News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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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... Full story
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... Full story
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...
The federal government will provide $12 billion to U.S. farmers who have been hurt by "unfair market disruption," President Donald Trump said at a White House roundtable event Monday. Trump said repeatedly the funding was available thanks to tariff revenues, framing his aggressive trade policy as a boon to farmers rather than a drag on their global market share as critics of the policy suggest. "I'm delighted to announce this afternoon that the United States will be taking a small portion of the...
November 17, 2025 Voters decided this month to allow payroll taxes collected for Washington’s new long-term care program to be invested in the stock market. But they will have to wait a while for the decision to begin paying dividends. Nearly 58% of voters approved Senate Joint Resolution 8201 amending the state constitution to end restrictions on the types of investments that can be made with dollars flowing into the WA Cares fund. The state constitution generally bars investing public money in the stock of private companies, limiting state an...
In appreciation, I wanted to mention someone we lost recently that was a true angel on earth. Judy Kuiper was a one-in-a-million human. She was a simple, humble, wonderful, loving, optimistic individual who was unwavering in her faith. Judy was such an amazing person, woman, wife, mom, grandma and community member. She always saw the best in everyone, was comforting and could put anyone at ease. Judy was a tremendous role model and will be greatly missed. I was fortunate to have known her for decades and she made me a better person. I enjoy...
I want to remind our GCDSD upper brass that our schools belong to the community. Community members will continue to question dysfunctional, reactive actions that you make. Intimidation, retaliation or vindictiveness will not be tolerated. GCDSD ballot measures should not be supported when the upper brass continues to show zero responsibility with the funds involved. They need to quit boasting they are good stewards. They only have themselves to blame for the on-going crisis the organization is in. Over time, as I’ve shared thoughts, I’ve nev...
Trump floats plan to deny back pay to furloughed federal workers after shutdown by Jennifer Shutt, Washington State Standard October 7, 2025 This report has been updated. WASHINGTON — The Trump administration may try to interpret a law enacted during his first term in office differently than it did following the last government shutdown, potentially denying back pay to hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers. The change in stance, outlined in a memo from the Office of Management and Budget that was first reported by Axios on T... Full story
Anyone following state news lately may have observed the following “bridge events”: 1) SR 165 has been closed permanently at the Fairfax bridge over the Carbon River due to bridge support failure. This has closed the northwest entry into Mt. Rainier National Park. 2) The bridge on SR 410 between Buckley and Enumclaw has been closed for bridge truss repair after a Vac Truck struck the bridge. 3) The SR 169 bridge over the Green River gorge area between Maple Valley and Enumclaw has been closed for girder repair. The latter two have resulted in...
by Jennifer Shutt, Washington State Standard September 30, 2025 WASHINGTON — A government shutdown could have significant economic consequences, though an analysis released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said it’s difficult to pinpoint ramifications without knowing the length of a funding lapse or how exactly the Trump administration will try to reshape the federal workforce. Director Phillip L. Swagel wrote in a four-page letter the agency projects about 750,000 federal workers would be furloughed, leading to a $40...
I tip my hat to a job well done by Kelly and her entourage who make the Run the Dam so successful each year. They make a complex task seem simple. Our local prep talent Caden Portch won the 5K race with family members in tow. I’m not sure how Randy Spotts and Rick King passed through security. Locals tell me they see me running. I appreciate their kind words, but let’s get real, at best it is not even a jog. It is an old-man trot. I’ve had people walk past me — embarrassing! Recently, a girl and her little brother with training wheels on his bi...
Washington's secretary of state on Tuesday denied the Trump administration's request for personal information contained in the state's voter rolls, saying to hand over the data would violate state and federal law. Secretary Steve Hobbs told the Department of Justice he would be willing to provide voter names, addresses, genders, years of birth, voting records, registration dates and registration numbers. But he wouldn't give dates of birth, driver license numbers and the last four digits of...
With the passing of Robert Redford, the world has lost a gifted artist and a staunch defender of animals and the environment. When he learned from PETA that rabbits on angora farms suffer immensely as their fur is torn from their skin while they’re still alive, his Sundance Holdings Group removed all angora from its broad selection of chic cardigans and sweaters online. Long an advocate for horses, Redford joined forces with the former governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, to form the Foundation to Protect New Mexico Wildlife, a group whose...
(Warning: unfair, but hilarious, Colorado stereotypes ahead!) Well, it finally happened. My eldest and most expensive daughter truly left the nest this time. We recently schlepped her from glorious Texas to a mysterious and unaffordable land known as Colorado, where she’ll start a life of her own dodging blizzards, patrons stumbling out of brewhouses, and billowing clouds of smoke from the devil’s lettuce. But not only have we lost our first baby to semi-grown adult-ish-hood roughly a zillion miles away, getting her there was pure “H-E-double h...
Once again, we come to the community to thank everyone for a fantastic Summer Season at the VET Center. Our American Legion Post appreciates everybody who came by and shopped with us during our sale season. Although it seemed like a really long stretch for those of us who worked every week to gather and prepare all the treasures that we had for sale, the time flew by as we greeted many of the same people on a weekly basis. With all the community support, our sales assisted us with gaining the funds we need to help Veterans in the area. Our...
We are a nation of laws. As I have heard so often, “no one is above the law.” I would hope that this must include ALL illegal immigrants that have come to our country. It is hard to believe that an illegal immigrant killed three people, and he was issued a CDL license in Washington state and California. I wonder how he was able to do that given the fact he could not speak or read English. California is in the lead for the most stupid and lawless state, but Washington state is doing its best not to be left behind. How many more Americans wil...
Gov. Bob Ferguson makes remarks during a press conference at the state Capitol in Olympia, on Aug. 19, responding to a letter he received the previous week from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, threatening to withhold federal funding if the state does not change its approach cooperating on federal immigration enforcement. — Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson swiped back Tuesday in response to threats from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to withhold federal funding and potentially prosecute officials if they fail t...