News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Update: A Level 3 EVACUATIONS "GO NOW" just issued for residents of Peter Dan Road, McGinnis Lake, Reynolds Resort, Belvedere, and Seatons Grove. Due to increased fire danger from the Swawilla Fire, the current Level 2 evacuations status for your area is now elevated to LEVEL 3 EVACUATION. A shelter is open at Lake Roosevelt High School Gym, 500 Civic Way, Coulee Dam, WA. For information call Tribal Emergency Operation Center at 509-634-7350 or 509-634-7359. There will be a public meeting on... Full story
Bob Valen sent us the time-lapse video above, condensing an hour of smoke and cloud formation above the fire into 30 seconds, shot from across Lake Roosevelt above the Sring Canyon area. Keller evacuated, fire doubles overnight With a wind shift, Colville Tribal Emergency Management early Wednesday called for a Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation of Buffalo Lake and McGinnis Lake areas, Belvedere and Seaton's Grove as the fire grew rapidly toward the northwest. /Users/scotthunter/GCDStar Dropbox/Scott... Full story
Curbside recycling bins could be coming to the Coulee — if at least 300 people are willing to sign up. Residents of the four local towns can expect to receive instructions for a voluntary online survey in city utility bills, asking everything from what seems like a reasonable price, to whether it matters if they offered single-stream (all materials added into the same bin) versus separate sorted bins for plastics, cans, cardboard and so on. Dion Gotti, owner of Sunrise Disposal, the Omak-based company providing curbside trash pickup to the f...
Nespelem School District’s high school will add a 10th grade this year, plus an alternative learning experience program that could push enrollment high enough to add a high school basketball program. The school board Monday night approved hiring Marion Ives and Rowena Antone as coaches for the high school boys’ and girls’ teams. They coached them at the middle school level in the 2023-24 season, superintendent Effie Dean said. The district, which started its new high school program in 2023 with just ninth grade, plans to add 11th grade, then...
Road repairs, closures and detours in commercial districts can be a pain point for nearby business owners – sometimes measurable in loss of revenue if potential customers avoid the area. But the owners of one longstanding business in central Grand Coulee would like to see the lower portion of Spokane Way – closed for an emergency sewer line repair since April – remain closed to traffic permanently. Carrie Riechmann owns the TeePee Drive-In restaurant along with her husband Jesse. She said her family has serious safety concerns after witne...
Nearly a hundred kids attended a Mega Sports Camp organized by Faith Community Church last week, ending in a cool way to conclude a very hot week. The four-day event had community volunteers teaching elementary-age children the basics in football, soccer, basketball, and cheerleading, said Shannon Hitchcock from the church. Hitchcock said the event was also designed to teach several core concepts important in sports and in life in general, including preparation, commitment, endurance, an all-in...
Sunbanks Lake Resort was not de-annexed from Electric City, as incorrectly stated in last week’s report on the fire that started there. The state Department of Transportation building and other lands nearby were, however....
The next generation has the answer. Most of them call this area Grand Coulee Dam. If the police departments were to merge (yes that ugly word: consolidation) the entire area would have better coverage with one chief and more officers to provide 24/7 patrols, and none having to be concerned about where they can patrol or serve as back up. Carol Schoning...
I see The Star newspaper had to go clear to Philadelphia Political columnist to report what the Star Thinks. However, there are several Exaggerations and some outright lies. (Dick Polman called Trump a Pathological Lier). I would like to know what he was referring to. He didn’t mention Biden being a pathological Lier. Biden has been telling us the border is closed and the border is secure, the biggest lie ever with over 15 million illegals crossing the border. Telling us he was the top 10% of his class when he was the lowest 10%. He said he h...
A friend in Woodinville once visited with me about a job therapy program in the state prison at Walla Walla. Basically, it was a program designed to make it easier for prisoners to be ready for a job after their sentence was up. I got on the phone and called B.J. Rhay, the warden at the prison. I was a little surprised when he took my call and indicated he would be happy to explain what they were doing at the prison, and invited me to Walla Walla to chat with him. He explained that the prison was partially run by the prisoner’s council. It w...
Since the beginning of American history, the responsibility of preserving our freedoms has befallen the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to serving this country. In Washington State, there are over 509,700 veterans, and it is imperative they have the support of a grateful nation and the care promised to them by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We are forever indebted to our veterans, and part of this debt includes ensuring that their healthcare benefits work for them, and currently, they do not. During my time meeting with...
Patricia Prettyman-Birge, 73, of Grand Coulee, WA, passed away on Sunday, July 14, 2024. Arrangements by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee, WA.... Full story
NCW Libraries will host the virtual Humanities Washington program “A Space For Black History” on July 31 from 6 to 7:30PM in partnership with NCW Equity Alliance. University of Washington professor Luther Adams – Free Man of Color will incorporate Black thought, images, poetry and local history to create an open space to ask questions about Black history and why it matters to all of us. In his program, Adams will talk about how anger against “critical race theory” and “wokeness” has led to new laws prohibiting what can and cannot be taugh...
