News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Lady Raider volleyball fought hard through fatigue and tough opponents last week as they played 19 games in three days. Head Coach Nate Piturachsatit was proud of the way the girls kept playing, "Even though they were tired they didn't let it show on the court." Coach Piturachsatit also said, " It was encouraging to see such heart from them even when they were so worn out. " The week started at home against the Waterville Shockers on the 19th at Gailord Nelson Gym. The match was a hard- fought affair with the match being decided in the fifth... Full story
As a type 2 incident management team was leaving the area Sunday and the local fires are contained and final mop up is being done -- 81,000 acres worth -- it is time to reflect on what happened locally and thank all the citizens, visitors, DOT workers, police officers and fire fighters for their hard work, sacrifices and patience. As a fire fighter and chief, there were a lot of emotions the last week. The greatest is relief that no one received major injuries during this fire. A resident from the fire area did suffer a broken leg, and a... Full story
A series of wildland fires started by lightning Sept. 8 burned nearly 127 square miles of land, threatened two towns and consumed some $1.65 million of state and federal money to fight it. The Barker Canyon Complex fire was finally declared 100 percent contained Tuesday, but not before prompting evacuation warnings and orders for parts of Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam and families living in rural Douglas County. The fire tested the resources of local and surrounding fire fighting agencies, while... Full story
Paul Lietzen, Anacortes, Wash., emerges from Lake Roosevelt at Spring Canyon Saturday after the swim portion of his race. To search for times and results of the race, see RESULTS More great shots from the race: 2012 Grand Columbian SuperTri Triathlon - Images by Scott Hunter and Ralph Rise... Full story
A huge thank you to the firemen who worked so hard to save everyone's farms and homes during the Barker Canyon and Leahy fires. It is truly amazing that every home where someone lives was saved. Fences can be rebuilt and pastures will grow back with time. We thank you all for your dedication and committment to keeping us safe. Richard and Kathy Rice Smith Lake Rd. Grand Coulee... Full story
The dictionary defines fortitude as “mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger or temptation courageously” and mettle as “courage and fortitude.” These two words are extremely apt descriptions of the Volunteer Firefighters in our area. These folks are just everyday people that live next to you and me and have normal jobs, families, pets, and hobbies, plus a deep desire to help others. During the Barker Canyon-Leahy Junction fire, I was ordered to evacuate. Leaving Tom behind was hard for me to do but as part of the... Full story
Last night, while I was reading my “news feed” on Facebook, I saw that one of my friends had posted that they drove to Wilbur and bought their gas there. They said that it was 27 cents cheaper than here in the Coulee. I wrote a letter a while back about how the gas prices are so high here in our area and said that I would not buy gas here until someone could explain to me why they were so much higher. Well, no one has explained this to me, and I haven’t bought gas here for several months. I spend roughly $50 a week on gas, so about $200 a month... Full story
A few days ago, an inspiring and passionate nurse from Spokane, Washington, came all the way to Washington, DC to talk with me about the future of health care in America. As part of a group with the American College of Cardiology, DeAnna Jones struck me not only with her steadfast commitment to preserve Medicare, but with the compassion she has for her patients and her tireless work to make their lives better. She reminded me how hard nurses and doctors all across this country work every day to improve people’s lives. And as I’m reminded whe... Full story
by John R. McNeil II The LR cross country team’s effort was “right on pace with what it needs to be,” last Saturday at Moses Lake, Head Coach Gary Darnold said. The Raiders may not have placed well in the 40-school field featuring many from the 2A, 3A, and 4A ranks, but the teams did well in Darnold’s eyes. “They all worked hard during the race and the boys’ varsity grouping was very good,” Darnold said. “We just need to move the group up.” For the Raiders, last week's practices were no... Full story
The Lady Raiders dropped two volleyball matches to tough state contenders last week. In Tuesday’s match against the Pateros Nannies, the Lady Raiders came in strong and took the first match 25-20. The shocked Nannies ramped up their play and took the next three games to win the match. On Saturday, the Lady Raiders hosted the Crusaders of Riverside Christian, who took the first game 25-16. LR fought back in the second game to close the scoring gap with improved serving. In the third game, the L... Full story
by John R. McNeil II Raider football dropped to 0-3 after last Friday’s loss to the Reardan Indians at Greene Field. Lake Roosevelt did not score until the second half, with the Indians building a 33-0 lead going into halftime. “We played poorly in the first half and dug ourselves a big hole,” Raider Head Coach Steve Files said. During halftime, the Raiders made adjustments and put together a scoring drive in the third quarter, capped by a 37-yard touchdown pass from Justus DeWinkler to Drew... Full story
A fire in a single-family residence destroyed that home Tuesday night. The house at 611 Holly Street in Coulee Dam was fully engulfed in flame by the time the fire was reported at 5:45 p.m., said Coulee Dam Volunteer Fire Dept. Chief Robert Jackson. The house is a total loss. The cause of the fire is unkown but under investigation. “It’s suspicious for the fact that there was no electricity in the house,” Jackson said. He was unsure how many people were living in the house at the time. Repor...
