We're all in this together
We're all in this together
by Scott Hunter Electric City residents let the city council know in no uncertain terms that they wanted action. A property at 105 5th Street was perpetually in unacceptable condition, as they described it, and they wanted the city to do something about it. One man, who didn’t give his name, told the council April 8 that neighbors a couple doors down “have an abundance of trash that’s high as the ceiling, been there for last two and a half years, and … it’s starting to smell.” John Avey, who has lived next door to the property in...
A police officer with plenty of local experience has been approved to take over as Grand Coulee’s chief of police. Matt Ponusky, who has worked for Coulee Dam’s police department for three years, will move up to the chief’s spot in Grand Coulee. He had also served as an officer at Grand Coulee for eight years before making a move to Coulee Dam. The Grand Coulee City Council voted to approve the hire Tuesday night by a unanimous vote. Ponusky, who was not present at the meeting, will likely be sworn in this week, City Clerk Lorna Pearce...
The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department was busy Saturday, starting at 12:30 a.m. when Reclamation Fire called for mutual aid for a reported fire at the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant at the top of the dam. Crews assisted in shuttling water and with ventilation of the facility, after a trailer brought inside to use as an office caught fire. Then at 11:46 a.m. crews responded the Lakeview Terrace area for a utility pole power line...
Janet Christy will fill the Position 1 seat on the Grand Coulee City Council following the council's decision Tuesday night. A Roosevelt Drive resident, Christy said she retired from USBR a year-and-a-half ago after 10 years there, following a 27-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring as a master sergeant in 2015. Asked by Councilmember Tom Poplawski if she had experience with budgeting, she said she did in the army. "I don't know everything,"...
Parents of kids up to 10 years old can treat them to the Lions Club’s annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday at the old middle school athletic field in Grand Coulee this Saturday, April 19. Don’t be late. The event starts at 11 a.m. The “hunt” usually ends in less than 10 minutes, even with separate starts for age categories, leaving time for visiting on the field...
The city council in Grand Coulee voted to OK Axion Enterprises’ offer to supply body cameras for city police for a five-year agreement totaling $11,682.83. The deal approved Tuesday night includes storing the videos and handling of public records requests, City Clerk Lorna Pearce told the council, a point that swayed several, including her. Pearce said she had long been hesitant about body cameras for just that requirement, at which point police officer Hopper stated, “No, we need them.” The council voted to approve the purchase,...
Reel Recreation guys Ian Turner, left, and Brian Walters, who is netting a big fish, help young people try out angling from a dock at Coulee Playland during the organization's Fun Friday, the lead up to their Triple Fish Challenge weekend tournament. They rig up netted fishing areas, which are stocked with big trout donated by Pacific Seafood, the company that operates the aquaculture operation downstream on the Columbia River. Some 300 fish were donated to the...
Protesters on Midway objecting to the Trump Administration's actions don't lack for subject matter for their signs. They walked for an hour on Saturday and will again this coming Saturday from noon to 1 along Grand Coulee's Midway Avenue as another large, nationwide demonstration is planned. - Scott Hunter...
We all want to believe that a newly elected federal administration begins by working on the really critical stuff from their campaign. We are less than four months into the current administration. Evidently, there was a war on showers and water pressure, and it is high priority for the Trump Administration. On April 9th President Trump signed an executive order that will end the war on water pressure and create great showers. The executive order “…will end the Obama-Biden war on water...
The growing number of instances of biological men, who identify as women, competing in women’s sports over the last several years has led to states and the federal government taking action to protect women’s sports. Earlier this year, President Trump signed an Executive Order that would revoke federal funding for any schools that allow biological men to compete against women in athletic competitions. The House of Representatives passed, with my support, the “Protecting of Women and Girls in Sports Act” to preserve a level playing...
Al Berro had the most successful tavern in Boise. I’m sure he made a good living with it. But Al had other interests. Mainly, he was known far more as a boxing and wrestling promoter. Al carefully developed fighters, two of them eventually being rated by Ring Magazine, the bible for rating boxers. He carefully got them fights they could win, building up records. It took a long time. Roque Maravilla and George Logan were rated by Ring Magazine. Maravilla was fifth in the light heavy division and eighth for Logan in the heavyweight division....
