News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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If you hear something rumbling, it’s the sound of Theodore Roosevelt turning over in his grave. And Abraham Lincoln. And Benjamin Harrison. And Franklin D. Roosevelt. And Richard Nixon. And Jimmy Carter. Barack Obama and Joe Biden aren’t dead yet, but if they were, they’d be turning over in their graves. They are among the presidents who worked hard to protect the environment, forests, oceans, air, endangered species, national parks and wildlife refuges. All that is threatened by Donald Trump, who is waging war not only on the envir...
September 8, 2026 Five races for seats on Washington's state Supreme Court are set to get much more attention over the next two months. These races typically pass by without much notice as incumbent justices often sail to reelection to the nine-member court that decides appeals from lower courts, including on the legality of controversial state laws. It also guides the work of lower courts. For example, the justices last year slashed caseload limits for public defenders, and will soon consider...
Warning lights continue to flash red for Washington’s economy. Employers are becoming more pessimistic about the state economy and increasingly looking outside Washington to expand. At this pivotal moment, Washington needs a long-term economic development plan that gives employers the confidence to invest, grow and build their future here. In the latest statewide employer survey by the Association of Washington Business, just 10% of employers say the state economy is strong, while nearly four in 10 (38%) describe it as weak — up from 26% a yea...
While my family was in South Korea recently for our youngest and quietest daughter’s senior trip, from which she brought home the country’s entire inventory of cosmetic products, I noticed several things that Korea does better than we do here in the U.S., namely toilet technology, public transportation hygiene, and professional baseball diversions (i.e., cheerleaders). But there were also a few things that I missed about America (other than chips and salsa) while I was expanding my cultural, culinary, and K-Pop horizons in South Korea. Fir...
Washington State Standard July 21, 2026 A Washington judge has ordered the state to pay roughly $120 million to thousands of public school teachers for withholding interest on pension contributions they made more than two decades ago. But those more than 26,000 teachers will need to wait for payments, as the state is now appealing the decision. Washington’s Department of Retirement Systems concedes it’s liable in some form, but disagrees on the magnitude of the penalty. The agency declined to...
Imagine being told you have to leave your home, perhaps forever. You only have a couple of hours to pack, and you can only take what fits in your car. Calista Christiansen, a seventh-grader from the Columbia River Gorge community of Lyle, didn’t have to imagine. That’s what happened to her, her family and her neighbors last summer when the Burdoin Fire burned through the community, destroying 14 homes and threatening more than 250 others, including her own. Christiansen spoke about the experience during the 2026 National Civics Bee state com...
For more than sixty years, the Kennedy name was political gold. It conjured youth, glamour, idealism, sacrifice, and possibility. It was Camelot. Today, the spell appears broken. A recent headline summed up the mood: “JFK’s grandson just lost. Good riddance to Camelot.” Whether that’s too harsh is open to debate, but there’s no question the once strong Kennedy mystique isn’t what it once was. It’s hard to communicate to young people the feeling of that era. What made the legend? There was John F. Kennedy, war hero, senator and the first Gre...
I read the opinion piece in The Star “America loves a comeback: Meet Hunter Biden”. After I read that, I instantly thought of two words: “Preposterous Balderdash”. There is just no way that Hunter Biden can redeem himself. He cannot turn back time when he was holed-up in a White House bedroom doing unspeakable things, while his aging father technically held the Office of the Presidency of the United States while others (perhaps Hunter himself and/ or Jill Biden commandeered an unconstitutional piece of technology called an “Auto-P...
For years, Hunter Biden was less a person than a political symbol. Republicans turned him into a one-man crime wave, Democrats often treated him as a liability to be ignored, and much of the media covered him as a walking scandal. Now, in one of the strangest political plot twists, he's becoming a major social media star, attracting nearly one million followers on X by doing something radical: talking honestly about his own failures. He's hailed for candidly discussing his recovery, for his self...
The near legendary elementary school teacher sighed. “I’ve been teaching more than 23 years and I love the kids,” he said. “But it’s getting harder and harder and I think I’m going to hang it up at the end of this year.” What’s getting harder? “There’s so little support at home when the kids act up. There’s so much stress in the classroom. There are some nights when I can’t get to sleep. I love what I do but I think it’s time. I have to take care of myself.” This teacher isn’t alone. There is a teacher shortage and it isn’t just a number pr...
My favorite sport is Track & Field. So, I loved watching our Raiders compete at the recent Washington State Championships. Our coaches will miss the Seniors and these kids were super excited about their Senior trip. Head Coach Lori and Assistant Coach Ashley could not coach all 18 events without the help of their 3 volunteer coaches – Christy, Chance and Alfredo. Much appreciated! Once back home, I checked the Star newspaper and wanted to truly thank Scott Hunter for kindly printing my thoughts. I apologize for a grammar mistake, but Scott know...
I’ve known the past three owners of The Star newspaper. My father was an owner of small- town newspapers. The business is extremely hard with few thank-you’s. Scott Hunter, the current owner for some time now, is also my neighbor. I have a great deal of respect for him. This will never change – he is a good dude! He publishes a quality product even though his business is understaffed. It’s rare, but occasionally he’ll squeeze in time to write an editorial. Every once in a while, others will disagree with his opinions and really lay on the wo...
