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  • Festival of Americal comes off despite a hitch (literally) or two

    Scott Hunter|Jul 9, 2025

    The biggest local festival of the year drew thousands to Grand Coulee Dam to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, live music and even the original laser show on the dam. What they couldn't see were the unusual challenges that started the week for Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce officials. With the festival looming on Friday, Krystal and Jillian Fillis, executive directors in training, knew they had a lot of organizational boxes to tick off by Thursday. But Monday morning they...

  • Small fires didn't turn into bigger ones

    Scott Hunter|Jul 9, 2025

    Firefighters kept at least two smaller blazes from turning into bigger ones this week as wildland fuels turned tinder dry. One blaze took off quickly about 11 p.m. July 5, right after a loud bang at the south edge of the town of Coulee Dam, setting the hillside near the Visitor Center ablaze. Several agencies responded quickly, including the Bureau of Reclamation whose land was burning near the Columbia River Inn. Coulee Dam Volunteer Fire Department requested mutual aid, bringing in Grand...

  • How a 60s church kid sees today

    Susan Ruthhart Kennedy|Jul 9, 2025

    I was a church kid in the 1960s and 70s. Many of our “kid” songs were upbeat and contemporary. There were many stories and lessons in those songs, some of which many of us have seemingly forgotten over the years. One of my favorites comes to mind: “They’ll Know We are Christians by our Love.” If you were a church kid in the 60s and 70s, you’ll probably remember some of the words: “We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord,” and “we will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,” and “we will work with each other, we will work s...

  • As they see it

    Robert and Pat Piekarski|Jul 9, 2025

    Over the years I’ve been amazed at some people that read the paper. Maybe I’ll just state it as is: some extreme right wings don’t like your reporting both sides of the news and threatened to cancel the paper. Over the years I personally think you’ve reported both sides fairly. Plus, you report some news that nobody is covering. Good job. On a personal note, I really didn’t care for the draft and was drafted, but with the draft in place more citizens were watching what the government was doing. Now with the all-volunteer military nobody cares....

  • Why our 20-year reunion matters more than ever

    Larry Hernandez|Jul 9, 2025

    It’s been 20 years since the Lake Roosevelt High School Class of 2005 crossed that stage. Many of us moved away, started families, and built new chapters. But one thing hasn’t changed: the bonds we formed here. That’s why we’re inviting all LRHS alumni to join us on July 19 at Village Cinema for a relaxed evening with trivia, arcade games, free popcorn and soda, and a classic movie that takes us back to those carefree days. For those who want to catch up beforehand, Rio Grande is offering dinner specials for reunion attendees. BOGO 1/2 price i...

  • Those favorite places

    Roger Lucas|Jul 9, 2025

    I had written earlier that the Grand Tetons in Wyoming was my favorite place. They are, as far as scenery goes. However, as far as my personal experiences go, my best place would be the Snake River from one end to where it empties into the Columbia River. My wife’s family had a 350-acre irrigated farm near Buhl, Idaho overlooking the Snake River canyon. At about 4 p.m. each day, hundreds of pheasants would fly up onto their farm area from the canyon below. You could stand on the rocky ledges and see the canyon below come alive with pheasant. W...

  • Beer tent stolen right before festival

    Scott Hunter|Jul 2, 2025

    by Scott Hunter Festival organizers getting everything ready for the chamber of commerce's big Festival of America below the dam Friday discovered a key asset had gone missing Monday morning - the beer tent. Apparently, a thief had backed up to the trailer holding the chamber's assortment of festival tents, tables and chairs, and temporary fencing, hitched it up, and drove off. The big tent has been used for several years at festivals where libations are served as a fund raiser. It was also...

  • Board discusses policy changes you'll notice for school

    Scott Hunter|Jul 2, 2025

    GCD School District policies around managing students, athletics and money shifted Monday, as board directors voted approval of changes in the junior/senior high handbook, athletics policies on participation in sports, paying to enter events and in some instances park, and even on the kind of bag you can bring into school events — clear only. Some changes address safety issues and society’s changing ways of handling them. “You can’t go into any major sporting event without a clear bag,” Director Shannon Nicholson told Director Rich Black aft...