Washingtonians recall Ralph Munro’s distinctive political advertisements, which featured 30 seconds of bagpipe music followed by a brief tagline stating, “This interlude brought to you by the Munro campaign.” As unusual and refreshing as the ads were, they worked! They spared voters from the merciless pounding dished out by sparing politicians and their band of campaign hacks. Munro was elected as our state’s longest-serving secretary of state in 1980 and retired, after five four-year terms, in 2000. While he often ran unopposed,...
April 18, 1906, an earthquake struck near San Francisco, the then largest city on the West Coast. The earthquake occurred offshore at an outcropping called Mussel Rock just after 5:00a.m. Tremors were felt from Oregon to Los Angeles. The land on the eastern side of San Andreas Fault, the city and bay, moved southward. The land on the west side of fault, was pushed northward. The displacement was more than six meters (20 feet). The exact magnitude of the earthquake is disputed, most common estimate is about 7.9 – a very damaging event. Fires...
Grand Coulee 504 Moose Lodge held it's first Spring Fling dance this past Saturday night. A fun time was enjoyed by over 60 people. Randomly selected for royalty include, from left, Prince Ed Ethrington, Princess Daryl Ambuehl, King Mitch Sorenson and Queen Michelle Lapas. - submitted...
Area AA Meetings In Electric City, the New Hope group holds its meetings Monday through Friday evenings at 6pm at the Vets Center. There is also a noon meeting every Wednesday. These meetings are open and non-smoking. For more information, contact Paul 631-4551 or Phyllis 631-1187. In Nespelem, the group Bound and Determined holds its meetings Monday evening at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Church. Contact Myrna at 634-4921. Food Bank Open Care & Share Food Bank regular hours are Fridays 1-3 p.m. Questions call Pastor Shawn at 633-2566. Attention...
Grand Coulee Police 4/3 - At the Continental Heights apartments, a man explained he had let another resident into his room who was drunk and began threatening him. Police learned while on the way there that the man was still threatening people. Police arrived and spoke to him and noted he was very intoxicated and hard to understand. Asking him how to spell his name, the man said, “What? You don’t know how to spell?” to which the officer replied that there were numerous ways to spell the name. The man who originally reported being...
OLYMPIA — April 14, 2025 — Paddlesports like kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, are among the most popular recreational activities in Washington State. In a recent study from the Recreation and Conservation Office, 52% of survey respondents participated in paddlesports. The study also noted a 28% increase in paddlesports participation from a previous study conducted in 2017. Rising safety incidents show the importance of education on safety. Paddlesports accounted for 61% of reportable boating fatalities from 2023-2024, and...
Julia Kay Eichman, 70, of Neosho, Missouri, passed away on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Coulee Dam, Washington. Julia was born in Manchester, Iowa. She graduated from Stratford High School in 1973 and pursued higher education. While advancing her education, Julia conducted research at Fort Dodge Laboratories and the National Animal Disease Center. She also held positions at Country Pride Foods, First National Bank, Hardee's, and Pillsbury in Joplin, MO. Julia then devoted 25 years to teaching...
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...
Wenatchee Valley College Running Start Program is having a presentation for the 2025/26 school year. Parents and Students interested are encouraged to attend on Thursday April 24th at 3:30 PM at Lake Roosevelt Jr/Sr High School. Students interested need to be a Junior or Senior during the 2025/26 school year with a Grade Point Average of at least a...
Lake Roosevelt golfers last week were busy at a tournament at Gamble Sands, near Brewster, on Wednesday, then hosting Oroville on the home course at Coyote Ridge on Banks Lake Thursday. At the scenic Gamble Sands, nestled above orchards overlooking the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers, Lake Roosevelt boys scored a 391 as a 2B team in a 1A-4A tournament, ahead of Quincy and Leavenworth. Gig Harbor won with a 299. Senior Terek Bush shot an 85 for the Raiders, while eighth-grader...
The Grand Coulee Dam School District will hold a Public Hearing to review and gather feedback for the following federal programs: Title VI Indian Education Title I – Improving the Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged Students Migrant Education Program (MEP) This meeting is part of the required public consultation process for the Title VI EASIE (Electronic Application System for Indian Education) Part II application, as well as the development and review of plans for Title I and Migrant Education services. Date: April 24, 2025 Time: 6PM...
