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Letters to the Editor

Readers’ Views

Celebrating Community Impact and Gratitude To the Editor, The Fairmont Community Hospital Foundation invites members of our community to join us for an evening dedicated to gratitude, connection, and the impact of generosity. Our Annual Meeting, An Evening of Gratitude & Community Impact, will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Best Western in Fairmont. The evening will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by the annual meeting at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. This special event is an opportunity to recognize and thank the donors and partners who make our ...

Readers’ Views

To the editor: Another Trump pledge: Drain the swamp. Early 2025, D. Trump removed 18 independent Inspectors General (IG). This left 75 percent of all federal departments without an IG. IGs are nonpartisan, independent agents that Federal employees can safely notify about fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, without retribution. Who better to know if an agency is doing something wrong? In January 2026, Trump nominated Colin McDonald to serve as the Assistant Attorney General in charge of a new DOJ division dedicated to prosecuting fraud. Colin will be under Pam Bondi. Why does the ...

Readers’ Views

Running for county sheriff I, Matt Owens, am announcing my candidacy for Martin County Sheriff. I have had the honor of serving Martin County residents for over 24 years through the Sheriff’s Office: — Corrections Officer — Patrol Deputy — Investigator — Patrol Sergeant As Patrol Sergeant, I supervise our Patrol Division, which includes: — Felony Investigations — Deputy Coroner Duties — Traffic Enforcement — Civil Process — Emergency Response I understand the U.S. Constitution and know that the elected Sheriff is the last line of defense in ...

Readers’ Views

Tips for TSA To the Editor: If you like to travel, then pay for TSA at least while the government is using TSA agents as pawns. Would you pay $5 for a short TSA line? Five dollars x 2.5 million travelers would provide $50K per year to the 65,000 TSA employees. Fifty-thousand dollars is not great but a big help. What about “The Passenger Fee”, also known as the September 11 Security Fee? This fee is collected by air carriers from passengers at the time air transportation is purchased. Air carriers then remit the fees to TSA. The fee is currently $5.60 per one-way trip in air ...

Readers’ Views

Disappointed with leadership decision To the Editor: I was disappointed to see the news in Friday’s paper about the Red Rock Center and Fairmont Opera House sharing an executive director, and to learn that the Red Rock position was never open to the public to apply. The board may not have been legally obligated, as they say, to do so, but I think that decision precludes conducting a search for the best possible candidate. My partner sent in his resume for this position at the encouragement of a Red Rock board member, doing so in early November. He was assured that he would be kept ...

Readers’ Views

Consider upcoming auction To the editor: It’s spring and that means it’s time for the annual Knights of Columbus Silent/Live Auction. It will be held at St. John Vianney’s School Gym on Saturday, April 11. Doors open at 6 p.m. The live auction begins at 8:30 p.m. All proceeds from the event help CREST and Martin County People First. Please join us for a fun-filled evening. Pat Kietzer Martin County People First Ally