaths Reveal About Trump’s Health Care Cuts

A Silent Culling: What 51,000 Preventable Deaths Reveal About Trump’s Health Care Cuts

“Are we just left to die?” Gail Halverson asks the question quietly, but it lands with weight. A retired resident of Spokane, Washington, Gail depends on both Medicare and Medicaid to manage her health. In March, she spoke at a roundtable hosted by Senator Maria Cantwell.[3] Her voice echoed

Revoked Welcome: Eastern Washington’s Humanitarian Parolees Left in Limbo

Revoked Welcome: Eastern Washington’s Humanitarian Parolees Left in Limbo

Personal Stakes Tymofii Shamota, an 18-year-old Ukrainian refugee now living in Spokane, told Rep. Michael Baumgartner at a community meeting on May 29, 2025, “My home was destroyed by a Russian missile. I’m afraid I’ll be deported now.” Shamota arrived in Eastern Washington under the Uniting for Ukraine

Rooted in Service: Spokane’s Scale House Market Redefines Local Food and Community

Rooted in Service: Spokane’s Scale House Market Redefines Local Food and Community

At 17, Brittany Tyler enlisted in the U.S. Navy, seeking structure and purpose. She served for six years as a linguist, decoding signals and supporting intelligence operations as a Petty Officer Second Class. Her work took her overseas, offering a global perspective and instilling the discipline that would later

The Disappearing Ladder: Trump’s DBE Rollback Abandons Small Businesses

The Disappearing Ladder: Trump’s DBE Rollback Abandons Small Businesses

A Calculated Dismantling President Trump’s January executive order dismantling key Biden-era diversity and equity mandates didn’t just make headlines. It sent shockwaves through communities that rely on fair access to public contracting. Critics argue that the rollback threatens the “infrastructure of opportunity” for small, historically excluded businesses. Now,