News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Grand Coulee’s city council voted unanimously Tuesday night to direct the city government to write to others who might wish to be part of a new “fire authority” that could combine the efforts of local volunteer fire departments. The idea was the subject of a community meeting in November 2024, when the Regional Board of Mayors sponsored a community town hall meeting to talk about options for either an emergency medical services district or a broader regional fire protection authority, which could start out initially as an EMS provider, proba...
When they wrestled with how to allocate a pay boost not all covered by extra state money last month, school directors didn’t know the federal government had just announced it would not pay far more money Congress had already promised, money that would typically be paid the next day. That was June 30 as the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors learned the $136,000 the state would pay for a 2.5% cost-of-living increase next year wouldn’t cover the $679,000 of actual cost involved, leaving a $543,000 hole in the coming year’s distri...
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has put on hold $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 schools, according to an Education Department notice obtained by States Newsroom. The agency informed states on Monday that it would be withholding funding for several programs, including before- and after-school programs, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives. But the agency notified states just a day ahead of July 1 — the date these funds are typically sent out as educators plan for the coming school year. “The Depar...
If they’re up to their frequently used tactics, the Trump Administration will likely drag out the drama they’re causing by “freezing” nearly $7 billion in already budgeted education funds for K-12 education across 50 states, then just drop the whole thing. The chaos is often the real goal for this bunch. Make depending on the federal government for anything pure hell and people will tend to not rely on it. Local school districts are just a recent entry into that long list of people and institutions learning there is no long honor at the top...
The biggest local festival of the year drew thousands to Grand Coulee Dam to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, live music and even the original laser show on the dam. What they couldn't see were the unusual challenges that started the week for Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce officials. With the festival looming on Friday, Krystal and Jillian Fillis, executive directors in training, knew they had a lot of organizational boxes to tick off by Thursday. But Monday morning they...
Firefighters kept at least two smaller blazes from turning into bigger ones this week as wildland fuels turned tinder dry. One blaze took off quickly about 11 p.m. July 5, right after a loud bang at the south edge of the town of Coulee Dam, setting the hillside near the Visitor Center ablaze. Several agencies responded quickly, including the Bureau of Reclamation whose land was burning near the Columbia River Inn. Coulee Dam Volunteer Fire Department requested mutual aid, bringing in Grand...
Here are just a few things I’ve noticed recently that show we live in an area surrounded by amazing people. I was in awe watching the fire and law enforcement departments fight the recent fire and keep everyone safe in West Coulee Dam. Rick Paris stopped by and assured us things would be alright. People don’t get any better than him! The Festival of America was awesome. They didn’t skip a beat due to the theft of the Chamber’s trailer. Our local talent with Dylan and the teachers “Fuel for Ghosts” was great. Their genuine passion made it a f...
I was a church kid in the 1960s and 70s. Many of our “kid” songs were upbeat and contemporary. There were many stories and lessons in those songs, some of which many of us have seemingly forgotten over the years. One of my favorites comes to mind: “They’ll Know We are Christians by our Love.” If you were a church kid in the 60s and 70s, you’ll probably remember some of the words: “We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord,” and “we will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,” and “we will work with each other, we will work s...
It’s been 20 years since the Lake Roosevelt High School Class of 2005 crossed that stage. Many of us moved away, started families, and built new chapters. But one thing hasn’t changed: the bonds we formed here. That’s why we’re inviting all LRHS alumni to join us on July 19 at Village Cinema for a relaxed evening with trivia, arcade games, free popcorn and soda, and a classic movie that takes us back to those carefree days. For those who want to catch up beforehand, Rio Grande is offering dinner specials for reunion attendees. BOGO 1/2 price i...
by Scott Hunter Festival organizers getting everything ready for the chamber of commerce's big Festival of America below the dam Friday discovered a key asset had gone missing Monday morning - the beer tent. Apparently, a thief had backed up to the trailer holding the chamber's assortment of festival tents, tables and chairs, and temporary fencing, hitched it up, and drove off. The big tent has been used for several years at festivals where libations are served as a fund raiser. It was also...
GCD School District policies around managing students, athletics and money shifted Monday, as board directors voted approval of changes in the junior/senior high handbook, athletics policies on participation in sports, paying to enter events and in some instances park, and even on the kind of bag you can bring into school events — clear only. Some changes address safety issues and society’s changing ways of handling them. “You can’t go into any major sporting event without a clear bag,” Director Shannon Nicholson told Director Rich Black aft...
The Bureau of Reclamation will put on a special showing of the original Laser Light Show on Grand Coulee Dam on this Independence Day. The original light show was commissioned to launch in 1989 in celebration of the centennial anniversary of Washington's statehood. At that time, a laser show was relatively unusual and a sophisticated technology for this rural community, even though the guts of the original show's computer was basically an Atari video game board. That show ran nightly through sum...
