News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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A “c-squad” was approved last week for high school volleyball, with the sport having enough students signed up to warrant it. The Grand Coulee Dam School District directors approved the c-squad at their Sept. 23 meeting, and if boys basketball in the winter ends up with enough students for a c-squad, that is approved, as well. In these sports, a varsity team comprises the top tier of players, followed by a junior varsity team, then, if there are enough players, a c-squad. Board Chairman Rich Black said later that they wanted to give the stu...
Grand Coulee’s wastewater treatment plant, which it shares with Electric City, is getting old, and officials are beginning to look into upgrading or replacing it. A representative from the state Dept. of Ecology presented Grand Coulee Sept. 17 with its fifth straight award of excellence for consistently staying up to par and presenting quality reports on time for their wastewater treatment plant. But the facility was completed in 1985, 35 years ago. “The plant is in need of some serious maintenance/upgrades,” Grand Coulee City Clerk Lorna...
Grand Coulee's incumbent Mayor Paul Townsend is seeking reelection. "I'm looking forward to another opportunity to continue on serving the community, and hopefully we just keep growing and improving our position," Townsend told The Star on Monday. "Bottom line is we need information and support from the citizens in the community. The council very seldom gets information in response from citizens until it's something negative. We need to know what the citizens want. We're making decisions. We...
Cameron Whitney, mayoral candidate in Grand Coulee, is hoping to boost the curb appeal of the town. Having travelled to Grand Coulee throughout his life, Whitney settled here with his partner Tracey Wright, who is running for city council in Grand Coulee, both of them moving here to get out of the rat race of their corporate backgrounds, Whitney said. "We wanted to live a slower pace, so we started to downsize our lifestyles," Whitney told The Star in an email, saying he didn't have time to...
Construction continues in Electric City, where more than a million dollars in street, sidewalk and water projects on Western Avenue, Coulee Boulevard, and Grand Avenue are underway. "Crews have successfully pulverized the asphalt and installed most of the stormwater facilities," a Sept. 19 update on the city's website, www.electriccity.us stated. Crews will continue stormwater facility work through this week, and water main construction should begin today (Sept. 25) to be completed the second...
The Raider football team defeated the Lind-Ritzville-Sprague Broncos 25-7 on the road in their first away game of the season Friday. “The game was good,” Coach Tim Rasmussen said. “It was our first road game of the year. The kids went out and played very well. It’s always interesting when we go out on the road. The opponent was a well-coached football team and a respected football team. We played a really solid team game.” Cameron St. Pierre rushed for three touchdowns, and 122 yards. Hunter Whitelaw rushed for a touchdown, as well, and also...
The Lady Raider volleyball squad went to Waterville last week and came home with a victory. Lake Roosevelt defeated the Waterville Lady Shockers in four sets Sept. 19 with set scores of 25-8, 25-23, 18-25, and 25-23. “With an easier pre-season, non league game, I was able to get some of my bench in for some great court experience,” remarked Head Coach Teri Sue Reed. “Scotti Adolph did a great job at the net playing middle hitter. Kaylee Landeros went in as setter and earned herself four assists. I’m very proud of them. I’m still hoping to...
Raider runners competed at Walla Walla Point Park in Wenatchee on Saturday. “The course was trying this weekend,” Head Coach Ann Green said. “Runners are starting to feel all the runner’s pains: shin splints, hurting hips, knees and ankles.” Colton Jackson was the top finisher for the Raiders in the 5,000-meter race, placing 63rd out of 106 runners with a time of 19 minutes, 25 seconds on a course that was mostly grass with a couple hills, and on a day that was “just a bit too warm, but sunny,” Green said. Kyle Edmo placed 74th with a time o...
Following the firing of former fire chief Mark Payne last week, the other members of the Electric City Fire Department are still there and plan to stay there. “As of right now, we’re going to ride it out and see where it goes,” said Assistant Chief Gary Roscoe. “It’s our department, and we don’t want to disband. Most of us are hoping there’s a new mayor and some changes so we aren’t fighting this constantly. As volunteers, it’s hard to volunteer if they’re constantly pushing you out the door.” “The Mayor and myself will work with the remaining...
Okanogan County voters will be asked on the Nov. 5 general election ballot to approve a tax meant to upgrade emergency communication systems and facilities. The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office explains the need for the tax by detailing the current state of the system used by fire, emergency management services, and police first responders in Okanogan County. Existing radio repeater equipment is based on 40-year-old technology at the end of its life, and there are no replacement parts for...
Councilmember Aaron Derr is running for mayor of Electric City and wants to fix the perception that city hall is running amok and just doing what it wants. "There were things with city hall I felt needed to be better," Derr said about his decision to run for mayor in an interview with The Star on Tuesday. He'd like to see city hall show "a willingness to be more communicative to the community." "For instance, with this Western Avenue construction," he said, "on the web page, it's just a small...
At the behest of her fellow citizens, Diane Kohout is running for mayor of Electric City, with the intention of giving the citizens more of a voice in their government. "What I want to bring back to the city is to have someone that they can actually talk to and hopefully get answers from," Kohout told The Star in an interview on Monday. "I want the city government to be more open and the people of the city to have more of a voice." "I think what we will do is have certain times when the mayor wi...
