Medical Lake City Council Position 1
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Heath D. Wilbur | 752 | 59.78% |
| Kathleen Morse | 506 | 40.22% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Heath D. Wilbur
- City:
- Medical Lake, Washington
Education: Home-schooled from sixth grade to age 16, when he earned his GED from Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington. Currently attending Eastern Washington University for a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and development.
Political experience: First run for office.
Work experience: Currently a full-time student. Served five years in the U.S. Army, going from a maintenance position to command staff orderly and overseeing the maintenance program for power generation systems. Has experience in a variety of trades, picks up odd jobs while attending EWU.
Family: Married to Suzanne Wilbur, has two sons.
Campaign contributions: Has no reported donations as of Oct. 3, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Kathleen Morse
- City:
- Medical Lake, Washington
Education: Graduated Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Washington. Attended some community college for a prospective nursing degree, did not complete.
Political experience: First run for office.
Work experience: Owner of the European Child, a boutique offering imported children’s clothing and products in Medical Lake. Has been a real estate professional for decades. Worked in title insurance and escrow, does realty photography and now is a licensed Realtor in Washington and Idaho. Formerly an employee of Nordstrom and her husband’s company, TourFactory.
Family: Married to Stacy Morse, has one son.
Campaign contributions: Had no reported donations as of Oct. 3, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Complete Coverage
Ask the doctors: Thoughtful adoption of some AI systems can improve care
Dear Doctors: If it’s true that, according to a 2024 study, there are some 200,000 deaths each year from medical errors in the U.S., might AI be used to reduce them? I’ve read it can help with ventilator mishandling, patient instruction omissions and detecting diagnostic oversights.
William Foege, medical pioneer who helped stamp out smallpox, has died
Dr. William H. Foege, an international public health giant credited as a visionary in the earliest days of Bill and Melinda Gates’ global health programs, and who developed the vaccination strategy that wiped out smallpox, died Saturday. He was 89.
Ask the doctors: The difference between a cold and the flu
Dear Doctors: My wife started getting sick a few days before Halloween. It stayed in her nose and throat. That’s a common cold, right? Why is having a cold so different from when you get the flu?
Ask the doctors: using a semaglutide off-label to tread PAD
Dear Doctors: I am a 74-year-old female and was diagnosed with popliteal artery stenosis in my left calf. When walking briskly, it is bothersome to painful. I stop, stretch and can continue, up to 4 miles most days. My internist has suggested I start taking Wegovy. Is this a known treatment?
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to a bonus letters column. We hope you had a peaceful and enjoyable holiday season and that this new year (how did that happen so soon?) will treat you well. We have some interesting mail, so on to your letters.
Ask the doctors: Certain foods may ease hangover symptoms
Dear Doctors: My brother says the hangover foods that people swear by don’t really help. I have to disagree. A few tacos always make me feel better. Is there any science behind either of our views on this?
Ask the doctors: Shoveling snow quickly puts strain on heart
Dear Doctors: I’m 65 and healthy. I actually like shoveling snow because it keeps me active. My grandson and my wife say I’m asking for a heart attack and are after me to get a snowblower. I would like to know how serious a risk shoveling really is. Surely there’s a way to shovel snow and stay safe.
Ask the doctors: Going barefoot depends on personal health and well-being
Dear Doctors: Is it OK to go without shoes? I’ve heard conflicting information. I wear supportive shoes for exercise and in public, but I prefer bare feet at home. I stand about six hours a day, and I just find it much more comfortable without shoes. I am 65 and healthy, with no history of foot problems.
Ask the doctors: One solution for eye floaters: Vitrectomy
Dear Doctors: You recently stated in a column about eye floaters that there is no cure at this time. I got a vitrectomy for this condition, and it was life-changing for me. By no means is this procedure meant for everyone as it is not without risk, but there is a cure!
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to our monthly letters column. We’ve had some interesting mail, so we’ll get right to it.
Ask the doctors: UTIs reflect underlying biology, not cleanliness
Dear Doctors: I get frequent UTIs and was shocked you said they are caused by lax hygiene or sexual contact. I am meticulous about hygiene and have no sexual contact. My urologist said it is not the case all the time. This should have been worded differently in your article. Now my friends think I should take better care in cleansing myself. It’s quite frustrating.
Ask the doctors: Overuse of curcumin can cause GI distress
Dear Doctors: I am a 67-year-old physically active man. I was taking turmeric three times a day for several weeks to reduce workout-related inflammation. I ended up in the hospital with an abscess and small intestine perforation. I have read excess turmeric may cause this. Please comment.
Treatment for rheumatic mitral stenosis depends on damage
Dear Doctors: At age 51, I was diagnosed with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis. After a second round of tests, treatment was changed from open-heart surgery to balloon valvuloplasty. What can I do to help the results last? Should open-heart surgery be considered instead?
Dear Annie: Coping with an empty nest at the holidays
Dear Annie: I’ve read plenty about empty-nest depression and how to cope with it, and I managed that stage just fine. I enjoyed my grandchildren and watched them grow into teenagers. But now I’m struggling with something different: how to handle the emptiness of the holidays.
Ask the doctors: Arteries contract in extremities in Raynaud’s phenomenon
Dear Doctors: I have problems with circulation in my hands. I came across information about something called Raynaud’s phenomenon and want to know if that is happening to me. Where does one go to get the nail fold test that was mentioned? My rheumatologist does not do it.
Ask the doctors: CIRS not considered an established medical diagnosis
Dear Doctors: My 31-year-old daughter has leg cramps, fatigue and brain fog. Her apartment tested positive for mold, and she was told she has CIRS. She started a treatment called the Shoemaker protocol. Are either of those medically recognized? Might other causes or cures be overlooked?
Ask the doctors: Thrombosed hemorrhoid can cause extreme pain
Dear Doctors: Intense pain during a bowel movement sent our son to the ER. He got diagnosed with a blood clot in a hemorrhoid and needed surgery to fix it. I thought hemorrhoids happen when you sit a lot. Our son is a football player, so it’s a big surprise that he even had them.
Ask the doctors: Temporary use of night-lights doesn’t harm children
Dear Doctors: It is my understanding that one should sleep in a dark, cool room. At what age does it become a problem for children who have slept with night-lights and have been bundled up since birth? Do night-lights tell children that the dark is something to be feared?
Ask the doctors: As we age, our voices change
Dear Doctors: I started taking voice lessons from an instructor in her 30s who works with younger singers. I’m 72 and have COPD and asthma, and I am recovering from bronchitis. I can’t always reach the notes she thinks I should, and she says I give up too easily. Can I ask her to focus on the vocal range I already have, or is that copping out?
Ask the doctors: Still beneficial to get flu vaccine
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to our monthly letters column. Cold weather is here, and the annual flu season is ramping up. The dominant virus this year, H3N2, is a nasty bug that can cause severe symptoms. If you haven’t had your flu shot yet, we urge you to book an appointment. The vaccine lowers the risk of severe illness and being hospitalized. And now, on to your letters.