All school districts face significant employee costs, increased insurance rates and inflation along with other major challenges. Many school districts get the same funding sources as the Grand Coulee Dam School District, but they are thriving. Why? It is due to advanced planning, foresight, knowledgeable leadership and gradually taking care of these issues over time before a crisis can develop. Our local elected School Board members, who have boasted they are good stewards, and their current superintendent have destroyed our local school...
It took the federal government months to properly serve attorneys for Washington in the Trump administration's litigation to force the state to turn over its voter rolls. But now the lawsuit filed in December can finally move forward. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs told the Trump administration last year that he would be willing to provide public information from voter records. But he wouldn't hand over dates of birth, driver's license numbers or the last four digits of social security numbers....
First off, hello Grand Coulee and surrounding area; I would like to introduce myself. Tony Jaksa is my name and Safety/Environmental officer on a large project over at the Dam is my game. I’ve been working in this capacity for more years than I would like to admit but keeping workers healthy, injury free and alive is my Mission. The sad facts are that as hard as I and other safety folks work at an injury-free workplace, we still lose some 5,000 workers a year to incident fatality, for too many years. There is nothing more impactful and s...
Washington State Standard March 4, 2026 The votes weren't there yet late Wednesday for Democrats' income tax bill in the Washington state House. Democratic members are withholding support for the proposed income tax on millionaires, saying they want to see if a new version of the controversial legislation, possibly due out Thursday, will satisfy their concerns. Holdouts reportedly number around a dozen and include lawmakers who've publicly opposed the bill and ones who cast themselves as...
I’m sharing these thoughts as a taxpayer. My heart goes out to the army of staff and administrators who have been giving accurate, emotional testimony to our GCDSD School Board. Some of their closed sessions should have been in public. Trust is now lost in the organization. They were warned several times over the last few years that this multi-faceted crisis would evolve, but they ignored the evidence and facts. This crisis is showing a significant lack of preventive fiscal oversight, transparency and actual leadership. There is justified n...
Washington state moved one step closer Monday to creating a personal income tax two years after the Legislature said it wouldn't. Majority Democrats in the Senate advanced legislation on a 27-22 vote to tax households earning more than a million dollars. Passage of the bill followed a three-and-a-half hour debate on whether this will make for a fairer tax code or harm the economy and incite an exodus of Washington's wealthy residents. House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, who watched the vote...
The daughters of Albion Lounge on the grass And smoke cigarettes And write poetry Tinkering with instruments Somewhat disinterested Who do they have to impress Not even the deities With motion, ballerinas Leap forth into oblivion Headstrong and confident Taught strong exuberance Strutting in outfits Casual cool Chic Effortless Maintaining an image We all seek Flower petals and butterfly wings Picnic baskets and fine wines Cheese plates and sliced meats Aprons dawned for appetites Transcendence and philosophy Transforming effortlessly Booty...
It is uncommon for me to respond to letters to the editor; however, Mr. Russell’s recent submission [Letters from our Readers, Jan. 28] warrants a reply. When broad accusations are presented as fact, it becomes necessary to address them with clarity and evidence. Mr. Russell asserts that Democrats support “pedophile’s, murders, rapist’s, criminal gang members, robbers, drug dealers and traffickers, domestic violence, and fraudsters.” Such sweeping claims are serious and should be supported by verifiable facts rather than rhetoric. I encourage...
In our local Grand Coulee Dam School District, we have and always have had amazing staff. As a community member for several decades, I’ve shown appreciation for many of their successes but I’ve barely scratched the surface of impactful differences they make in the lives of their students every day. Great school districts have staff who realize that schools must manage their funds properly, provide a safe and secure environment with sound mental wellness options for their students, among many other common-sense priorities that come before aca...
Washington State Standard December 30, 2025 Tax hikes on big business and rental cars. Unemployment benefits for workers on strike. Those are just a few of the changes to state law taking effect in Washington on New Year's Day. Some bills passed in 2025 became law earlier in the year, while others will take years to go into effect. The next legislative session, lasting 60 days, begins Jan. 12. Here's a look at some of the new laws on the books starting Thursday. Unemployment for striking...
As a longtime community member and taxpayer, I hope that it is now obvious to others in our area that the crisis the Grand Coulee Dam School District is in was totally preventable. This should be unacceptable to all of us. The crisis is much bigger than very poor fiscal decisions. It is a culmination of multiple systems in the organization being mismanaged due to a significant lack of expertise, best practices and on-going reactive management instead of successful preventive collaborative leadership. The upper brass and their hired hand have ne...
LACEY — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson unveiled a plan Friday to steer $3 billion into preserving the state’s roads and bridges and building three new ferries over the next decade. Ferguson would raise the money through borrowing, with the sale of bonds backed by proceeds from a slew of new and increased taxes and fees lawmakers approved this year. This included an increase in the state’s gas tax. As envisioned, there’d be roughly a billion dollars apiece for paving highways, painting and repairing bridges, and adding three vessels to the Washi...
Here are a few reasons I feel foratunate. I appreciate those involved with the Center Senior Living proyject. Looking forward to future updates. Very exciting! Persistence, hope and unwavering commitment pays off for CMC’s Leadership. The $3 million innovative workforce federal funds they received for an on-site “tiny village” to house rural health care workers is necessary and long overdue. Once again, thanks for showing your critical employees they are valued. It’s great to see all incumbents back on the Board after recent elections. They al...
