News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 6116 - 6140 of 7269
Mayoral challenger Greg Wilder says he has filed a complaint against Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, contending that Snow used his office and town resources to support his own campaign efforts. Contacted for comment, Snow said he didn’t use town facilities for campaign purposes. Snow, Wilder charged, requested public records on Wilder from the city of LaCenter and made the request in his official capacity as mayor, using the town’s e-mail and telephone to try to find material that was det... Full story
NESPELEM (Nov. 1) — Tribal police are investigating the death of a 29-year-old woman whose body was found in Nespelem, just before 5 p.m. Oct. 31. Colville Tribal Police Chief Cory Orr said in press release that the woman had been identified as Maria Victoria Sanchez, born May 31, 1984. Orr said police are currently investigating "the cause and circumstances surrounding the female body" and that no other information would be released until after a medical examination scheduled for Sunday. C... Full story
Clay Hearne and his sons, Ronnie and Kenny, appeal to those using the Osborne Bay gun range to pick up their garbage after they get through sighting their rifles in. The Hearnes, from Electric City, recently hauled two large pickup loads of garbage from the site. Included in the trash were cardboard boxes, burned up mattresses, bottles, cans, a muffler and tailpipe and scores of shotgun shells. Clay said the place is a mess and people should pack out items they bring in. It is apparent that... Full story
Officials in the town of Coulee Dam are hopeful that they will be able to make a deal with the Bureau of Reclamation on a law enforcement contract. Mayor Quincy Snow, Police Chief Pat Collins and Councilmember Bob Poch met last Wednesday with the Bureau’s regional director, Lorri Lee, to make another attempt to land a contract. Chief Collins said that another meeting is scheduled for later this week and that “negotiations continue.” Recent developments saw the Bureau award a continuing contract to Grand Coulee, but Coulee Dam’s law enforce... Full story
Residents of Coulee Dam reported hearing, and feeling, a loud explosion coming from Grand Coulee Dam Wednesday afternoon. It was basically man-made thunder. Workers getting ready to test a generator under repair in the left powerhouse opened a gate to the penstock that flows water from behind the dam to the turbine that powers G-8, the generator under repair, explained Public Affairs Officer Lynne Brougher. Excess water in that process overflows through a bypass valve and out onto the face of the dam through a large tube that opens onto the... Full story
The Candy Point Trail is in trouble, and Carol Netzel has asked the Coulee Dam Town Council for help. Access to the Candy Point Trail is through Netzel’s front yard and when you arrive at the top you are afforded a bird’s eye view of Grand Coulee Dam and the town of Coulee Dam. In a letter to the council last Wednesday, Netzel appealed to town officials to come up with a plan to fix the deteriorating trail. “Although this is not on city land, it has always been considered one of our local attractions,” Netzel wrote to the council. A sign in... Full story
Coulee Medical Center’s governing commissioners passed a resolution Friday night that sets out Public Hospital District 6’s typical meeting agenda and policies for handling unruly meetings. Resolution 815 adopts normal agendas for regular and special meetings, essentially identical to what the commission has used for years. A section on public comments restricts them to the end of the meeting agenda, allotting three minutes per speaker and other rules, including those set for the removal of “individuals who interrupt the orderly conduct of an... Full story
Grant County Port District 7 commissioners approved their 2014 budget last Thursday. The budget shows $534,500 in revenues and $523,200 in expenses. The largest revenue and expense is a $322,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration which will enable the port district to purchase a new dump truck with snow removal equipment attached, plus construct a building to house the new equipment. The proposed budget also predicts $134,000 income from the port’s 18-hole golf course from memberships and pro shop sales; and shows $132,600 in expens... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam District schools will take part and allow Native students to participate in a Colville Indian suicide prevention day this Friday. Karee Picard, manager of the Colville Tribes’ K-12 Youth Program, appeared before the school board Monday night asking members to allow a minute of silence during lunch hour Friday to remember those on the reservation who have succumbed because of suicide. She told the board that the Friday suicide program will be held in four places on the reservations and last most of the day. Meetings will be h... Full story
by Roger S. Lucas Mark Payne is the new fire chief of Electric City’s volunteer fire department. He replaces Bill Miley, who resigned as fire chief after serving for about 10 years. Miley is retiring. Others named in the reorganization of the Electric City fire department were Gary Roscom, assistant chief; Carl Sheehy and Ken Dexter, captains; and Carlos Lira, training officer. Payne told the council last Tuesday night that his current contingent of volunteer firefighters is 23. “We could use a couple more volunteers,” Payne told the counc... Full story
A project to replace some 300 streetlights in Coulee Dam should get started in about a month, public works director Barry Peacock said last Friday. The town awarded a $118,246.25 contract to Northwest Edison, a Seattle firm, as the result of a 100-percent grant received from the Transportation Improvement Board. Coulee Dam is one of six communities in the state to receive the grant. When completed, just over 300 LED (light-emitting diode) street lights will save the town about 60 percent in energy costs, plus additional maintenance savings.... Full story
The time is near for all eligible citizens to get out and vote! Why vote? If you don’t vote you have no reason to complain as how the election turns out. Locally we have various positions open to the vote of the local people. I am writing in regards to our local community hospital. Community hospital sounds great but how does the community have any say in the operation of the local hospital? I’m referring to the decision that was made that our community hospital could not hold a yearly blood draw as it was against the law to do so. How... Full story
