News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 926 - 950 of 3285
For Betty Davis, a day on the golf course isn't about keeping score, it's about getting to a place free of cares. "When I'm out here, I think of nothing behind me," she said recently beside a tee at Banks Lake Golf Club. "I mean, my house could be burning when I left and I probably wouldn't even think about it." At 96, Davis still golfs three times a week through most of the year with a group of friends, and there are stories. There's the one about she and Sally McDowell herding cows off the...
I would like to personally thank all of the veterans, auxiliary members and family members who showed up to honor all veterans at the Nespelem veterans’ monument on Veteran’s Day! We took the time to honor all veterans, past and present, on this special day. I would also like to commend the following businesses for recognizing and honoring the veterans by treating them to a meal on Veteran’s Day. At noon, the Rio Grande restaurant in Coulee Dam honored the veterans to a meal. Then in the evening, the Siam Palace in Grand Coulee honored the v...
As you read this letter, there may be only a week until the deadline of 12 pm, Nov. 29, for written public comments on the draft Okanogan County Comprehensive Plan. Fortunately, this revision supports our county’s need to form “More Completely Planned Areas” to address varying values and landscapes in different areas of the county. Citizen Advisory Committees would lead these efforts. If you’re interested in how land is used in your area of the county, write a letter to the Okanogan County Planning Department regarding the following situati...
Twenty years ago, the United States was intently focused on terrorism. The 9/11 attacks had killed 3,000 Americans and profoundly shaken our national sense of safety and security. President George W. Bush declared we were fighting a “war on terror” and vowed we would defeat terrorist organizations. Since then, we have taken important steps to keep our country safe, and they have been largely effective. News coverage of terrorism is relatively rare, and I suspect most Americans wouldn’t put it at the top of their list of concerns. But terro...
The newly passed infrastructure package approved by Congress last week promises to reach every corner of the country, and for rural America, funding for water and sewer, broadband internet, and electrical projects could have the most impact. An $11.7 billion annual increase for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds will assist small towns in making much-needed drinking water and sewage system upgrades. The federal-state partnership provides low-interest loans to eligible communities to improve their drinking water supply,...
The National Weather Service in Spokane has increased the urgency of its language regarding this current wind event, warning "winds will blow down trees and power lines" (emphasis ours) and that "widespread power outages are expected." A "wind advisory" from the National Weather Service, originally set to expire at 8 p.m. Monday, was extended then until midnight. Gusts up to 70 mph are expected among 30-40 mph winds. Keller Ferry is out of service again because of the winds. In 2013, with wind... Full story
High winds have prompted the closing of Keller Ferry on Sunday until further notice. The Washington state department of transportation issued a notice just after 11 am Sunday that the ferry was closed: "The Keller Ferry that crosses the Columbia River is temporarily out-of-service due to high wind on SR 21 at milepost 106.5 just North of Wilbur, beginning at 11:06 am on November 14, 2021 until further notice." The National Weather Service out of Spokane issued a wind advisory through 7 pm... Full story
Coulee Dam’s city council will consider a proposed vaccine mandate for employees tonight as part of its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in a meeting open via phone or an online service only. The issue was raised a council meeting a month ago and discussed again two weeks later. Tonight (Wednesday) the council has a drafted resolution to pass, reject or alter. The city of just over 1,000 must grapple with some of the same possibilities other agencies have: that requiring vaccination against the coronavirus, which has been made into a political hot top...
4 years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect and ended “the war to end all wars.” Now, we honor that day, the 116,516 American military personnel who lost their lives in that war, and every veteran who has served on behalf of our nation. On Veterans Day and every day, we say thank you. The state of Washington is home to over 520,000 veterans, and those of us in Washington’s Fourth Congressional District are proud to have 39,595 of these veter...
Long lines were a good thing, with grinning kids and some contestants scrambling for more candy last Thursday at the PTA's Trunk or Treat event at Lake Roosevelt Schools. Crews on six emergency services vehicles and people with 10 individually themed trunks handed out candy to eager children chauffeured by parents. People could vote on their favorite numbered trunk by giving a monetary donation to the PTA. The trunk that earned the most votes (money) at the end of the night was awarded the...
The National Commander of the American Legion recognized two local veterans of World War II Monday at a luncheon at the local legion post in Electric City. Elmer Rinard and Fred Long will both celebrate their 99th birthdays this month. National Commander Paul E. Dillard and Washington State Department Commander Rick Sucee visited with veterans at their Grand Coulee Dam Post 157. Dillard is making a tour through the state and had several stops before and after the lunch. But he made a point of sh...
Some workers in Washington state, faced with the ultimatum to get the jab or lose their jobs, have chosen to quit or retire instead of receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. With employees in various fields, including school, health care, and state government required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement for their employment by Oct. 18, many workers in the state have opted to retire early or simply quit their jobs. Locally, council members for the city of Grand Coulee, as well as the mayor, expressed support for city employees to make...
