News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 2031 - 2055 of 7151
A home was lost tonight. Those who lived in this house on Camas Street in Coulee Dam were down the street when it started to burn; no one was home, Grand Coulee Fire Chief Ryan Fish saiid. The fire at the home of Shayla and Shawn Deckwa apparently started about 8:30 p.m., Friday, April 10. At least four fire departments were on scene with equipment, housing the flames on a windy night and spraying down the siding on neighboring houses to keep them cool as neighbors watched from a sidewalk...
Among 10 people who tested postive for the novel coronavirus in Okanogan County as of Tuesday, five are on the Colville Reservation, one a local woman whose daughter posted on Facebook that her mother and siblings were sick. “I want our community to know that the virus IS HERE,” Micki BearCub Hudson posted April 1. Okanogan County Public Health said four cases are in the Methow and one other is in “South County,” an area it did not specify in a Tuesday update. The agency noted that two of those cases have fully recovered. Grant County has had... Full story
Grocery stores have been one place people must go even with the social-distancing requirements of the coronavirus epidemic. Precautions have been taken to protect customers and store workers, and more are being taken in the busiest local store. Additional safety changes coming to Safeway stores include limits on the number of customers who can shop at a given time, and one-way aisles, the company says. “Throughout this week, Safeway and Albertsons will be further enhancing safety measures in all their stores in Washington State,” an April 6 c... Full story
Grant County Health District has detailed how to use homemade masks effectively to avoid exposure to coronavirus. An April 4 press release explains how the masks can be effective in protecting yourself from exposure to coronavirus infected droplets, as well as how to remove them and clean them. “All of us involved in the COVID-19 response know that protecting our health workers and first responders is vital for each and every one of us,” the health states. “That is why our limited supplies of commercial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have... Full story
The coronavirus has affected work life and home life in the Coulee in multiple ways, an online Star survey reveals, with lots of stress for some but some silver linings for others. Asked if they are working from home because of social restrictions, 17 out of 37 of those who responded said they are, with some loving the home office and others not. Slow internet speed is listed as an issue, as well as boredom, but several respondents said the experience was positive. Responses included: • Not as productive working from home. • Difficult to foc... Full story
Local state parks areas such as Steamboat Rock, Osborne Bay, and Northrup Canyon are closed, while Spring Canyon remains open but without services. Steamboat Rock, Northrup Point boat launch, and Northrup Canyon are all closed to the public until at least April 30. Steamboat Rock State Park Park Ranger Jared Liening told The Star on Tuesday that the spots are closed to discourage the spread of the coronavirus. Liening said people have still been using Northrup Canyon despite a sign on the kiosk... Full story
Indications are that Washington’s fairly early emphasis on social distancing and staying home have been effective at helping to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, but more local focus could help this area weather the crisis even better: We all need to wear a mask in public, and a method is needed for delivery of groceries to those who are supposed to stay at home. The first one is easy. The second one isn’t. Anyone who has been exposed to some known to be sick with COVID-19 is definitely mandated to stay home to protect everyone els... Full story
Rather than discussing the Governor’s egregious assaults on the 1st Amendment regarding churches and his dogmatic executive orders on what is “essential” and “non essential”, I feel that it would behoove all of us to look into what the Federal Government is up too. Growing up in the 1950’s, on of my Mom’s sayings was: “money doesn’t grow on trees”. Well, it looks like Congress, with the approval of the President, just planted a $2.2 trillion dollar tree. The tree planting took a short time and the tree will be ready to harvest fruit in th...
Sir, Here’s my renewal payment, I sure do like your paper. I look forward to receiving it every week. Keep up the good work and thanks a lot. William Neuhauser Detroit Lakes, MN...
In response to the coronavirus epidemic, locals have been making washable, reusable fabric respiratory masks for the local hospital, as well as for individuals and other organizations. A Facebook group has even sprung up called the Mask Avengers, with posts related to mask making. Linda Roberts is one of those making masks, having made 71 as of Monday, and with orders for more. Roberts said those 71 masks took about a week to make, with multiple masks given to UPS drivers (Linda's husband Merle... Full story
Charlie Long has been a member of the American Legion for 60 years! Greg Behrens, vice commander at Post 157 in Electric City, presented the Coulee Dam man with a 60-year certificate March 25. Behrens said he had wanted to do a formal presentation but wasn't able to because of the coronavirus social restrictions. "It was kind of surprising," Long told The Star over the phone on Monday. "I didn't realize it had been that long." Behrens provided a description of Long's tenure in the army:...
Millions of N-95 masks and other types of personal protective equipment are being delivered to Washington State as public health and emergency response officials scramble to obtain the equipment needed to respond to the growing COVID-19 outbreak. Jerrod Davis, assistant secretary for disease control and health statistics at the Department of Health, said there is significant global demand for these kinds of items and right now the state does not have enough to satisfy the needs of its communities. Davis explained that the state’s joint operatio...