Let's not forget Mayor Snow's contributions to Coulee Dam in deciding the community's future. Much has been accomplished during his time on the council and as mayor. For example, Douglas Park has been renovated, a grant-funded water treatment plant constructed, the park south of Roosevelt Drive built, the Cole Park tennis courts improved, and more. Now a new K-12 complex is being built in town. In addition, he put forward the innovative idea to have the wind-toppled trees of Mason City Park transformed into those wooden sculptures. Each of... Full story
It seems in today’s world we are bombarded constantly with an onslaught of political opinion. I say opinion because even news organizations no longer publish news but the agenda they are trying to foster. And this is both from the Right and Left, Blue and Red, etc. Our representatives offer little in substance while trying to spin events and issues to match their schema while continually playing the blame game. Yeah, the political divide in this country appears to be at an all-time high. But that’s not what this letter is about. I men... Full story
At the last Coulee Dam Council I asked that the city make tourists aware that hiking the Crown Point Trail could be hazardous after the fire, the windstorm and the torrential rain. They agreed to put up a sign and one was there the next day. They also agreed to find volunteers to take on the project. The next day as I came home from running errands an angel, wearing a black and red shirt and a backpack came walking down the trail. It was Frank Ward, who had hiked the whole trail, clearing and cleaning as he went. And the next day he was back,... Full story
Hospital District 6 commissioners will meet in a special session Friday night to discuss, in a closed session, to discuss legal matters with their attorney and to consider an employee’s performance. Following the the closed executive session, the commission meetings agenda finishes with “Board Agenda/Order of Business Policy”. By state law, special meetings must adhere to the announced agenda, which must be delivered in writing to each board member and relevant news media 24 hours in advance of the meeting. The announcement was emailed to Th... Full story
Are violators of pedestrian crosswalks a problem in the area? Yes, says Electric City resident Steve Salstrom, who has complained about the motorists who zoom by even when people are in the crosswalks. Salstrom stated that on one occasion he was midway across a crosswalk and had motorists pass him on both sides. He complained again at the Oct. 8 Electric City council meeting, stating that he had someone zoom by him at what he thought was about “45 miles per hour.” The crosswalk in question is the one by the Electric City post office and the... Full story
This week The Star presents a candidates’ forum, in which we publish the responses of candidates for public office to questions we emailed to each. Not all responded, but many of the candidates seeking voter approval for 11 contested local offices sent in their thoughts to answer the questions posed. Below is the text of the email we sent. Their answers follow inside this issue. Dear Candidate, As a candidate for a contested local public office, you are the subject of an important community focus for the next few weeks — the upcoming election.... Full story
There seems to be an unusual amount of black bear in the area this year. Two were shot in Coulee Dam recently by Tribal Natural Resource officers, after residents there were bothered by them roaming the streets. A bear was trapped this week in the orchard at Shaw's Fruit and Produce, the fifth this year at that Belvedere orchard, tribal officer Rick Desautel noted. "That bear must have weighed over 300 pounds," Desautel stated. Orchard co-owner Donna Hamilton said that tribal officers came with... Full story
They are going to dress up city hall. The Electric City council has approved a plan to replace its 22-year-old carpet at city hall, doing half with this year’s budget and the other half with its 2014 budget. Loepp’s Furniture will be doing the work. City Clerk Jackie Perman said the new floor covering will correct worn traffic areas of the carpet that was installed in 1991. This year’s floor improvement plan includes the carpet for the council chambers, tile for the back bathroom and a carpet that catches the dirt at the rear maintenance compu... Full story
Mike Horne, owner of MPH, a mechanical firm on Midway in Grand Coulee, made his second appearance before the city council to complain about a home mechanic operation at 431 Grand Coulee Avenue. The operation in question is owned by Donovan Picard, who allegedly doesn’t have a city business license and the current zoning does not allow business operations. Horne had appeared before the council, along with Jack Madsen, of Jack’s Service, in September, raising the same concerns. Horne told the council last Tuesday night that the home mechanic ope... Full story
Our diverse region and readership have decisions to make. We hope this week’s Local Candidates Forum provides some help for voters who open their mail-in ballots to cast decisions on races they may not have even realized were occurring. Readers should know that candidates were notified that we wanted them to answer three simple questions, but only via an email and a front-page article in last week’s paper. If you don’t see a reply from them this week, there could be several reasons for that, including that they’ve been away and didn’t... Full story
In referring to your article praising Coulee Medical Center and Foisy and Kennedy for their assistance signing people up for mandatory health insurance, I would like to add Dawn Ensminger and Darcy Epperson at the IHS Clinic in Nespelem. These women have been to countless hours of training and are assisting our Native American community in this monumental task as well. Sheri Shumway... Full story
Good Letter Don McClure, but you didn't go quite far enough. Regarding the economic collapse of 2008. This collapse was caused by Congress with the Affordable Housing Act pushed thru with President Clinton and the Democratic Congress. To give the uninformed an education on the Affordable Housing Act. This legislation forced banks to give loans to people that could not afford houses or the payments and they had to have almost nothing for a down payment, then Freddy & Fanny were forced to purchase them from the banks. During President Bush's pres... Full story
WHAT DO YOU THINK!? (like Sneena likes to say). I say our incompetent kiddy council needs to get their political priorities straight and actually “DO” something for the Colville Tribes, the Colville tribal peoples. Spending how many thousands and thousands not only in campaign support, but also: “How many of our dunce sheepdom council went on pilgrimage to Oklahoma just to vote?” All those wasted thousands upon thousands could very well have been put to much better and more meaningful use. All our tribal kiddies at this late date will still s... Full story