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 7119
By now, you have most likely received a postcard or letter in your mailbox inviting you to participate in the 2020 Census. Set forth as an effort to count everyone in the U.S., the data collected as part of the census impacts everyone who is, or is not, counted. Before your mailer filters to the bottom of your to-do stack, take a moment to recognize why completing the census is so important, especially for residents of rural communities and states. At its most basic level, data collected through the census ensures equal representation in...
If you think the run on toilet paper is just an American thing, think again. On March 10, Business Insider (BI) reported: “The spread of the coronavirus has brought with it panic-buying of food and household essentials, despite the attempts of governments to discourage stockpiling. But no item has made more headlines than the humble toilet roll.” “From buying enough toilet rolls to make a throne, to printing out blank newspaper pages to serve as extra toilet paper, people have had a seemi...
Effective Monday, March 16, The Star is closed except by appointment in keeping with official requests to limit social interaction to address the coronovirus outbreak. Our office doesn’t have to be open to the public for most of our services; we can work from home for much of our work, as advised by health leaders. Those subscribers who have been picking the paper up at our office will receive them in the mail until further notice. Those who must access a public fax/copy service can call 509-633-1350 for an appointment if absolutely n... Full story
OLYMPIA – The arrival of spring typically means drivers in Washington have until March 31 to remove studded tires. However, this year the Washington State Department of Transportation is extending the deadline to Thursday, April 30, due to COVID-19 virus concerns and in support of Gov. Jay Inslee’s guidance to help reduce the spread of the virus by limiting social interactions. “Washington is experiencing some extraordinary challenges with COVID-19 right now and we recognize this is not a time for ‘business as usual,’” said WSDOT Maintenance... Full story
A Grant County resident has died after becoming infected with the coronavirus, but an Okanogan County resident’s test results came back negative as have some at Coulee Medical Center. And community organizations are taking precautions against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. Grant County Health District stated Sunday that a Quincy resident resident in his 80s, who had tested positive for COVID-19, had died. The GCHD “has and will continue to follow up with close contacts of this patient,” their press release states. “We know that... Full story
School to close, local events altering in wake of new virus Schools statewide will close by Tuesday, following an orders coming from Gov. Jay Inslee as the state responds to the threat of a new virus that experts fear could overwhelm the healthcare system and cost many lives if its spread cannot be slowed down in time. Inslee Friday afternoon said the COVID-19 epidemic has reached 15 counties representing 75 percent of the state's population. "A county-by-county approach to this epidemic is not... Full story
A collection of early and rare photos highlighting the history of Steamboat Rock is being published and will be available for purchase in April. The book tells a linear story of Steamboat Rock, from Native American legends, to early pioneers, to the introduction of automobiles, to the construction of the dam, the flooding of Banks Lake, becoming a state park, and more. Local man John "Jay" M. Kemble, compiled the book titled "Steamboat Rock" for Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series. "...
Tillmanville? You won’t find it on a map. But if you are looking for it on a map try Elmer City. Elmer City could just as well have been named Tillmanville. The Tillman family has, and continues to be, a leading factor in this tiny village. Through the years, members of the family have held positions in town government and do so today. Mayor Jesse Tillman is currently getting his feet wet running town government. Former town clerk was Renae Tillman. And currently, the public works director is (you guessed it) another Tillman, this one ...
When I was a tyke growing up with my brother Ed and sisters Betty and Anita on Roosevelt Drive, Grand Coulee didn’t have a community park. There was an empty field across the road from our house that we and the other neighborhood kids would play in. Although it was an empty field, it has its drawbacks. It was full of weeds, rocks, a clump of sagebrush here and there, and now and then a rattlesnake. I think the Pachosa family owned the field. Later, when a row of houses was built in the field, there was still room enough for us to play. Bob Pach...
Nobody knows how deep the impact of the coronavirus will be, but one thing that it is destined to test is how effectively people will work from home. Washington is at the point of the spear. Of the 22 U.S. deaths attributed to COVID-19, there are 19 in our state. To avoid further exposure, employers are encouraging telecommuting, canceling meetings, events and travel, and, taking extra caution to sanitize work locations. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is among the carriers taking additional...
The Lake Roosevelt Raiders took fourth in the WIAA Hardwood Classic state basketball tournament at Spokane Arena Saturday, accomplishing a preseason goal of placing better than last year's sixth place at state. Lake Roosevelt played a tight game against the Wahkiakum Mules March 4, in which the Raiders came from behind to win at the last second. The Mules led 17-10 after the first quarter, and 35-27 at the half. In the second half, the Raiders staged a comeback, taking the lead 47-44 in the thir...
Karen Pace, who has been the music teacher at Lake Roosevelt schools for the past five years, and Terry Owen, who has been driving bus for LR for the past 32 years, will be honored with excellence awards next month. Superintendent Paul Turner announced the winners to school staff Feb. 27. Turner said both Pace and Owen received multiple nominations from their fellow staff members. The awards are organized by the North Central Educational Service District, Turner said, and Pace and Owen will be among those honored at its Excellence Awards Banque...