Six fires broke out in the area Saturday night following an electrical storm that swept the state, igniting about 100 blazes and stretching firefighters thin across the region. Two of the local fires threatened local residences in Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and in Douglas County, driven and aimed by high winds. A third burned the Columbia River Breaks north of Leahy Junction on SR 174 and jumped the river near the Tim Brothers Ranch, and two more caught near Keller. The Barker Canyon Complex... Full story
A young motorcycle rider from Nespelem died Saturday when he failed to make a curve on SR 155 in Coulee Dam. Jason Chuckulnaskit, 28, hit the guardrail as he headed south just past the high school at Aspen Street at 11:45 Saturday morning. He was driving a blue 2004 Yamaha YZFR6/S. The Washington State Patrol is investigating the cause of the accident.... Full story
LR football was handed its second loss of the season Saturday as the Seattle Lutheran Saints won the seesaw fight 19-6. The Raiders moved the ball on the Saints, but tough breaks with turnovers prevented LR from scoring more points. In the first half, both sides moved the ball fairly well, with fourth-down conversions keeping many drives alive. Seattle Lutheran opened the scoring in the second quarter with a play action pass for a touchdown. The Raiders blocked the extra point Shortly... Full story
Traveling with a small squad to Tonasket last Saturday, the Raider boys opened with solid times to finish fifth at the Tonasket Invitational. The girls did not field a team. “For their first race of the season we ran as I would have expected. …” Coach Gary Darnold said. Leading the Raiders was the duo of Brandon Desautel and Kendall Piccolo, who finished one second apart at 19:39 and 19:40, earning them 21st and 23nd respectively. For both runners, that is around last year’s time at Tonasket. Hi... Full story
by John R. McNeil II The Lady Raiders split last week’s matches on the road at White Swan on Tuesday and Waterville on Thursday. In a 3-1 loss at White Swan, the Lady Raiders still impressed their head coach. “The second match we came from behind to win,” Nate Pituraschatit said. “This showed a lot of character, as they didn’t quit. They stayed confident and focused and pulled through.” At Waterville, LR took the first game 25-12, but for the rest of the match the Shockers kept it close until... Full story
A young motorcycle rider from Nespelem died today when he failed to make a curve on SR 155 in Coulee Dam. Jason Chuckulnaskit, 28, hit the guardrail as he headed south just past the high school at Aspen Street at 11:45 Saturday morning. He was driving a blue 2004 Yamaha YZFR6/S. The Washington State Patrol is investigating the cause of the accident....
After seven years of study, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the state Dept. of Ecology have identified a solution to drying wells in potato country south of Grand Coulee Dam: draw down Banks Lake farther in August. The agencies issued last Friday a statement that they have completed the “Odessa Subarea Special Study Final Environmental Impact Statement” (FEIS). The study identifies several alternatives to address a declining aquifer and avoid collapsing a reported $600 million annual farm industry that currently relies on drying-up wel... Full story
A Utah father of five will go after his second world record here Sept. 15 when the Grand Columbian Triathlon offers him his 23rd iron-distance race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) since January. He’s in pursuit of 30 within a year. James Lawrence already holds the record for half-iron distances races, according to Guinness World Records. He completed 22 of them in 30 weeks in 2010. His schedule will take him to 10 countries on five continents this year, with races in Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, S... Full story
A wildfire broke out in Seaton’s Grove right below the rock cut on SR 155 just north of Elmer City just before 7 p.m. Sunday. Several units of firefighters responded from Okanogan County Fire District 2 and Coulee Dam Volunteer Fire Dept., at least. The fire burned in the rocky brush area around the rock cut, and police were blocking the highway. A bulldozer and brush trucks secured a fire line in the sage at the rock cut’s north side to protect property, including two outbuildings and a hom... Full story
Granted, splitting the principal duties between several individuals doesn’t seem ideal, I find it more concerning that some of the school board seem to be ignoring an upcoming problem. With the new school being constructed I question how administration of the new school will be conducted. Will the new two winged school be in need of three principals? It seems like overkill in the administration department, and with the going pay rate of principals, a little expensive too. In light of Hinton’s dismissal, the school board should be taking the... Full story
I have read the comments from readers on the $20-per-vehicle charge. I have NEVER lived anywhere that I was penalized for having a vehicle. I have to get to work, and that is my only means of transportation! With the price of gasoline and the "obvious" price gouging, I can barely afford gas to get to work, much less having to pay a penalty for having a car! I can't really afford another $20 on top of my license tab fees that I must pay each year! It is bad enough that our water bill goes up so much and our utilities, etc. I can barely make it... Full story
The reason we celebrate Labor Day is largely because of the contributions made by unions to the betterment of America’s workers. The idea of a Labor Day holiday itself was conceived and promoted by labor organizations. The numerous beneficial influences of organized labor cannot be ignored. Most of the benefits workers now enjoy are directly attributable to unions. To cite but a few: the 40-hr. work week; paid holidays and vacations; sick leave; grievance procedures, collective bargaining and generally superior wages. Unfortunately, s... Full story
I am in favor of marriage equality. Where did God say that this group of human beings or that was not created in his image? What criteria do we use to say God given rights do not apply to all human beings? Thousands of civil laws concerning child custody and welfare, inheritance, taxes, healthcare, property contracts, etc, use the word marriage. Reality check: single parents, unmarried couples, couples without children, abusive parents, divorce, and death exist in our society. Who does not “deserve” to have a legal structure to help them nav... Full story