Outpost -

I often hear “pre-approval” and “pre-qualification” spoken about as if they are the same thing and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Part of the confusion is that there is no legal...

The commissioners’ office has been a busy place. Over the years we have been “told” what to do by the agencies and tried to fight back the onslaught of regulations, agency policy and guidance. We wrote and adopted a resolution for coordinating...

Monday evening April 22, shortly after 7:00 pm, a multiple vehicle accident on Hwy 291 between Suncrest and Nine Mile Falls required the response of multiple Deer Park Volunteer Ambulances and their...

Stevens County Treasurer, Sue Harnasch has completed the tax roll for the current year’s collection and is providing notification as required by RCW 84.56.020 that the Treasurer’s Office shall now accept tax payment and issue receipts for 2013...

James Madison was a man with a lot of sense. He had many things to say about how our country should operate. Most folks must have agreed because they elected him President for a time. We could use...

Make a teen’s dream come true while fostering cultural understanding between nations. Enrich your family by hosting an international teen for next school year! Students, ages 15 - 18, are available for the 2013-2014 school year. There is no such...

This is the initial instalment of what will be a regular report to you, the citizens of Stevens County, in keeping with our commitment to maintain a free flow of information on a variety of activities, projects, budgets and concerns that will be...

Just received my Stevens County 2013 tax statement and was shocked to learn that the County had raised my taxes yet again even after I won a unanimous decision in front of the Board of Equalization back in August of 2012. When I contacted the...

Stevens County Treasurer, Sue Harnasch has completed the tax roll for the current year’s collection and is providing notification as required by RCW 84.56.020 that the Treasurer’s Office shall now accept tax payment and issue receipts for 2013...

Not everyone gets one, but it’s always a welcome sight — a tax refund. If you receive a refund this year, how can you best put it to work? The answer depends, to a large extent, on the size of your refund. In 2012, the average tax refund was abou...

Love is in the air this week, as Valentine’s Day rolls around again. During the course of your life, you’ve probably sent your share of flowers and candy. But if your valentine is also your spouse — and, in particular, your long-time spouse —...

Deer Park School District has refinanced a portion of its outstanding bonds in order to take advantage of lower interest rates on behalf of its residents. The recent refinancing will save the District’s taxpayers a total of $824,745 during the...

It seems every time I see a news article about the home mortgage industry, the headline cries out that it is really hard to get a home loan right now. The good news is that I can tell you those...

New Commissioners: On November 27, the 2012 General Election was certified. Your new county commissioner from district one (south) will be Wes McCart. Steve Parker will be the new commissioner from...

This years Lake Spokane Community toy drive is in need of toys. With a record breaking number of children registered, the demand has been greater than ever. Though the need for all ages is great, the...

It all started with a mother sharing her love for her son with the youth group she leads. What it has morphed into is more than anyone could imagine. Lynda, a youth leader at Dishman Baptist Church,...

I’m a huge fan of the FHA mortgage loans and have used them to help many families either purchase or refinance their home. Just after I wrote a recent article comparing an FHA loan to a...

The Veterans Administration offers a couple of incredibly flexible options for eligible veterans to refinance their home. Whether your current loan is a http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/ or not,...

Election Day is drawing near. As a citizen, you’ll want to cast your ballot for those candidates who best represent your views on a range of important issues. But as an investor, you might be wondering how the election’s outcome might affect one...

How dare Mark Beck care so much about the people of Stevens County that he would want to help provide a safer environment for their families to work and live in. His ideas of improving road maintenance, managing our forests effectively, reducing...

The election will soon be upon us, and I encourage all Stevens County voters to support Wes McCart for Commissioner, District 1. His familiarity with the key issues affecting this county is phenomenal and includes land use, water rights, farming, bus...

The general election is just a few short weeks away. As past president of the Washington State Association of Counties, and having been a Stevens County Commissioner for eight years, I have witnessed in other counties what a dysfunctional board of...

County Treasurer, Sue Harnasch reminds all Stevens County property owners that the second half tax payments for real and personal property taxes are due October 31st. Payments are considered timely if postmarked by October 31st. Interest of 1% will...

This is a tough topic to boil down to an “article” size but I feel it’s important because many of us have come to think of low home loan rates almost as a right for anyone who applies. What’s...

When there is an emergency, a fast and efficient response is a necessity. What starts as an emergency situation can end with massive bills, not only for transport but also for medical treatment on...

