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

Cougar scare at school

Center School was in lockdown Tuesday morning because of a report of a cougar seen behind the school crossing Martin Road.

Principal Sue Hinton said that Brenda Francis reported the sighting.

The lockdown meant that students, not likely to go out in the rain anyway, were kept inside.

Hinton called the police and the state Fish & Wildlife Dept., where an official from the game department said they couldn’t immediately respond.

The area where the cougar was seen is woody with high shrubs.

Tribal members to rally for funds

Members of the Colville Tribes will rally outside tribal headquarters Friday before presenting a formal petition to the Colville Business Council, asking it to evenly split with members the proceeds of a large settlment with the federal government.

The CBC has said 80 percent of the $193 million settlement, gained from a lawsuit over mismanagement of tribal assets by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, would be invested in repairing the Colville Indian Reservation’s natural resources, with 20 percent being paid directly to members.

Joanne Sanchez said she will present a petition, signed by more than 1,000 members, to the council’s government committee at 1 p.m., after a 11 a.m. BBQ.

A separate rally was also announced for Saturday and Sunday at noon at the ball fields on the agency campus. Members are encouraged to bring camping equipment and extra chairs, and food to share with those who are experiencing financial hardship.

Parakeet found

A Coulee Dam man has a friendly, yellow parakeet, apparently lost.

The Stevens Street resident said that he and his wife were sitting on the patio enjoying the late spring weather and suddenly this parakeet arrived.

“I went into the house and got a cracker,” said the man who requested that his name not be used. “The parakeet landed near the cracker and began to eat it,” he added.

Currently the parakeet is in a cage, but is let out frequently so it can fly around. “It will light on my shoulder and crawl down my arm,” he said. It has clearly been around people.

If you have lost your parakeet, or know someone who has, the reluctant bird man may be called at 633-3485.

Funding avenue re-opening

The Grant County Board of Commissioners will begin accepting new applications for funding through the county’s Strategic Infrastructure Program, officials told the SIP advisory board this week.

The program has funneled sales tax revenue to more than $6 million in local infrastructure investments around the county over 10 years, including the new Coulee Medical Center.

County commissioners had put it on hold, fearing state budget cuts.

Celebrate, don’t grieve

The Washington State Patrol wants to remind everyone to enjoy graduation but not too much. Every year sees tragic and senseless deaths of minors who took their graduation celebrations too far. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to knock on the door of a family to tell them their child has been killed right after graduating, said Lieutenant Kandi Patrick of the Field Operations Bureau District 6 - Wenatchee. “We urge all parents to have “THE” talk with your children before it is too late.”