We're all in this together
We're all in this together
If you’ve ever dealt with a construction project, you may realize the near certainty of finding more problems than you planned for. Now apply that concept to an industrial plant built decades ago. The Grand Coulee City Council on Feb. 17 approved a significant electrical upgrade at the city’s wastewater treatment plant and advanced several related engineering agreements with Gray & Osborne, Inc., moves aimed at improving safety, reliability, and longterm compliance at the regional facility. The most expensive of the actions was a roughly...
Facing a steep jump in sewer treatment costs, the Elmer City Council voted last week to shift its utility rates, raising sewer charges while cutting water rates in an effort to limit the impact on residents. During a public hearing on Ordinance 393, ClerkTreasurer Kelly Ross laid out the numbers now confronting the town. Under an injunction stemming from a legal dispute with Coulee Dam, Elmer City is being billed $98.98 per household per month for sewer treatment and plant loan repayment alone. That does not include the town’s own sewer...
If you have an old American Flag that's tattered and torn, official protocol calls for a proper disposal. That involves retiring the nation's symbol with respect, not a trash bag. That's where Addison "AJ" Cannon comes in. Cannon, almost 18, is working on getting her Eagle Scout rank, which involves an ambitious project to supply the local area with flag retirement boxes for used flags. She has been working with American Legion Post 157, which will have a key to the boxes. She presented one...
Washington state moved one step closer Monday to creating a personal income tax two years after the Legislature said it wouldn't. Majority Democrats in the Senate advanced legislation on a 27-22 vote to tax households earning more than a million dollars. Passage of the bill followed a three-and-a-half hour debate on whether this will make for a fairer tax code or harm the economy and incite an exodus of Washington's wealthy residents. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, who watched the vote...
We continue to enjoy The Star every week. Please continue our subscription for another year. Your editorials have been “spot on”! So glad to see small town folks marching for democracy! We continue to march and speak up in the Tri-Cities. Darlene...
While reading Letters to the Editor in The Star, I am reminded that change often comes one funeral at a time. Some can’t come too quickly. Gloria Carroll Coulee...
I have been very troubled with the presentation of the picture chosen to be put on the front page of The Star (Feb. 11). I have not always agreed with the sentiments expressed on the protestors’ signs, but that’s OK. However, the sign that reads, Guardians Of Pedophiles (GOP), is shameful and hypocritical. It is also ironic that the sign next to it states, “No Hate.” Are we supposed to forget that the Democratic Party under the Biden Administration allowed hundreds of thousands of unvetted immigrants into our country and even gave...
February 21, 1972, President Richard Nixon arrived in China for an eight-day official visit. He was the first U.S. president to visit the People’s Republic of China following its founding by the Communists in October 1949. Prior to 1949, China was called The Republic of China, and had been established in 1912, following the Xinhai Revolution that ended over 2,000 years of imperial rule. The official visit with Premier Zhou Enlia resulted with a positive note. The Shanghai Communique was reached. The communique was a pledge to set aside...
The daughters of Albion Lounge on the grass And smoke cigarettes And write poetry Tinkering with instruments Somewhat disinterested Who do they have to impress Not even the deities With motion, ballerinas Leap forth into oblivion Headstrong and confident Taught strong exuberance Strutting in outfits Casual cool Chic Effortless Maintaining an image We all seek Flower petals and butterfly wings Picnic baskets and fine wines Cheese plates and sliced meats Aprons dawned for appetites Transcendence and philosophy Transforming effortlessly Booty...
Coulee Dam Police 2/8 - Coulee Dam Police stood by for officer safety in a domestic situation in Nespelem while tribal police made an arrest. - Someone observed a woman looking over the side of the bridge in Coulee Dam and was concerned. Police looked over both sides of the bridge and didn’t see anyone who had fallen. - On Fir Street, some grandchildren had locked themselves inside of a running vehicle. Police, with permission from the owner of the vehicle, used a lock out kit to unlock the vehicle. Once the children were no longer stuck,...
A Celebration Of Life Graveside service for Tom Robertson will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Sherman Cemetery, 38817 Sherman Rd N. Wilbur, WA. Tom passed away on January 31, 2026 at his home in Wilbur. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy maybe shared at www.strate-funeral.com for the Robertson... Full story
Carol was born to Ernest and Lila (Peltonen) Korpi in Hibbing Village, Minnesota in 1937, the eldest of two children. In 1942, Ernest moved his family to Bremerton, WA, and then to Grand Coulee, WA, in 1945 to work on the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. Carol attended Grand Coulee High School and was a drum majorette. As a young high schooler working her first job at the Grand Coulee movie theater, she met her future husband, Eugene Downing, of Lincoln, WA. Following high school... Full story
There is a $50 charge for obituaries published in the Star. This includes a photo and up to 500 words. Reminders for Celebrations of Life and Death Notices are $25. Articles must be either e-mailed, faxed or dropped off at the Star office. They will not be accepted over the phone. The deadline to submit an article is Monday by 5 p.m. For more information, call 509.633.1350 or visit our website at... Full story
The Lake Roosevelt High School Chess Team will head to the state competition later this month after qualifying in a tournament in Ephrata Feb. 7. It's LR's third year in a row to qualify for state. The team finished third in the state last year in the 2B division. Last week at the Waypoint Foundation Chess Tournament, six LR players competed among the 106 players entered. The LR team finished in fourth place, qualifying for the state tournament Feb. 27-28 in Everett. The State High School Team...
The Lady Raiders won their first game in the 2026 District 5 2B Girls Basketball Tournament, lost the second, and will play Saturday, Feb. 21 against Mabton at 4 p.m. at Eastmont High in East Wenatchee for third or fourth place and seeding into the state tournament in Spokane next week. To get this far, Lake Roosevelt's young team had to first beat White Swan's Cougars, who had held LR to a one-point win in January. The Raiders took them by 27 points on Friday, 71-44. Coach Jeremy Crollard...
Lake Roosevelt Wrestling brought the fight at the WIAA District 5 1B/2B Championships, finishing fourth out of 19 teams with 300 points. “Every Raider gave their all this weekend, showing toughness, heart, and Raider pride,” Coach Casey Brewster posted about the event on Facebook. Collin Christman (113) is the district champion and the District 5 Wrestler of the Year. Kaden Christman (120), district champion, controlled the mat and delivered when it mattered most. Jack Steffler (106), Dillan Yazzie (132), Colin Chaney (150), Blake...
Five Lady Raider wrestlers will head to Tacoma this week to compete in the annual WIAA Mat Classic state meet. The LR team finished in the top third last week at the District 5 meet in Omak, scoring 153.5 points and coming in 10th out of 29 teams. "Everyone's wrestling really outstanding against tough competition," reported Lady Raider Assistant Coach Victor Landeros. Lake Roosevelt is sending five girls to compete at the Mat Classic state tournament at the Tacoma dome this Friday and...
A wrestler at Nespelem High School's nascent athletics program has qualified to compete at the WIAA Mat Classic championships, the school announced. Natalia Saulque is no beginner. "My love for wrestling stems from my first time starting wrestling at age 10," she said in a statement. "I like the sport because it is fun and challenging. I am glad I get to represent Nespelem High School. Go...