  • Democrats are so Corrupt and hypocrites'

    Carl Russell|Jul 2, 2025

    Democrat Senators and Congressmen are pushing to Impeach Trump again. For his bombing Iran Nuclear sites, that every President from President Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump again has said Iran can’t have nuclear bombs. However, Obama used 26,000 bombs to bomb Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, & Yemen in 2016 alone. Never did obtain an act from congress to conduct Military Operations. President Biden bombed Syria, Yemen, Iran with 3,246 bombs No complaints from Democrats. & not congress approval either. Obama s...

  • Special showing planned for older light show

    Scott Hunter|Jul 2, 2025

    The Bureau of Reclamation will put on a special showing of the original Laser Light Show on Grand Coulee Dam on this Independence Day. The original light show was commissioned to launch in 1989 in celebration of the centennial anniversary of Washington's statehood. At that time, a laser show was relatively unusual and a sophisticated technology for this rural community, even though the guts of the original show's computer was basically an Atari video game board. That show ran nightly through sum...

  • CMC's tiny homes get into 2026 federal budget

    Scott Hunter|Jun 25, 2025

    Rep. Dan Newhouse announced Sunday that he’d secured over $3 million in federal funds to build “safe, dependable living space for health professionals working at … Coulee Medical Center,” a goal hospital officials have been pursuing for a couple years. CMC relies on traveling professionals to staff various positions, and housing them is a challenge locally. The hospital actually owns several houses for this reason, which also makes the local housing market even tighter. But the professionals, who, hospital leaders point out, pass several other...

  • Non-profit wants a community center

    Scott Hunter|Jun 25, 2025

    A non-profit organization that is all about getting kids involved in active recreation pitched Grand Coulee's city council June 17 on a vision for a "community center" on city land with a great view. Nic Alexander, president of Reel Rec, is a local builder and developer who looks at the city's vacant land overlooking Crescent Bay Lake and Lake Roosevelt as a great place for a center with a view. The vision is still a little vague. Would it include a pool, batting cage, archery range, golf simula...

  • Leadership training is now available

    Scott Hunter|Jun 25, 2025

    A group working to inject the skills and abilities of thoughtful leadership into communities is offering training to do that in Grant County, and north county residents can even get some pay to offset mileage. The Leadership Institute of NCW is all about "Educating and Empowering Community Members for Civic Leadership in NCW." It was a hit in Chelan County last year; this year it's concentrating on Grant County, with plans to do it again in Okanogan County in the next year or so. Nancy Boord is...

  • New year will see council pay upgrade

    Scott Hunter|Jun 25, 2025

    The next town council members in Coulee Dam will get paid on a different scale than council currently does, following a vote of the council earlier this month. Council members are currently paid $50 a month. The new scale changes that to $50 per regular council meeting attended. Two council meetings are normally scheduled per month, but the town often cancels one for lack of agenda items, which is the case this week. Tonight’s regular council meeting was canceled. Council could have changed the pay to add in compensation for extra meetings s...

  • Congress must act now to pull the US Postal Service back from the brink

    Martha Diaz Aszkenaz|Jun 25, 2025

    The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. David Steiner, who will take over as Postmaster General on July 14, 2025, has a tough job to do and little time to do it, with some estimates indicating the USPS could be insolvent as soon as 2028. Congress has a key role to play in helping him right the ship but must get off the sidelines and act. A useful step...

  • What happened to car show?

    Kurt Steinke|Jun 25, 2025

    In regard to the most pathetic car show in history, last weekend (June 14). Seriously? What happened to the big North Dam car shows from the past or a car show lining both sides of Main Street? There was no advertising, no word of mouth, no one knew anything. Six cars attended, ha ha, that has to be the world record. How embarrassing. Why did someone decide that it would be a good idea to combine a kid’s fest and 40 sign protesters together with a non-advertised car show? Why not go back to days of a stand-alone advertised car show with v...

  • Friendships with Frosty and Emperor Smith

    Roger S. Lucas|Jun 25, 2025

    I somehow became friends with two Seattle disc jockeys, Frosty Fowler and Emperor (Lee) Smith. I met Frosty at a French pastry restaurant on Capitol Hill in Seattle. The place was Marcel’s, owned by a fellow Bothell resident. I often drove there for lunch and Marcel introduced us. We apparently hit it off because it became a lasting friendship. He told me what he did and was amazed that I hardly even knew his name. I explained that I seldom listened to the radio and wouldn’t be interested in the type of music he played. Frosty had an ego and...