And they’re off! Raider cross country competed in Manson at Wapato Point on Saturday, where Kyle Edmo was the top placing Raider runner in the 5,000-meter high school boys’ race. On the cool, overcast day, Edmo placed 27th out of 115 total runners with a time of 19 minutes, 15.58 seconds. Rob McManus of Cashmere was the top runner in that event with a time of 16:35.54. In the 2,500-meter middle school boys’ race, Chase Marchand took first in 8:40.50 The event was a “really great start to the year!” Head Coach Ann Green said. “I’m super excited...
Now former Electric City fire chief Mark Payne was fired Tuesday night, after the city council voted unanimously to carry out the mayor’s recommendation to remove Payne from the post in which he’s served since 2013. Payne had faced a second disciplinary hearing Monday to respond to charges he hadn’t complied with a plan set in place after the first one last spring, and that he’d been insubordinate toward the city administrator. Payne had met with Mayor John Nordine and City Administrator Russ Powers to discuss possible discipline that could b...
It’s good to have goals so you know which direction to go. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board of directors discussed the district’s “Strategic Plan” Monday night and the goals it contains. Superintendent Paul Turner described the strategic plan as a “living document” as the group discussed its three goals, the objectives behind each goal, and possible changes to the goals, the order they’re in, and other aspects of the document that the board may feel needs amending, or clarification. Board Director George LaPlace wants more input fr...
Raider football fans attended a Thursday Night Lights fundraiser at the Lake Roosevelt football field Thursday, marking the first success for a new booster club The event was well attended, with the parking lot looking as crowded as it is during games. The Raider football players were introduced to the crowd by name and jersey number before running drills. Those included lineman contests, a seven-on-seven drill, and 11-on-11 style play. "There's some pretty big boys out there," a fan could be...
Should medical marijuana be treated like any other medicine at school? The state thinks so, and Grand Coulee Dam School District directors last week briefly discussed a possible policy on the matter during a first reading of several policies. When a policy regarding medication at school came up at their meeting Aug. 26, Superintendent Paul Turner brought the board’s attention to a paragraph about medical marijuana in particular, which explains that although the substance may be legal in some states, it is still illegal at the federal level a...
Record numbers of people calling for emergency help have led the Grand Coulee Volunteer Ambulance Service to seek additional emergency medical technicians. “We are at another record pace of emergency and transport calls for the Grand Coulee Dam Area,” Grand Coulee EMS Chief Rick Paris said. The year 2018 saw 505 calls, up from 480 in 2017, up from 402 in 2016, Paris told The Star. As of the end of July 2019, some 283 emergency medical calls had come in, according to a report provided by Paris at the August Grand Coulee council meeting. Cur...
Wouldn’t it be nice if a kid could take swim lessons in the Coulee area? Swimming and boating are a big part of our recreatio,n after all. Local woman Lonna Bussert is looking into the logistics of the effort after parents in the area told her they were taking their kids to Wilbur for swim lessons, which made her realize the need for lessons here. The Coulee Area Park and Recreation District is interested in, and looking into, sponsoring the program, according to Commissioner Kevin Portch. Bussert, who also serves on the Electric City Council,...
Fall is fast approaching, and rather than be plagued by the summertime blues, why not celebrate autumn with the upcoming Harvest Festival? There will be food and fun aplenty for adults and kids alike with helicopter rides, arts and crafts, games, barbecues, beers, live music. The Harvest Festival, put on by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, will take place from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 20-22, at North Dam Park. Helicopter rides will be available from Inland Helicopters from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on...
This Thursday night, your support of the Raider football team could get you a side of beef, an exclusive parking spot for games, and a nice dinner this Thursday. The parents of Raider football players and the Lake Roosevelt Athletic Booster Club will hold a Thursday Night Lights fundraiser on Sept. 6 to raise money for the team to go toward expenses such as new jerseys. The event will start at 6 p.m. at the Lake Roosevelt football field, where a night practice will be held under the field lights and the community can greet the football team bef...
Grand Coulee city streets are about to receive some tender loving care at no cost to the city. The Grand Coulee City Council, at their Aug. 20 council meeting, accepted a bid from Davenport-based company DW Excavating of $576,005 to repair streets throughout the city. Engineering and additional other costs of $104,800 paid to the engineering firm Gray & Osborne bring the total to $680,805. The repairs will be paid for with a combination of money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will pay $510,604, plus a 25% match from the...
A lost dog named Wilson was found alive and well along Lake Roosevelt on Aug. 25, reuniting him with his owners after he'd been missing for two weeks. Cheri and Casey Groves lost Wilson Aug. 10 from their summer home in the Spring Canyon Road area during a storm. Cheri Groves said she had gone outside for a quick moment and Wilson was by her side. When she went back inside, he wasn't by her side, and must have run off scared by the thunder. The almost 5-year-old golden retriever must have had...
Construction is scheduled to begin next Tuesday on street and sidewalk work in Electric City. Updates on the project will be available at www.electriccity.us as well as Electric City's Facebook page found under "City of Electric City Municipal Government." Starting Sept. 3, construction will begin with the pulverization of asphalt along Western and Grand avenues. "There will be road closures, and intermittent water shutoffs as we proceed on the projects." an Aug. 26 post on the city's Facebook...
With the current jail in Grant County regularly being at maximum capacity, criminals get to roam free, an issue the sheriff says a new, larger jail could address. A measure on the Nov. 5 ballot to raise the sales tax in Grant County by 0.3% could build a new jail in Grant County and bring in over $80,000 a year to the Grand Coulee Police Department and boost other municipal police departments around the county. The city councils of Electric City and Grand Coulee have each come out in favor of Proposition 1. The estimated $5.5 million-$6 million...
