His first day on the ski slopes for the season, Retired Navy Senior Chief Henry Nichols, a Belfair resident, had just started downhill when the mountain challenged him to a brawl. It was Christmas day and the collision of wills happened so fast that when Nichols fell he heard a popping sound that had nothing to do with either the snow-covered scenery or heavy-laden trees.

The sharp pain, even on his knee’s underside, was excruciating. While he had skied for almost 20 years, Nichols had just finished taking an advanced ski lesson at the Mt. Washington resort, on Vancouver Island. read more »

A new web site launched recently by a coalition of representative groups for 12 million employers with 80 million workers, coalesces the entire debate on America’s healthcare crisis.

Nearly six of every 10 Americans without healthcare come from families where someone either owns or works for a small business. The skyrocketing costs of providing healthcare for employees is the No. 1 problem facing small-business owners across the nation. read more »

Harrison Home Health scored above state and national averages in Home Health Compare, a new federal government rating system for home health agencies, published recently. The good news comes on the heels of a deficiency-free Medicare survey conducted in the fall by the Washington State Department of Health. read more »