COVID-19, or the coronavirus, has received widespread news coverage, and as cases and deaths in Washington have been confirmed, how does it affect the local community? "Please be reassured that we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our community," stated an email sent to Coulee Medical Center staff Tuesday. The email said the hospital "is taking a proactive approach in preventing potential exposure to staff and patients by screening all visitors and patients prior to entrance into the... Full story
Soarin' Marchand makes this game-winning, buzzer-beater for three look so easy, I'm sure he's only practiced it about a million times! Good video of the shot as tweeted by SWXRightNow: A perfect shot for the perfect end to a #StateB game! Tonight Lake Roosevelt went head-to-head against Wahkiakum. After a nail biter fourth quarter the Raiders would finish the Mules with a shot from beyond the arc! FINAL: 62-59 RAIDERS#WIAA | @wiaawa pic.twitter.com/Bq0YQf7PsB — SWXRightNow (@SWXRightNow) March 5, 2020... Full story
Officials at Coulee Dam last week gave a tentative green light to a Colville Tribes proposal to add a splash pad to the town’s park features to cool kids down in the summer. Frank Andrews approached the city council Wednesday with the idea, noting that the tribes could draft a grant application to submit jointly to a state agency that funds such projects. It could go on trust land controlled by the tribes across from the popular playground at Mason City Memorial Park near Harvest Foods, he said. Coulee Dam, along with other cities on or near th...
Expecting to attract a new business to lease the Melody Restaurant in the near future, Coulee Dam is preparing to fix at least part of the roof of the “Community Building” the town owns. The building also houses a bowling alley and a theater not currently in operation. Mayor Bob Poch reported to the city council Feb. 26 that the town has had at least two interested parties express an interest, including one who has operated five restaurants in Idaho. Poch said the individual had researched past Melody sales numbers and concluded it would be...
A former council member will head a planning commission for the city of Coulee Dam that currently has no other members. The city council Feb. 26 unanimously approved Mayor Bob Poch’s nomination of Ben Alling to head the commission, charged with completing a new comprehensive plan for the town as required by state law. The law would also allow the city to appoint one person for the process. The council has discussed that possibility, but Councilmember Keith St. Jeor moved to select Alling to chair the effort. He won’t be without help. The cit...
A potential new, big hydro-electric project for the Coulee area, could be more likely to happen sooner than later if legislation being considered by the Senate in Washington D.C. passes. The $1.4 billion Banks Lake Pump Storage Project, proposed by Columbia Basin Hydropower, would bring in an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 workers to build a gravity-fed, pumped-storage system that would drain water from Banks Lake back down to Lake Roosevelt, turning generators in the process, and later pump the...
Special detectors may be installed at Lake Roosevelt Schools to address “rampant” vaping at the school. Vaping, which delivers nicotine to the user without tobacco present, is said to be dangerous to the health of anyone by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and especially to the development of adolescent brains. But students can vape discreetly, even in classrooms, with the devices used to vape being particularly small and the vapor itself often odorless and dissipating quickly. Getting some tech help to address the situation is...
February proved to be a bad month for restaurant buildings. On Feb. 21, at about 4:12 p.m., a Coulee City woman drove over the curb on Main Street in Grand Coulee, hitting the outside of Siam Palace, before going into reverse and backing into an alleyway. According to a police report from Officer Dan Holland of the Grand Coulee Police Department, the vehicle, a 1995 Ford Ranger, jumped the curb and hit Siam Palace, causing an estimated $10,000 in damage when the vehicle pushed in a concrete planter, bent a window frame, caused damage to the...
The role of a journalist is to be the eyes and ears for the readers. So while at a school board meeting, city council meeting, events, and so on, things that people may not have the time to go to, or don’t have a large enough interest in going to, my job is to listen for what’s interesting and present that to the readers. What are school or city officials saying? What are they doing? What laws are they passing? What changes are happening? What are people saying during the public comments part of the meeting? Public meetings are on the rec...
Washington and Oregon lawmakers want to end their legislative sessions; however, accounting for the costs of carbon emissions is a major roadblock. In Salem, rural Republican senators are boycotting the session and thereby denying majority Democrats a quorum to vote on a “cap and trade” bill. The measure calls for an 80-percent state reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) by 2050. The system would be similar to existing programs in California and some Canadian provinces. The state would set a cap o...
The Raider basketball team is done with the regional round of the Hardwood Classic state tournament following a loss against the Toutle Lake Ducks. Lake Roosevelt lost to the Ducks 59-43 Saturday in Longview. The game started out rough for the Raiders, who only put up two points in the first quarter to the Ducks' 14. LR found their rhythm in the second quarter when they outscored the Ducks 14-12, including three-point shots from Hunter Whitelaw and Tyson Nicholson, cutting the Toutle Lake's...
The Lady Raiders' season ended Saturday with a loss to Mossy Rock in the regional round of the state tournament in Longview. The Lake Roosevelt girls racked up a win-loss record of 11-5 in the league, 14-11 overall, including the postseason. In Longview against the Mossy Rock Lady Vikings Saturday, LR lost 45-39 in a scrappy game that was tied up many times in the first and fourth quarters, with the Lady Raiders eeking out a one-point lead at 32-31 at the end of the third. But the Lady Vikings...
The coronavirus death count in Washington reached nine on Tuesday, Feb. 3, including two people whose test results were released posthumously.On Monday, when six deaths had been reported, health officials asked state lawmakers for $100 million to attack the outbreak As of Tuesday, 27 people tested positive for the virus in Snohomish and King counties, up from 18 the day before. The three newly confirmed deaths were all residents of Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, which has been the nexus for multiple infected patients, some of whom...