  • Grades alone cannot measure knowledge and skill

    Don C. Brunnell|Jun 25, 2025

    With high school and college commencements wrapping up, employers now worry about the graduates’ preparedness to enter the work world. This year, 3.9 million students graduated from our high schools, marking the largest class on record. An additional 4.6 million scholars earned college degrees. Their expertise was graded from A to F. Grades are supposed to indicate accurate achievement, competence, and knowledge when applied without being inflated. “Grade inflation” refers to a rise in grades without a matching increase in learning outco...

  • The next thing starts Saturday

    Scott Hunter|Jun 25, 2025

    Every time Larry Hernandez runs into a new obstacle, he seems to find a way around it. That's how it's been ever since he started working on reviving the Village Cinema in Coulee Dam, a place that has been largely vacant for a generation of movie-goers who missed out. Recently, it was something as mundane as a sewer plugged up. He got that fixed with the same plumber who showed up and did a lot of work for no charge just to help in the effort. That community effort is what makes it all worth it...

  • Coulee Dam considering electric vehicle charging

    Scott Hunter|Jun 18, 2025

    Coulee Dam is mulling an inquiry as to whether the city would allow a Level 3 electric vehicle charging station on its electric grid. Such a 180-kilowatt station would be capable of adding 100-250 miles of range in 30-45 minutes. That capability could be an added attraction for customers of the 12 Tribes Casino. Mayor Bob Poch told the city council last month that the Colville Tribes had approached the city on the question. The city owns its own electric utility, but Poch wants to be careful to not add something that would jeopardize a...

  • Counties, feds restrict burning

    Scott Hunter|Jun 18, 2025

    The use of fire is restricted in 20 Eastern Washington counties by one federal agency, and along Lake Roosevelt by the National Park Service, even after two local counties started their annual fire restrictions earlier than normal. Federal Bureau of Land Management officials have restricted activities on public lands to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires in Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and...

  • Fire season political thoughts

    Scott Hunter editor and publisher|Jun 18, 2025

    Our local hot summers provide plenty of lessons we might also keep in mind for our politics. Most people who don’t fight fires on a regular basis may not appreciate the delicate relationship between fuel and energy, but it’s key to understanding ignition, the point at which flame erupts. The hotter the air is, the closer the energy level of everything is to its ignition point. The drier the fuel, likewise. So, when the wind blows in the heat, when “relative humidity” — that is the amount of moisture in the air — is low, a spark can light a fir...

  • A chip off the old block

    Roger S. Lucas|Jun 18, 2025

    Our family over the years had a strong relationship with Potlatch Forests Inc., who had mills in Potlatch and Lewiston. I only found out recently that my father also had ties with PFI. A distant cousin whose grandfather headed the Lucas logging operation had some documents that showed that. The Lucas brothers Ralph, John (my dad) and Omer had a logging operation near Bovill, Idaho. They were cutting virgin timber, and the logs were huge, some so big that you could only get three on a logging truck. The family had a pretty large block of land,...

  • Lake Roosevelt graduates 46 strong people

    Scott Hunter|Jun 11, 2025

    Nearly four dozen young adults walked across the stage and out the door Saturday after graduating from Lake Roosevelt High School having already seen some hard reality and ready to take life on. "We are proof that hard times create strong people," is the official motto of the class of 2025. They started high school in 2021 in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic with all its health and cultural complications, steeped in a time that would teach them about the fragility of human life. In the middle...

  • Two execs tour the dam their company built

    Scott Hunter|Jun 11, 2025

    Two people trekked across the country last week to understand a piece of their Kentucky company's history, with a major claim to fame being the Grand Coulee Dam. Now called Mason & Hanger, theirs was the lead company in the consortium of companies that built the original dam. They're the M in MWAK, the initials for Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier. On Wednesday, Ben Lilly, the president of Mason & Hanger, and Holly Holt, its vice president in charge of marketing, came to town to fill in the blanks in...

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