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  • Koulee Kids Fest to offer activities

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 6, 2018

    Children of the coulee will get some stamps in their event “passport” on Saturday, June 16, when Koulee Kids Fest will be held all around the community. Stations will be set up at area businesses where children can enjoy a variety of free activities, including painting piggy banks at North Cascades Bank, chalk drawing at Coulee Medical Center, building a dam and a river at the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center, piloting pedal boats at Coulee Playland, eating free ice cream at Coulee Creamery, and more. Children will get stamps in their “pa...

  • Locals help cross-country canoer get around dam

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 6, 2018

    Neal Moore, who is canoeing 7,324 miles on 22 American rivers over the course of two years, received some help getting around the Grand Coulee Dam on the last weekend in May. Elmer City man Jayme Brashears gave Moore and his canoe a ride from Lake Rufus Woods near Nespelem Creek to the King's Court trailer court area, thus getting Moore around the dam. Moore had run into strong currents and needed some help getting past the rough spots of the river. Moore stayed the night at the King's Court...

  • Reclamation to conduct drone flights at Grand Coulee Dam

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 6, 2018

    If you see some unidentified flying objects near the Grand Coulee Dam, don't be alarmed! It most likely isn't aliens studying hydroelectric power, but rather "drones" capturing aerial footage of the dam. The Bureau of Reclamation detailed the flights in a June 4 press release, saying the purpose is to "photograph and obtain video footage of the structure while water is spilling over the drum gates during the month of June." The new footage will show infrastructure improvements made over recent...

  • Golf tournaments coming up

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 6, 2018

    Golf season is in full swing, with tournaments and opens happening throughout the spring and summer at Banks Lake Golf Course. About 26 people competed in the successful ECT Tournament on May 27. Winners of the four-man scramble were Dennis Whiteman, Derek Whiteman, Neil Johnson, and Nick Barnaby. The Moose Tournament is set for June 16. Entry fee is $75. Those interested should sign up at the golf course or at the Moose Lodge in Grand Coulee. An Indian taco feed will take place after the tournament at the Moose Lodge. The Coyote Open will be...

  • Kids color the hall with kindness

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 6, 2018

    Students and teachers are being surprised with gestures of kindness on their lockers, walls, doors, and desks in Lake Roosevelt Elementary. Christi Berry is having students in her SHARP Kids morning group tape heart shapes with inspiring quotes on them to color up the school a bit. "I started this project right before spring break and told the kids we need to spread kindness in our school," Berry said, saying she wanted the place covered before the end of the school year. Berry has the kids,...

  • Canada's Grand Coulee not so different from Washington's

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 6, 2018

    Approximately 836 miles away via the Trans-Canada Highway lies a town known as Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan. The town of approximately 650 people is located 10 minutes west of the city of Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan. "We are a bedroom community surrounded by farmland," Tobi Duck, administrator for the town of Grand Coulee said by email. "How and why they came up with the name Grand Coulee is anyone's guess as we are as flat as a pancake." Duck said that the people in the Canadian Grand...

  • Younger folks needed to keep stocking lake with fish

    Jacob Wagner|May 30, 2018

    Do you enjoy fishing in Banks Lake? Do you know people who do? Do you recognize fishing as a part of culture in the coulee? Then maybe you’d like to volunteer to help keep that viable. POWER, which stands for Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources, is in need of volunteers, without whom they will shut down their fish-raising pens. The organization releases 150,000 trout twice a year into Banks Lake from their feeding nets located in Electric City. That’s 300,000 fish annually released into the reservoir by the group. Some of tho...

  • In surprise assembly, Utz given statewide award

    Jacob Wagner|May 30, 2018

    Karrie Utz accepted an award as "Public School Employee of the Year" for the state of Washington in the Lake Roosevelt gymnasium May 29, chosen out of over 30,000 PSE members in the state. Utz appeared completely surprised when her name was announced at the mystery assembly as the gym roared with applause. Utz thanked her family, students, and fellow staff members in an emotional thank-you in front of the student body and staff for Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School. "This is so...