In a convoluted process, a raise in dumping rates at the Delano Transfer Station, approved in October by the Regional Board of Mayors, was approved again in March, but still must be approved by the four area towns before it might be implemented, with Grand Coulee so far not wanting to raise the rates. The Star reported in October 2019 that the RBOM had approved a half-cent-per-pound raise in dumping fees at the transfer station, which was said by then-city administrator of Electric City Russ Powers to be on track to lose approximately $29,000...
Thank you, Roger Lucas, for your acknowledgement of Scott Hunter’s great importance of providing all of us the area news (“Local efforts make a difference” March 25). Also, thanks for your public recognition of the Port District, both Keenes, and a handful of volunteers who have kept the Banks Lake Golf Course operating for the past few years. They have sacrificed 6-7 months, and countless hours of their time each year to do this for the community. Help is always appreciated. Mary Jane Bailey...
After days of reports of droves of people not complying with his pleas to stay home, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mandatory order Monday to shut many public places and non-essential businesses in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Inslee emphasized that the though the orders are legally enforceable, officials would still emphasize voluntary compliance. And sheriffs in Lincoln and Grant counties issued similar statements assuring people that law enforcement's role in the shutdown... Full story
Kids up to 18 years of age have been getting meals from the Grand Coulee Dam School District at their bus route pickup spots while school is out for the virus-related shutdown. That plan will change on Monday, the school district said Thursday. Meal deliveries will now be made at eight specified places from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. just three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Academic packets for students in grades 7-12 will also be available then. Nespelem School District will still provide Grab and Go meals to students in that area... Full story
With Coulee Medical Center officially in emergency mode, a representative updated the Grand Coulee City Council last week on what that currently means. Tyler Donn spoke on behalf of CMC March 17 in regard to the COVID-19, coronavirus epidemic. Donn explained that with a national emergency declared on March 13, it forced the hospital to put their emergency preparedness plan into action. The first goal is to protect all patients and others at the hospital, Donn said, and that entails sending home non-essential staff, ensuring staff have... Full story
Electric City Mayor Diane Kohout declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic, and utility late fees and shutoffs have been suspended for the duration of the situation. A special council meeting was held on March 19 in the Electric City Fire Station in order to observe social distancing as a precaution due to the coronavirus. Kohout told the council that she was declaring a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak creating “extreme risk of person to person transmission for people working in city” and because it “af... Full story
The cost of making changes to controversial street work being done in Electric City could be high. The city council and mayor in a special meeting last week spoke to representatives from the Gray & Osborne engineering firm over the phone. Those representatives included Mike Meskiman and Don Tulloch. The special council meeting March 19 was held at the Electric City Fire Station to allow for social distancing to guard against the coronavirus. Returning the intersection of Western and Grand Avenue to its former state — a straight shot of W...
Lake Roosevelt Schools intends to continue to pay their staff throughout the duration of the coronavirus epidemic, which has shut down the school at least through April 24. A March 23 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting was held remotely via the Zoom telecommunication application. Board members, the superintendent, and more communicated from separate locations due to the social distancing instructions put in place to help thwart the spread of coronavirus. Superintendent Paul Turner said about the school’s budget that “there is a bit... Full story
With schools shut down due to the coronavirus epidemic, the spring sports season is in serious question, but a month of play is possible. Spring sports include: baseball, softball, golf, tennis, and track and field. The topic of athletics was briefly discussed during a March 23 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting held remotely via the Zoom telecommunication application. Board members, the superintendent, and more used the app to conduct the meeting from separate locations due to the social distancing instructions put in place to... Full story
A Delano couple wants to formally annex their property into the city of Grand Coulee to make its consolidation with Electric City possible. Jim Keene spoke to the Grand Coulee council at their March 17 meeting. Keene pointed to a map showing that the property he and his wife bought in 1986, located between Electric City and Grand Coulee in the Delano area, would form a contiguous border between Electric City and Grand Coulee if formally annexed into Grand Coulee. A contiguous border is necessary for two or more cities to merge. The Keenes’ a...
Everything depends on everything else, it seems, so stopping one part of our economy, our society, affects every other part. We’re all so interconnected. That’s partly why Gov. Inslee’s earlier hopes that people would “just do the right thing” were dashed. In more populous parts of the state, the slowdown he ordered was interpreted at a vacation by so many that recreation sites were flooded with cars and people. Even outdoor sites were reportedly impossible places to accomplish “social distancing.” And so the order announced Monday evenin...
I just read a story that some 1,400 communities lost their newspapers in the last year. That’s to say nothing of papers publishing less frequently. These communities will feel the loss. People get their news now from a lot of sources like cable news and social media sources. The Star newspaper has been lucky so far in that a steady stream of readers choose to come by the office each Wednesday so they don’t have to wait for delivery. That’s a prime example of a good readership base. Newspapers use revenue from display, classified ads and circu...
Local institutions are rapidly adjusting on the fly after a series of cascading emergency announcements from state and national authorities mandating increasingly harsh measures to stop the spread of the new virus that has infected nearly 190,000 worldwide and killed more than 7,500 as it overwhelms some healthcare systems. Preventing that kind of quick and overwhelming spread is what the new restrictions are all about. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced March 13 that schools statewide would close. Then Monday, he said restaurants, bars, thea... Full story