Rep. Dan Newhouse announced Sunday that he’d secured over $3 million in federal funds to build “safe, dependable living space for health professionals working at … Coulee Medical Center,” a goal hospital officials have been pursuing for a couple years. CMC relies on traveling professionals to staff various positions, and housing them is a challenge locally. The hospital actually owns several houses for this reason, which also makes the local housing market even tighter. But the professionals, who, hospital leaders point out, pass several other...
A non-profit organization that is all about getting kids involved in active recreation pitched Grand Coulee's city council June 17 on a vision for a "community center" on city land with a great view. Nic Alexander, president of Reel Rec, is a local builder and developer who looks at the city's vacant land overlooking Crescent Bay Lake and Lake Roosevelt as a great place for a center with a view. The vision is still a little vague. Would it include a pool, batting cage, archery range, golf simula...
A group working to inject the skills and abilities of thoughtful leadership into communities is offering training to do that in Grant County, and north county residents can even get some pay to offset mileage. The Leadership Institute of NCW is all about "Educating and Empowering Community Members for Civic Leadership in NCW." It was a hit in Chelan County last year; this year it's concentrating on Grant County, with plans to do it again in Okanogan County in the next year or so. Nancy Boord is...
The next town council members in Coulee Dam will get paid on a different scale than council currently does, following a vote of the council earlier this month. Council members are currently paid $50 a month. The new scale changes that to $50 per regular council meeting attended. Two council meetings are normally scheduled per month, but the town often cancels one for lack of agenda items, which is the case this week. Tonight’s regular council meeting was canceled. Council could have changed the pay to add in compensation for extra meetings s...
The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. David Steiner, who will take over as Postmaster General on July 14, 2025, has a tough job to do and little time to do it, with some estimates indicating the USPS could be insolvent as soon as 2028. Congress has a key role to play in helping him right the ship but must get off the sidelines and act. A useful step...
Every time Larry Hernandez runs into a new obstacle, he seems to find a way around it. That's how it's been ever since he started working on reviving the Village Cinema in Coulee Dam, a place that has been largely vacant for a generation of movie-goers who missed out. Recently, it was something as mundane as a sewer plugged up. He got that fixed with the same plumber who showed up and did a lot of work for no charge just to help in the effort. That community effort is what makes it all worth it...
Coulee Dam is mulling an inquiry as to whether the city would allow a Level 3 electric vehicle charging station on its electric grid. Such a 180-kilowatt station would be capable of adding 100-250 miles of range in 30-45 minutes. That capability could be an added attraction for customers of the 12 Tribes Casino. Mayor Bob Poch told the city council last month that the Colville Tribes had approached the city on the question. The city owns its own electric utility, but Poch wants to be careful to not add something that would jeopardize a...
The use of fire is restricted in 20 Eastern Washington counties by one federal agency, and along Lake Roosevelt by the National Park Service, even after two local counties started their annual fire restrictions earlier than normal. Federal Bureau of Land Management officials have restricted activities on public lands to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires in Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and...
Our local hot summers provide plenty of lessons we might also keep in mind for our politics. Most people who don’t fight fires on a regular basis may not appreciate the delicate relationship between fuel and energy, but it’s key to understanding ignition, the point at which flame erupts. The hotter the air is, the closer the energy level of everything is to its ignition point. The drier the fuel, likewise. So, when the wind blows in the heat, when “relative humidity” — that is the amount of moisture in the air — is low, a spark can light a fir...
Nearly four dozen young adults walked across the stage and out the door Saturday after graduating from Lake Roosevelt High School having already seen some hard reality and ready to take life on. "We are proof that hard times create strong people," is the official motto of the class of 2025. They started high school in 2021 in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic with all its health and cultural complications, steeped in a time that would teach them about the fragility of human life. In the middle...
Two people trekked across the country last week to understand a piece of their Kentucky company's history, with a major claim to fame being the Grand Coulee Dam. Now called Mason & Hanger, theirs was the lead company in the consortium of companies that built the original dam. They're the M in MWAK, the initials for Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier. On Wednesday, Ben Lilly, the president of Mason & Hanger, and Holly Holt, its vice president in charge of marketing, came to town to fill in the blanks in...
Lori Adkins is the longest tenured teacher and coach in the GCDSD’s history. Over 43 years she has helped thousands of students and hundreds of athletes. Her loyalty and longevity are unmatched. Over the decades I’ve seen her work 20-hour days and rarely miss a day of work. She’s about solutions not excuses. She’s a talented artist who rarely has time to create personally because she’s always creating with kids. Lori raised five Raiders and as the longtime cheer squad coach and leadership class instructor she’s brought more school spirit to o...
The strength of the United States’ economy is rooted in the power of our workforce. As Congress works to deliver policies that bring jobs back to our shores, the need for a strong, reliable workforce has never been greater. Nearly 20,000 young Americans utilize the U.S. Job Corps program, a proven initiative that helps equip our nation’s young, disadvantaged adults with the skills they need to succeed. Amidst the Trump administration’s plans to pause Job Corps operations at the end of June, I joined 200 of my colleagues in sending a lette...