I am the Adopt a Highway (AAH) group leader for Columbia Springs Estates in Lincoln County with our approved pickup area on SR 174, MP 23.38 to 26.00 since 2018. This service volunteer activity is no longer allowed unless I submit a Proclamation 21-14 - COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration form. This includes having to have a Vaccination Verification Plan in place and requires that all AAH volunteer leaders “obtain a copy or visually observed proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or properly exempted.” Evidently, AAH program volunteers are con...
I am writing about the article published in the Star on October 20, 2021. I know you [Coulee Dam council member Dale Rey] didn’t mention my husband by name. However, we live in a small town where everyone knows everyone. PLEASE, get your FACTS straight before jumping to conclusions. John did NOT die from covid. John died from heart issues and kidney failure, as per medical records. PLEASE do NOT use John as an escape goat to mandate the vaccine. If YOU, Dale Rey, want to mandate the shots, I suggest you man up and do it. John did his r...
For more than 20 years, a group of plaintiffs led by a litigious special interest environmental group have held our region hostage, threatening to breach our dams and drain the lifeblood of our region. Their lawsuits have never been about the operation of our dams; rather, they have placed a bullseye on our critical infrastructure which provides clean, carbon-free energy throughout the region while protecting our native salmon population. They are driven by a singular, ideological goal: dam breaching. After federal scientists, engineers, and...
Following the death of a city employee, Coulee Dam is considering requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Councilmember Dale Rey raised the question during a council meeting last Wednesday. Rey remarked on the recent death of one employee and a positive coronavirus test of another, although he said he was speculating on the cause of death. “Our town employees not only interact with each other and with us, but they also interact with and communicate with and are around members of the community,” Rey said, so requiring vaccinat...
Shaeden Capshaw grabs a gob of roasted marshmallow off a stick of the goo held by Gaven White at the first spirit week bonfire held in several years at Lake Roosevelt Jr/Sr High School Thursday night after a homecoming volleyball game. - Scott Hunter photo...
I am now to a point where I welcome new leadership at the highest levels in my hometown school district. This is because there is a proven pattern of not listening to valid concerns with responsive progressive changes and people are treated poorly or ignored. As a community member for 40 years, a taxpayer and someone who loves our local school district, I will clearly focus on just 2 major areas of concern for now. Sound human dynamics I feel that quality relationships and a high level of collaborative thinking with a growth mindset must...
This month, gas prices nationwide are the highest they’ve been since October 2014, and President Biden’s failed energy policies are directly responsible. Since assuming office in January, President Biden has worked with congressional Democrats to put forth Executive Orders and other policies designed to reduce access to our country’s oil and gas resources, which not only diminishes the global competitiveness of American companies and workers but has strained our ability to access the energy we need to live and work. This Administration seems...
It sounded like a good idea at the time: See if there’s a way to gather the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s athletics facilities onto one campus. With that direction from the board of directors, the district hired an architect last spring to look into the possibilities. Anything is possible for a price, but maybe not one you want to pay. When the new K-12 school was built with no local debt, funding was not available to include a new gym, and school leaders have been trying to find a way to build one ever since, plus fix other dis...
Voters in the Grand Coulee Dam School District will be asked next February to replace an expiring tax levy with a new one of the same rate in 2023. The board of directors voted Tuesday night to direct the superintendent to prepare language for a levy question on the coming ballot that would keep the current “enrichment” levy property tax rate at $2.50 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. And they voted to seek a replacement of the district’s expiring capital facilities levy at $1.70 per thousand, the same rate as the current one. Super...
The true spirit of hard work and helping others is demonstrated on a daily basis in rural communities. However, those attributes weren’t developed overnight, and need to be nurtured for a strong sense of community to continue. Individual actions for the greater good can start with each of us. From volunteering for a local organization or event, and working with local leaders on an issue, to running for public office, rural residents can make an impact in many ways. It can be as simple, yet meaningful, as welcoming new residents, attending s...
Central Washington is made up of honest, hardworking, freedom-loving Americans who provide food and fiber for this nation, and my district is home to some of the most dedicated and innovative agriculture producers in the country. Washington’s farmers and ranchers produce more than 300 commodities, including high-quality hay, wheat, beef, dairy, and specialty crops like apples, hops, potatoes, cherries, mint, and winegrapes. Blessed with the conditions to produce such a diverse range of crops, Central Washington is proud to share its natural a...
In a move that will both ease monthly cash needs and add needed upgrades, Coulee Medical Center recently refinanced millions in debt it took on to build the new hospital. The original debt for a little over $23 million has been whittled down to a nearly $18.9 million loan, with $1 million of that tagged for upgrading equipment, including all new state-of-the-art patient beds. The move captures a better interest rate less than half of the previous financing package, according to Chief Financial...
Coulee Dam and its contractor on its new wastewater treatment facility are facing off through attorneys on who is at fault for numerous delays in the building of the multimillion-dollar plant. The city council met in special session online Tuesday morning to decide how to respond to the contractor’s answer to a letter from City Attorney Michael Howe informing them of the city’s deadline of Oct. 1, after which the city would finish the work and adjust the bill. Snohomish attorney Douglas Elston wrote back Sept. 27 on behalf of the con...