  • "Freedom Writers" message comes to Keller school

    Jacob Wagner|May 30, 2018

    Erin Gruwell, the teacher who inspired the movie "Freedom Writers," visited Keller Elementary last week at the invitation of the students. The movie highlights Gruwell's efforts to teach underprivileged students in Southern California to reach their full academic potential. Her methods have been adopted around the world, and include having students write honestly about who they really are. A book called "The Freedom Writers Diary" was published, including her early students' works, and was...

  • School honors athletics and academics at assembly

    Jacob Wagner|May 30, 2018

    Raider athletes were honored for excellence in athletics as well as academics at a state and nationals send-off assembly on May 24. Going to the national Future Business Leaders of America competition is Alan Nordine, who will travel to Baltimore, Maryland, at the end of June. Nordine had placed fourth in the "Help Desk" category at a state competition in Bellevue in April. Nordine encouraged younger students at the assembly to join FBLA. Going to state for track were Elijah Harris (high jump...

  • Raider track competes at state

    Jacob Wagner|May 30, 2018

    Four Raiders competed at the state track and field meet on Friday in Cheney at Eastern Washington University. Steven Flowers placed second in state in the shot put event, throwing for 47 feet, eight inches. “Steven was certainly the highlight of the meet for Lake Roosevelt,” remarked Head Coach Lori Adkins. “He was edged out by mere inches by North Beach on the final throw.” Ben Poplin from North Beach took first in the event, throwing for 48 feet even. “Steven earned eight team points at state, which scored LRHS ahead of most schools i...

  • City explores options to crack down on crack houses

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    If a house becomes a place where drug-related nuisances frequently arise, can a town do anything about it? That question was raised at this month’s Grand Coulee City Council meeting, where Councilmember Mike Horne suggested at the May 15 meeting that the city look into adopting into its code something along the same lines as the city of Medical Lake has, where if a house is a crime hub and police are called there regularly, and multiple charges are filed, the property and home can be seized for a year. Horne reasoned that adopting such a c...

  • Mayor resigns in Elmer City

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    The mayor of Elmer City resigned unexpectedly in a letter the city received on May 15. Former Mayor Gail Morin later told The Star that she had been considering resigning for a while. “It is mostly health issues that I didn’t have last Spring when I filed,” she said in an email. “The next three years will need someone with more energy than me. Elmer City will be fine. Someone will step up.” Councilmember Jesse Tillman, the mayor pro tempore, will take Morin’s place in the meantime until the next Elmer City council meeting on June 14 at 7 p.m...

  • Council addresses loose dogs problem

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    A heated discussion took place concerning loose dogs at the Elmer City council meeting May 10. After the council was finished with the main agenda, which including disposing of an old trailer, the topic of loose dogs came up in a discussion. Several members of the council, as well as city employees, noted that dogs running loose, intimidating children, and getting into people’s yards, is an issue in the town. “I would just shoot them if they came in my yard,” said Councilmember Don Bonertz, “which is too bad; it’s not the dogs’ fault, it’s...

  • Alan Cain joins City Council

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    "It's our responsibility as citizens to participate," Alan Cain said before being sworn into the Grand Coulee City Council on May 15. Cain, who has up until recently served as the chair of the Civil Services Commission, will have to step down from that position now that he serves on the council. Cain had also in the past chaired the planning commission in Grand Coulee. Cain has experience working with other governments as well, having been a cartographer for the city of Springfield, Missouri,...

  • Children's friend Fern recognized with award

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    "We're very lucky to have her," Lake Roosevelt kindergarten teacher Jan Erickson said about Fern Blaylock, who volunteers daily with the kindergarten classes and recently received an award from the North Central Educational Service District. Blaylock does activities with three kinder garten classes, ranging from art activities to reading and writing activities, math, and more. Several years ago, she decided to start riding the school bus at a time when some kids needed instruction in how to...

  • Raider tennis season ends at Districts

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    The Lake Roosevelt Raiders tennis season ended in Omak last week at the district tournament where top tennis players from the Central Washington 1B/2B League faced off against the best players from the A-schools of the Caribou Trail League. The Raider tennis players didn't fare so well, with the two Raider boys and three Raider girls each being eliminated in only two sets. "The competition for our B schools is formidable," said Raider Head Coach Steve Archer. "Even though we did not qualify any...