Economic figures nationwide are starting to paint an improving picture but I personally know lots of people who are either out of work or are working at reduced hours or pay. I am frequently asked...

Thanks to Adam Pope, Tum Tum 4 PCO, for a well-organized and informational Candidate’s Forum. The following are some of my observations of the issues. The District 1 County Commissioner represents the entire District, not provincial segments of...

To the voters of the Lake Spokane area I have been asked by a few people who am I endorsing for District #1 Stevens County Commissioner and why. And my answer to them is that all three candidates would probably serve the county well, however Mark...

It is imperative that the voters in Fire District #1 vote YES to continue the $.27 per thousand property tax levy. This is not an increase in tax, but is a continuation of the tax currently in place and necessary to allow the fire department to...

With interest rates once again at an all-time low point, it is highly unlikely a borrower would have an interest rate that is lower than today’s. However, the buzz about refinancing is always...

The Sheriff’s Department will have a representative at Lakeside Cop Shop on May 16th from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. to issue concealed weapons permits. Most of us would agree that we live in a quiet,...

In March the Lake Spokane Alliance, formerly the Tum Tum Horizons Project, was asked by Rural Resources to oversee the reorganization of the Tum Tum Community Food Pantry. On the 24th of April, 27...

Stevens County Treasurer Sue Harnasch has completed the tax roll for the current year’s collection and is providing notification as required by RCW 84.56.020 that the Treasurer’s Office shall now accept tax payment and issue receipts for 2012...

Stevens County resident Mark Beck has announced his candidacy as a Republican for the open Stevens County Commissioner seat in District 1. Current District 1 Commissioner, Larry Guenther, announced...

Dear Neighbors, Although it took three sessions to get it done (a special session in December, the regular session, and another special session that ended in mid April), the state legislature finally completed its work and passed an operating...

Emergency Declaration: Stevens County declared a state of emergency on Monday April 2th due to flooding in the middle part of the county. The large amount of rain that fell the week before washed out...

Stevens County has received an appeal of the Hearing Examiner decision to deny the following project: Applicant: Linley Staples Property Owner: Kiely More File No: Conditional Use CUP 2011-002 Description of Proposal: to operate a Commercial Dog...

A recent enhancement to the FHA Short Refinance loan program has spurred a ton of direct mail to home owners claiming wonderful benefits to borrowers with conventional loans. While there is a very...

Our kids: Our business believes strongly that ALL children deserve every opportunity for success. As our community’s response to Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Our kids: Our business group kicked off the month of April with our annual event....

Local residents will have one more chance to vote on the Deer Park School District’s request to renew their expiring Maintenance and Operation (M&O) levy during the upcoming special election on...

As parents in the Deer Park School District we are in full support of the levy. This levy is crucial to the continued quality operation of the school district. The levy is 30% of the district’s operating budget. Unfortunately, the state (and the...

At NorthEast Washington ESD 101, my colleagues and I have the distinct privilege to serve and support 59 public school districts across 7 counties, and as superintendent I am personally fortunate to have the opportunity to spend significant time in,...

Springtime is approaching, and soon it will be time to venture outside and explore the beautiful landscapes of our state. It is also a good time to remind people that the State of Washington now...

Stevens County Treasurer Sue Harnasch has completed the tax roll for the current year’s collection and is providing notification as required by RCW 84.56.020 that the Treasurer’s Office shall now accept tax payment and issue receipts for 2012...

Last summer the fire district began the process of evaluating plans to upgrade the fire stations in the Suncrest and Loon Lake areas. It was obvious that the current facilities were inadequate but in...

As a Parks & Recreation District Commissioner, I had a personal interest in seeing the levy for park funds pass. It would have enabled the P&RD to start construction on the basic needs to establish a park for all of our use. But the good people of...

President Obama has proposed additional plans to help underwater home owners refinance their home loans into lower payments. The new initiative would be a tandem program to the existing Making Home...

When different county-related tax and zoning issues arise, I often get asked, “Why didn’t the county publish a legal notice in the Outpost?” In response I briefly explain that in order to...

Editor’s Note: The letter below is in support of the school levy. Unfortunately it was caught by an e-mail spam filter and was not found in time to be published prior to the election, although we were able to post it on our website. However, given...

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to SCC 3.30, that Stevens County has received a permit application for the following project that may be of interest to you. You are invited to comment on this proposed project. Applicant: Linley Staples Property...