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Tag: Kittitas County

Time to vote clock
April special election is underway

April special election is underway

For about 20 percent of Washington voters, today marks the beginning of the chance to cast ballots in a special election. Ballot boxes opened this morning for the April special election, the second of four election cycles for Washington voters in 2018. There’s plenty of time to participate: Election day is April 24, and the deadline for in-person voter registration with county election officials is April 16. So what’s on the ballot? For voters in 15 of Washington’s 39 counties…

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pen writing a tick in the box
Understanding the February Special Election

Understanding the February Special Election

Did you know there’s an election coming up on Tuesday, February 13th? Springtime special elections sometimes get overlooked, especially when it feels like the recent November election is so fresh in mind. But in the February 2018 special election, 65 percent of Washington’s registered voters are eligible to participate — that’s 2,753,553 people. Voters from all but two counties have issues and/or races on the February ballot. San Juan and Skamania are the exceptions, but not all other counties have…

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The Dark Side of Prohibition

The Dark Side of Prohibition

City Attorney F.A. Kern From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: When the following jokey editorial in The Ellensburg Capital was printed June 23, 1921, the 6-year old statewide experiment in Prohibition was clearly not being taken seriously. But a dark side to this light-hearted attitude later engulfed two individuals mentioned in this opinion piece:  AH, HA! THE SECRET IS NO LONGER A SECRET! WHO IS SELLING LIQUOR?  “Listen, dear reader: It…

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Illegal Booze at Wellington

Illegal Booze at Wellington

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Found in The Seattle Telegraph, Nov. 13, 1894, p. 8: THE COUNTY BOUNDARY  Twelve Men in Judge Humes’ Court Define It.  ILLEGAL WHISKEY TRAFFIC  Defendants Take Refuge Behind Technical Bulwark and Escape Penalty for Their Crimes — Some Groundless Fear That the Verdict May Affect the Election Count of Martin Creek and Wellington.  “A jury in Judge Humes’ court yesterday acquitted Pat Cunningham of the…

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Washington’s lost county

Washington’s lost county

Some state history buffs might know this, but betcha most folks don’t: Washington actually “lost” a county during its territorial years. On January 23, 1863, the Washington Territorial Legislature created Ferguson County.  It encompassed what is now Yakima and Kittitas counties. However, no county government (not even a county seat) was established in Ferguson as there were less than 100 settlers living within its borders, and they didn’t see the need for a county government. (Go here to see a…

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