  • Raiders send four to state track in three events

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    Four Raider boys will be competing at the state level in Cheney this weekend following success at the district level. Lake Roosevelt competitors at state will include district shot put champion Steven Flowers, who threw for a distance of 46 feet, 8.5 inches at the May 18 2B District 5 & 6 State Qualifier event in Kittitas to win first place last week. “Steven earned his spot on the state team with his first throw in the first event of the meet,” Head Coach Lori Adkins said. “That really set the tone for the day, and the Raiders didn’t look ba...

  • Lady Raiders' winning season ends at districts

    Jacob Wagner|May 23, 2018

    The Lady Raiders’ road ended in Moses Lake last weekend, having won one and lost two at the district softball tournament. On Saturday, May 19, playing in Moses Lake, the Lady Raiders lost a close 6-5 game against Liberty Christian. Next, the Lady Raiders defeated Tri-Cities Prep 13-6 to stay alive, but lost a close 4-2 battle against Liberty Bell to be knocked out of the double-elimination bracket. The Lady Raiders finished the season with a league win-loss record of 12-4 in league, 15-7 overall....

  • Congressional candidate comes to town

    Jacob Wagner|May 16, 2018

    Christine Brown, Democratic candidate for Washington's 4th Congressional District, spoke to a small crowd in Coulee Dam on May 9 about her views, and listened to views of those attending. Brown is traveling to towns in Central Washington as part of her "Big Table Tour." "The whole idea is to bring people to the table," Brown said. "I want to make sure all people have a seat at the table so that all points of view can be heard, listened to, and taken into account. A lot of people feel that if...

  • New art gallery will open

    Jacob Wagner|May 16, 2018

    A new art gallery in Grand Coulee will be showing and selling art by established artists as well as by up-and-comers. Located on Spokane Way, Titwáatit Native American Art Gallery will be holding its grand opening on Saturday, May 26, when they will be sharing some finger food, hosting live music, having an elder bless the space, and displaying and selling art to the public. "I've always thought it'd be cool if we had an arts vibe in this town," said Ted Piccolo, executive director for the...

  • Developer denied waiver of improvements

    Jacob Wagner|May 16, 2018

    After letters exchanged between lawyers, Electric City resident Wayne Snyder will have to submit a new short plat application concerning the details of his 17-acre, four-lot subdivision on Snyder Hill Road. The city denied Snyder a waiver that would allow him to not improve streets adjacent to lots that were or are being subdivided, including curbs, sidewalks and gutters necessary to bring the area up to code. Snyder has the option of applying for a deferment for the work to be done, which would mean he wouldn’t have to do it until, if the d...

  • LR High School principal to take new position

    Jacob Wagner|May 16, 2018

    Change is in the air in the Grand Coulee Dam School District, including the resignation of the Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School principal. Principal Mark Herndon will resign from that position and take on a new position as the Career Technical Education/Career/Alternative Learning Environment director and teacher. The CTE will be opening this fall as an institution whose goal is training students in skills they can use toward professions as they enter adulthood, starting with a certified nursing assistant training program in fall of 201...

  • Raider heading to state golf tournament

    Jacob Wagner|May 16, 2018

    Darin Whiteman made a point at Columbia Point Golf Club in Richland on Monday, the point being that he’ll be going to state next week at Hangman Valley in Spokane. In Richland May 14 for the district tournament, Whiteman finished the course in only 91 strokes, finishing 11th overall for the day, and qualifying for state. “A great deal of mental toughness and resilience is required to score well in these high stakes tournaments, but that is just the type of competitive environment Darin needs to take his game to the next level,” said Head Coach...

  • Five advance to district in tennis

    Jacob Wagner|May 16, 2018

    Raider tennis players performed well in the league tournament this past weekend, and five players will compete at the district level today and Saturday. Advancing to district in the boys’ singles event are Raiders Malcolm Carson and Bradley Wilder. Carson placed second at the league tournament. “Malcolm played his best tennis of the season, which is what you’re hoping to do,” said Head Coach Steve Archer. “He got stronger as the tournament progressed.” Playing for Lake Roosevelt, a 2B-level school, Carson will face off against the A schools...

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