Masquers Theater is excited to announce auditions for the timeless and heartwarming musical "Annie." We invite aspiring actors and actresses, ages 8 through adult, to audition for all roles available. Auditions will be held on July 28 and 29 at 6:00 pm at Masquers Theater. "Annie," set during the Great Depression, tells the story of a spirited young orphan girl determined to find her parents, who left her on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage. Under the care of the harsh Miss Hannigan, Annie's journey takes an unexpected turn when she is...
Learn the relaxing art of garden doodling in an artist-led virtual program offered by NCW Libraries on Aug. 14. Artist Rosemary Jones will offer instruction on how to create thin block letters and fill in the empty space with whimsical garden motifs. All ages and skill levels are welcome! All you need to follow along is paper, a writing utensil, and a hard surface. The program will be offered from 3-4:30 p.m. Aug. 14 on the Zoom platform. Sign up at wwwncwlibraries.org on the online calendar to...
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.I 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....
Grand Coulee 7/8 - Items stolen from a Grand Coulee Avenue storage unit included a Hoyt bow, axes, older video game systems, DVDs, and hunting gear. 7/10 - A Dill Avenue man was arrested and taken to jail for assault following an incident in which he allegedly pushed his wife during an argument, and she fell and broke her wrist. - A man driving a motorcycle hit a pothole on Spokane Way, causing him to lose control of the motorcycle. He suffered some road rash on his arm from the accident. Police collected many details and noted the pothole was...
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 grandcoulee.com.... Full story
An ambulance makes its way down a freshly paved James Saunders Boulevard into Coulee Medical Center Tuesday evening. Both James Saunders and Fortuyn Road opened for regular access this week, after undergoing total reconstruction beginning May 20. The project involved repaving both streets, as well as installing a sidewalk. Fortuyn remains a one-way street. - Renata Rollins photo...
Increased electricity use among industrial customers led to a new high-load record at Grant PUD during the first week of the heat wave this month. The public utility provided 1,107 megawatts of electricity to customers in the 98823 zip code on July 9. “Every day during that hot streak topped the old all-time record of just over 1,000 MW, set during the sub-zero cold snap in January 2024,” said Christine Pratt, Grant PUD public affairs officer. Energy use for Grant PUD typically peaks twice a year, she said, during the coldest days of win...
A fire that originated at a local resort spread rapidly over a hill separating the resort from the rest of Electric City, but ultimately required all local fire crews, federal wildland firefighters, and air support to suppress Tuesday. Fire calls went out between 2 and 3 p.m., drawing in local firefighters from all stations, and prompting fire chiefs to call for air support. The blaze, which got away from a Sunbanks Lake Resort fire, the origin of which was not clear at the time of this writing,...
If a Grand Coulee officer calls to request backup at the scene of a crime, they can’t count on Coulee Dam PD to respond, according to an email obtained by The Star. In the email from Grand Coulee Interim Police Chief Levi Johnson to Coulee Dam Police Chief Paul Bowden on July 8, Johnson wrote, “It was brought to my attention, you told your officers they are not to assist Grand Coulee Units. I heard this from a couple of our officers. If this is true, I would like to hear it from you.” The next day Bowden confirmed in his reply: “That is corr...
An improved park in Grand Coulee may need a couple more improvements because of increased usage, a city council member proposes. The chair of the city council’s safety committee wants the city to take another look at installing a few more parking spaces next to Grand Coulee City Park, perhaps in the adjacent alley running parallel to Grand Coulee Ave. and Roosevelt Drive. At the council’s June 25 meeting Councilmember Tom Poplawski also proposed petitioning the state Department of Transportation to install a crosswalk with button-activated fla...
Elevated levels of neurotoxin were detected in the middle section of Rufus Woods, according to a monitoring website that tracks toxic algae blooms. A sample pulled June 25 from the "Mid Lake" region of the reservoir showed 13.760 micrograms of anatoxin-a per liter of water–well over the state Department of Health's guidelines for anatoxin-a in "recreational water bodies," which is 1 microgram per liter of water. Anatoxin-a is a naturally-occurring substance produced by cyanobacteria, s...
We like to go about our business believing that things are working as they should — and they seem to, mostly. Until they don’t. That can be when we have to realize some foundation of stability in our experience just wasn’t so stable after all. Take our local police forces and the way our firefighting infrastructure is set up. Yesterday’s wildfire at Sunbanks in Electric City (actually outside town at the moment) was prolonged due to — well, that’s uncertain at this point. But a nearby firefighting helicopter sat on the ground at Grand Coule...