News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Last week, Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, joined me in Central Washington to hear firsthand from farmers in our district about the challenges they are facing. While GT certainly appreciated the diversity of product Washington produces, the takeaway from all our meetings was clear: our farmers are in desperate need of a reliable workforce. From hop growers to tree fruit farmers, every single producer we spoke to had the same issue: there is not enough reliable labor to work their fie...
A loud US Army training exercise on a hillside above town drew a different kind of fire at Coulee Dam’s city council meeting July 28, a small-caliber complaint compared to the big guns that alarmed citizens late at night July 22. Bob Hendrickson told the council he was disappointed that people had not been given any notice that a training was about to happen that might sound like a terrorist attack against Grand Coulee Dam. He said that he and many other people he talked to had worried about that as they listened to automatic weapons and w...
Several new fires have started on the Colville Reservation following a lightning storm Tuesday night, and evacuations are in effect, with the largest of the fires already estimated at 2,000 acres. Residents from Kartar Valley, Goose Flats East to the net pens on the Columbia River Road and everything north of that road have been notified of a Level 3 Evacuation, meaning leave immediately, the Mt. Tolman Fire Center said in a release Thursday afternoon. Kartar Road is closed. Residents south of C... Full story
For months, activists and bureaucrats alike have told the American people to “believe in science” – to take the pandemic seriously, to practice social distancing and handwashing, and to wear masks and get vaccinated. I have consistently called for these same things, and thanks to the remarkable efforts of private industry and government regulators through Operation Warp Speed, we are fortunate that Washington State has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, with 57.3% of the population fully vaccinated, exceeding the natio...
A fire that started along the highway along Banks Lake Thursday evening quickly turned into a threat to a local landmark canyon and to farms above the coulee wall. The Northrup Fire that scorched the canyon its named for started about 5 p.m. July 22 at milepost 18 on SR-155. Logan Braaten caught an image of the fresh fire on the coulee wall side of the highway and posted it on Facebook. Local firefighters responded quickly, but the intensity of the fire's approach during initial attack took at l... Full story
Loud gunfire that woke and frightened Coulee Dam residents Thursday night was part of a “routine military training,” a US Army spokesman said. The repeating racket that started about 10:30 sounded to some former military men like 50-caliber automatic weapons. Flashes from multiple gun barrels could be seen on the hillside above the Third Powerhouse on the east side of Grand Coulee Dam. And one caller reported seeing flames at the top of the north end of the powerhouse. The weapons fire, which continued until after midnight, woke at least one...
If you are one of many with questions you’d like answered before deciding whether to get vaccinated against the SARS Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, take note: you may get your questions answered at an upcoming forum on the topic hosted by Coulee Medical Center on Zoom. Dr. Jennifer Knox, a family practice physician at CMC, will present information and discuss with anyone attending what’s true and known about the disease and the vaccines being used to fight its spread worldwide. Knox met the hospital’s staff Monday to present the same... Full story
“Well regulated” does not mean regulated by the government. The founding fathers knew that the right to bear arms and maintain a militia was indispensable because governments throughout history strive to grow and must be held in check. They had just fought a war and lost many precious loved ones in order to get out from under the rule of such a government. Therefore, well regulated means the armed militia does have order from within it, and does not break laws. Beyond that, our government has no say. It is a God given right to be able to mai...
In 2021, our State Legislature enacted several bills related to law enforcement. Most of the police reform bills go into effect on July 25, 2021, affecting how we will deliver police services. As your elected Sheriff, it is my responsibility to make sure the residents we serve are aware of the level of service that law enforcement can provide under the new laws. To get the agency prepared for these changes, the department is providing mandatory training to all commissioned and limited-commissioned personnel, particularly focusing on legislated...
(Editor’s note: The writer asked that his letter to Bureau of Reclamation Power Manager Coleman Smith be included on this opinion page) Dear Mr. Smith: I am writing in regard to an incident that happened last night, July 22. At about 10:30 PM we were startled by loud automatic weapons fire up towards the top of the east side of the dam. I was extremely alarmed by this situation as the gunfire was coming from multiple locations. As you are aware the Grand Coulee Dam is considered a target and has lots of security in place. We all know this. T...
The Northrup Fire that started Thursday along highway 155 is now 65% contained after burning an estimated 252 acres, an update from the fire management team in charge said Saturday night. An update from Incident Commander Leonard Johnson of the Southeast Washington Type 3 Interagency Incident Management Team 2, which assumed command of the fire at 8 p.m. July 23, said all areas previously at a Level 2 evacuation (get ready to leave) have been stepped down to a Level 1 (be aware), including the... Full story
The fire that started along SR-155 Thursday afternoon has burned about 300 acres, prompted evacuation notices and still threatening structures and standing wheat. It was moving down into Northrup Canyon last night as four Fireboss airplanes, three helicopters and a jet tanker attacked it from the air, and more resources were arriving as firefighters headed up to canyon on foot about dusk. An hour later, authorities were knocking on doors in the North Shore Acres community near Jones Bay, telling... Full story
Level 2 Evacuation notice - Jones Bay community Level 2 Evacuation notice due to wildfire. This is a Level 2 evacuation notice for people in the following areas of Grant County, Washington. This notice was requested by the Bureau of Land Management fire command. Jones Bay community south of Osborn Bay, east of SR155. This is about 3 miles south of Electric City, Washington. This notice is effective as of 7/22/2021 at 10:05 PM. Police are going door to door to notify residents. This Level 2... Full story
Productive arguments are those in which the two opposing participants actually listen to each other in order to learn what the other is saying, thereby enhancing the ability to refute it. But the trick is that the act of listening requires understanding the other viewpoint. When that happens in most situations, stances get modified, even if only slightly. Humans are not omnipotent, and quite often someone else has at least one better point. But today’s listeners only listen pre-emptively, plotting their next strike against the enemy argument. I...
