Registered nurses at Samaritan Medical Center have been working without a contract since August 1. The union and SMC have reached an impasse over health insurance costs and staffing levels.

Here are some of your emails:

For a non-profit hospital that made over $6 million in profit last year, these contract terms are a slap in the face to the people who earned that money for the hospital.

Rebekah Crego
 

The nurses are continually asked to do more with less and now the hospital wants to pass off more of the cost of insurance to the nurses.

Julie Roy

 
As an RN for 33 years and a nursing supervisor, there are times when the ratio is impossible to meet what the RN "wants".  Unions embellish the truth to stir up emotions.  Most of what they say is baseless.

Jo-Anne Freeland
 

Jefferson County SPCA officials say an Antwerp man most likely suffered from a mental illness that led him to collect hundreds of animals. After the man died last week police entered his home and discovered it was filled with cats, dogs, feces and dead animals.

This what some of you had to say:

There is no need for animal cruelty like this.  This is just horrible.

Brianne MacCue

 
There should be a law that limits animals to everybody.

Kristine Stevens

 
The Lewis County Humane Society is undergoing some major changes after the group's board ousted longtime shelter manager Clifford Cook.

These are some of your messages:

It is awful to kick Mr. Cook aside from a job he loves and has worked so hard at.

Cindy Gebo

There's a lot more to this story than has been presented.

Jackie Powlin

The Cash for Clunkers program ends tonight. We asked for your thoughts:

We have bailed out the automakers enough with taxpayer money.

Brian Zehr