The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Since last November, there has been a lot of talk about how passing immigration reform this year will be “smart politics” given the role Latino voters played in the recent election. As a small business owner, I’ll leave the political forecastin...

The city of Grand Coulee is busy unraveling four years and $70,000 worth of municipal court billings. The money is in the bank, city clerk Carol Boyce stated, but the temporary clerk hired to do the work, Debra Pifer, now has to determine what goes...

Eric Braaten, left, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist, and Joe Sanders close in on a wounded bald eagle in a thicket of brush at Sunbanks Lake Resort Monday. The bird had a broken bone and will be...

The school board reversed itself Monday night on decisions it made a month ago on calendar dates for the next school year. The board had decided to hold school on Columbus Day and eliminate the mid-winter break next February. This month, absent...

The chamber of commerce is sponsoring the “Are You Tough Enough” First Annual Banks Lake Triple Fish Challenge, April 6-7, out of Coulee Playland. The two-day event features a fishing derby for smallmouth bass, walleye, and rainbow trout and has...

The theft of a school district food service truck is costing the district over $8,500, according to a Grand Coulee Police Department report issued last Thursday. The truck was stolen during the weekend of Feb. 9-11, and found the following Tuesday...

Vets board to meet The Grant County Veterans Advisory Board will meet March 7 at 4 p.m. at the Grant County Courthouse Commissioners’ Meeting Room. The advisory board administers the Grant County Veterans Emergency Assistance Fund and assists...

Foss Maritime Company of Rainier, Ore., prepares framing for a cocoon-like structure at Crescent Bay that will soon house sections of the new Sanpoil ferry that will replace the current Martha S ferry at the Keller crossing. The first section, the...

As best I can determine, we (the town of Coulee Dam) paid our engineer (Gray & Osborne) about $80,000 to prepare a Wastewater Facilities Plan. What did we get? We got a document replete with inaccurate planning assumptions, non-compliant with the...

From what I read about cottonwood trees, they seldom live beyond 100 years. So if that tree was 100 years old it was not going to live much longer and was destined to start dropping branches and be a hazard. Trees are a blessing in this area but...

I have always been aware of good service. Like in restaurants and with good business owners that put this quality first. My family and I always return again and again to those places that provide a “customer first” rule. Also, with most of my...

Ten Years Ago A bill in the state senate would tax camper and motorhome owners to support state parks, and have the effect of canceling a recent parking fee imposed throughout the state. The parking fee, $5 a day or $50 a year, has been criticized...

Ty Rimpler, 7, points out a buttercup while on a family hike up Steamboat Rock Saturday. — Karen Rimpler photo...

Chamber to Meet at Pepper Jack’s The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its regular meeting Thursday, Feb. 28, at noon at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille in Grand Coulee. On the agenda Mary Gilmore of NW MedStar will be speaking. Lion...

Wed., Feb. 27 – Dinner Tamale Pie, Jay’s Famous Chips & Salsa, Corn, Carrot, Pineapple & Raisin Salad, Cinnamon Chips & Ice Cream. Thurs., Feb. 28 – Dinner Chicken in Lemon-Dill Butter, Rice Pilaf, Steamed Cabbage, Fruit Cobbler. Fri., March 1...

Allen Larson, originally from Marlin, Wash., will speak at Zion Lutheran Church on Tuesday, March 12.  A Mayan Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., followed by Larson’s talk about his work supporting...

Income tax time is here! Free tax preparation is being offered at the Grand Coulee Senior Center again this year. Volunteers trained in cooperation with IRS and AARP will be available every Tuesday, Feb 12 - April 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This...

Selected as January Students of the Month for January at Grand Coulee Dam Middle School included - from left, Hunter Hermetz-6th; Alan Nordine-7th; Mataiya Nachtigal-8th, Divine Littlemoon-5th. — submitted photo...

The school board approved a three-year labor contract with its Public Service Employees at its meeting Monday night. The contract runs from the 2012-13 school year through 2014-15 school year. In the immediate year, the district has agreed to...

The Grand Coulee Dam School District board approved two trips for students and chaperones at Monday’s board meeting. Victor Camarena, project coordinator for Step Pipeline to the Future at Lake Roosevelt High School, is in charge of both trips. On...

The following is the honor roll for second quarter at Lake Roosevelt High School. HIGH HONORS 3.5 – 4.0 depicts 4.0 SENIORS Brady Black*, Coraline Vargas*, Ashley Lezard, Hillary Carriere, Kendall Piccolo, Abigail Williams, Andrew McClure, Johnny...

The following is the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School honor roll for term 2 HIGH HONORS 35. – 4.0 depicts 4.0 EIGHTH GRADE Grace Engseth*, Mikayla L. Higgins*, Joshua Manon*, Matthew Tillman*, Mataiya Nachtigal, Brooklyn R. Reichlin, Cameron...

Two students from Electric City made the fall 2012 Vice President’s List at Big Bend Community College, the school announced this week. Joshua Freeman and Emma Waltermyer earned the distinction by maintaining a grade point average from 3.33 to...

Grand Coulee Dam School District will be represented this year by Marianna Clark, 8th grade (left) and Rylee Pitner, 7th grade at the NCW Regional Spelling Bee on Thursday, March 21, 2013, at 6:00...

The Lady Raiders ended their season last Friday at Mt. Spokane High School, losing to the Northwest Christian Crusaders in a WIAA Regional game 64-29. The Lady Raiders had trouble offensively in the first half and could not capitalize on NWC’s...

Pack 24 recently had their Pinewood Derby race with the following results – 1st: Showaway Hunt, 2nd: David Borden, 3rd: Alexander Greening and 4th: Landon Krohn. The top three finishers will be...

COLUMBIA LEAGUE TEAM W L Galaxy Smokes 15.5 8.5 The Olds 15 9 Riverview Lanes 13 11 Don’t No’s 12 12 Redthunder Consulting 7 17 High Game: Riverview Lanes 735; Pat Zlateff 248; Sharey Redthunder 208 High Series: Riverview Lanes 2036; Pat Zlateff...

Grand Coulee Police 2/19 - An officer checked on a reported traffic hazard near milepost 24 in Electric City and found a trailer disconnected from its tractor and blocking the roadway. After the trailer was connected the roadway was opened up for...

Charles Gurney, a Civil War veteran, opened his first seedhouse in 1866 (Victory Horticultural Library, www.saveseeds@victoryseeds.com). Forty years later, Charles, his seven sons, and a nephew incorporated as Gurney Seed and Nursery Company. I...

NOTICE OF STATE’S INTENT TO NEGOTIATE LEASES Department of Natural Resources will begin negotiation of expiring leases with existing lessees on the following parcels. All leases are subject to third party bids by interested parties. Lease terms and...

Brandon Byers, an English teacher at Lake Roosevelt High School, was named interim principal at the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School by the school board Monday night. Byers is finishing up his principal credentials at Whitworth University this year...

The bid deadline for the new K-12 school project has been delayed until March 12, Superintendent Dennis Carlson said Monday. Carlson said that the delay is due to a request by several general contractors who said the district wasn’t allowing enough...

The bid deadline for the new K-12 school project has been delayed until March 12, Superintendent Dennis Carlson said Monday. Carlson said that the delay is due to a request by several general contractors who said the district wasn’t allowing enough...

Charged with finding the bones of a mouse skeleton, students from Center Elementary and Almira School examine owl pellets through microscopes at St. Henry’s Catholic Church’s hall Friday, taking part in the Balde Eagle Festival. More than 200...