Call me naïve, but I’ve never quite gotten why some politicians want to limit voters’ ability to cast their ballots. Sure, I know that plenty of people like to flip the classic Clausewitz quote and say that politics is war by other means. All’s fair, etc., they insist. But the cornerstone of representative democracy, the base on which everything else rests, is the people’s right to cast an informed vote to choose our leaders. There’s no argument about this: it’s just a basic right. Which means that the more Americans we hear from in the votin...
Washington law enforcement officers are concerned by recent legislation introduced by Washington State Democrats and policy stances made by Big Tech. These developments are concerning for our communities, our children, and our officers. Earlier this month, I met with several Yakima County law enforcement officers and the Yakima Gang Task Force, and they made it abundantly clear there are numerous issues on the horizon. Washington State Senate Bill 5122 was one in a series of proposed and implemented bills that would make it more difficult for...
Here is this morning's update on the Chuweah Creek Fire from the incident commander, along with an updated map. Cooler weather is helping for now, and acreage estimates have been changed with better mapping. CHUWEAH CREEK FIRE UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commander: Bobby Shindelar July 17, 2021 8:00 AM Operations Today: Firefighters continue to make good progress on the Chuweah Creek Fire, which was started by lightning on July 12 and is burning east of Nespelem.... Full story
If you've been displaced by the recent fires, personal hygiene and other supplies are available for you at Jess Ford Auto in Grand Coulee. Garrett Jess said a non-profit from Coeur D'Alene called Manna contacted him to see if Jess Ford could house the supplies and let people pick them up there. Those supplies include water, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, combs, socks, shifts and feminine hygiene supplies. They can be picked up at Jess Ford, 522 Midway Ave. in Grand Coulee from noon to 5:30 p.m.... Full story
A truck carrying a too-high load once again hit the tops of the cross beams on the Columbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam Monday night, the second time in probably 10 years that’s happened. The incident highlights recent calls for a new bridge. Although structurally it’s sound, the bridge classified as “structurally obsolete.” Modern road builders want roads that are at least 40 feet wide. The roadway on the bridge is 20 feet wide. That specification is not a luxury; times have changed. Trucks are not larger versions of the narrow cars I imagine...
As a farmer, former state director of Agriculture, chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, and congressman representing one of the most flourishing agricultural regions in America, I fully understand the extent to which water is truly the lifeblood of Central Washington and our economy. Hot summers, several years of low snowpack, and the severity of recent drought across the West illustrate how important it is that we reinvest in the water infrastructure our farms and communities were built upon — much of which is over a century old at t...
Five fires sparked by lightening Monday night have consumed more than 10,000 acres on the Colville Reservation, forcing evacuations around Nespelem, killing livestock, and burning seven homes so far, three of which had been occupied. The Chuweah Creek/Joe Moses fires near Nespelem have burned about 10,000 acres, a Mt. Tolman Fire Center release this afternoon said. It is 0% contained and burning in tall grass, sage brush and timber, driven by wind. Level 3 evacuations are still in place for resi... Full story
The 12th District and Washington’s 48 other legislative districts have had specific boundaries since 2012. The borders for these districts, as well as Washington’s 10 federal congressional districts, will change in 2022 after the state’s redistricting process is completed near the end of this year. Since redistricting only occurs every decade, I thought it would be helpful to review the process. How Washington’s redistricting works Each state has its own process for redistricting. In Washington, an independent and bipartisan Redistr...
In a special meeting Thursday afternoon Grant County’s leaders declined to ban the sale or use of fireworks in the county, after fire officials across the county had urged them to do so. A motion by Commissioner Danny Stone, of Hartline, to ban the sale of fireworks did not receive a second motion from either Commissioner Cindy Carter or Commissioner Rob Jones, and so did not move on for a vote. “My position was, I felt like our fire marshal had made a good case,” Stone said later. County Fire Marshal Nathaniel Poplawski had urged the commi... Full story
Grant County Commissioners will meet in a special session Thursday to consider banning the use and/or sale of fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county. The expected 10-minute session will start at 3:20 p.m. July 1. County Fire Marshal Nathan Poplawski recommended in a letter to commissioners temporarily banning the sale and use of fireworks under the current extreme conditions, invoking Grant County Code 6.04.030 which allows such a move. Poplawski said that he didn't make the recommendation lightly, and that all but two of the fire...
A big effort to support a young man with cancer garnered a large amount of support last weekend, including a pulled-pork barbecue and a softball tournament, both taking place in high heat conditions. People turned out anyway. Mike Shear's pulled pork sold out Saturday, and the softball tournament at North Dam Park included 10 teams with members from as far away as Spokane and Hermiston, Ore. Two more teams had to drop out, said organizer April Smith, but no matter. "It filled up in less than 24... Full story