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

Upsets in the town of Coulee Dam were the order of the day as ballots were counted Tuesday for mayor and three council positions.

Newcomer Larry Price won decisively over Councilmember Gayle Swagerty in the town’s mayoral race. Price collected 116 votes to Swagerty’s 34 as of 9:20 p.m.

Another upset at Coulee Dam saw newcomer Fred Netzel defeating incumbent Councilmember David Schmidt, who was running for another Position-1 four-year term. Netzel received 101 votes to Schmidt’s 50.

In the council race for the Position 3, another new face won a seat in town government as Marcia Warnecke defeated Bruce Bartoo, 96-32. A third person, Timothy Brooks, was on the ballot but he had withdrawn prior to the election, albeit after the ballots had been printed. He received 20 votes.

Mail-in ballots postmarked by midnight will continue to be counted and reported late this week.

In the Grand Coulee Dam School District races, two incumbents retained their four-year seats.

Carla Marconi appeared to win over Tammy James-Pino, 286-260, for director Position 1; and Richard Black retained his seat by defeating Kelly N. Steffens, 306-263.

In Grand Coulee, two incumbents kept their seats, running unopposed, but with a write-in campaign against them.

Grand Coulee council members Tammara Byers and Tom Poplawski garnered 93 and 97 votes, respectively. But they faced last-minute write-in challengers Dorothy and Doneen Harris. Write-in ballots had not yet been counted.