Articles written by Jacob Wagner
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Supt. updates board on district's COVID stance
As of Monday, school is intended to continue as planned, with high COVID numbers in local counties, but not in the area itself. At Monday’s Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting, Superintendent Paul Turner presented a... — Updated 11/27/2020 Full story
Billboards allowed to stay
Billboards along Main Street in Grand Coulee will be allowed to stay, at least until leases for the billboards are over, and a committee will be looking at ways to possibly allow them to stay indefinitely. Following a couple of... — Updated 11/24/2020
Birds of many feathers come to the coulee
There are birds aplenty in the world, the country, the state of Washington and in the Grand Coulee Dam area, and if you need something to do, looking for birds is one option.... — Updated 11/24/2020
Elmer City residential sewer rates may go up
Elmer City residential sewer rates will likely go up by about 20% in 2021. The raise was discussed by the city council during a budget discussion meeting Nov. 12. A sewage lift station pump replacement in the Lone Pine area... — Updated 11/18/2020
Is winter coming for Electric City's Ice Age Park?
The fate of Electric City’s potential Ice Age Park may be decided at the city’s Dec. 8 council meeting. At their Nov. 10 meeting, the council discussed the park following the failure of a levy to raise funds for maintenance... — Updated 11/18/2020
LR's grades 7-12 to start returning to in-person school in December
Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School students will start returning to in-person school on Dec. 7 with a phased approach. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board of directors again discussed reopening in person school to... — Updated 11/12/2020
Online or in-person, public weighs in on public meetings
Locals want to attend public meetings both online and in person, recognizing the benefits and drawbacks of each, a quick survey of readers over the last several days seems to indicate. A short survey posted in The Star online... — Updated 11/10/2020
Chamber to put on virtual dinner and auction
The group that puts on popular events such as Colorama and the Harvest Festival is seeking to raise funds in a virtual auction and dinner to help them to keep functioning and hosting these events. With a slew of events canceled... — Updated 11/10/2020
Ice Age Park levy fails
Voters hung the fate of Electric City’s proposed Ice Age Park in the cold November breeze as a levy for funding maintenance for the park failed to pass last week. The levy failed with 303 (62%) against it, and 182 (38%) for it.... — Updated 11/10/2020
School levy passes by 2% margin
The Grand Coulee Dam School District's Supplemental Educational Programs and Operation passed with 51% of the vote last Tuesday. Results of the Nov. 3 general election show that... — Updated 11/10/2020
Local garbage rates may go up, but only a little
A minimal garbage rate increase for local residents could result from landfill rates going up in Ephrata. The landfill in Ephrata, to where the garbage from the Delano Regional Transfer Station currently ships, hasn’t raised... — Updated 11/4/2020
Nespelem School looking at bringing students back to campus
The Nespelem School District will hold a public Zoom meeting with parents of students tonight (Wednesday) to see how they think and feel about students returning to physical... — Updated 11/4/2020
Billboards are welcome, internet commenters say
A Main Street property owner is working to change Grand Coulee’s mind toward letting him advertise with signs on his lot, a practice the city says goes against code but which is gaining supporters online. Sam Hsieh, who owns... — Updated 11/4/2020
Nespelem School looking at bringing students back to campus
The Nespelem School District will hold a public Zoom meeting with parents of students next week to see how they think and feel about students returning to physical school. That meet... — Updated 10/29/2020 Full story
Grades 3-6 will ease back to LR next month
Elementary students will be at school while junior/senior high students keep on distance learning at home, a decision rendered in a three-hour school board meeting Monday. The... — Updated 10/28/2020
Council: property owner must remove signs
The Grand Coulee City Council voted last week against allowing a local man to keep several small billboards on his property on Main Street. Sam Hsieh owns "Coulee Plaza," a lot... — Updated 10/28/2020
Ranches receive help after fires
Ranchers devastated by fires in Douglas, Okanogan, and Lincoln counties have received some relief in the form of free hay to feed their horses and cows. Okandogs, a non-profit... — Updated 10/21/2020 Full story
Local doctor seeks to highlight those with "the divine appeal"
Local doctor Sam Hsieh continues to encourage thinking outside the box using what he calls divine creativity, and he wants to know about people who embody the "eternal struggle betw... — Updated 10/21/2020
Park levy vote to help determine fate of Ice Age Park
The outcome of the Ice Age Park levy vote in Electric City may determine if the park is built at all. The Ice Age Park levy on the ballot for Electric City voters will, if passed,... — Updated 10/21/2020
Speed limits could change in Electric City area
Speed limits through Electric City may change, following a recent review by a state highway official working with the mayor. The Electric City Council last week discussed potential... — Updated 10/21/2020
Consolidation delayed by COVID
The effort to consolidate local towns together into one has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A consolidation committee had been planning to get the issue put on the ballot for this year to combine Grand Coulee and Electric... — Updated 10/21/2020
Progress on the school tech front
Some good news for distance learners came this week related to devices and internet service for students. Superintendent Paul Turner told The Star Monday that an additional 275 Chromebooks should be in this week, enough for... — Updated 10/14/2020
Plan: School athletes may return to practice
High school student athletes may get to shake off some rust and get back into the rhythm of their sports soon. On Monday, the Grand Coulee Dam School District board approved a plan presented by Athletic Director Tim Rasmussen, who... — Updated 10/14/2020
Schools to begin phased reopening
Lake Roosevelt Schools will begin the process of re-opening in-person education next week, some eight months after the COVID-19 pandemic closed all schools in Washington state. Beginning Monday, students in the Grand Coulee Dam... — Updated 10/14/2020 Full story
Fire station completion anticipated for early next year
The long-anticipated Bureau of Reclamation fire station is expected to be completed in 2021. Construction began on the fire station on SR-155 across from Pole Park back in April of 2017, with a $13.6 million contract originally... — Updated 10/14/2020
