News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Electric City and Grand Coulee took different approaches to the county health district's annual request for a public health contribution - demonstrating difficult decisions, and perhaps different priorities during a time of rising costs and increasing demands on local government budgets. The Grant County Health District relies in part on funds from the county budget set by county commissioners, as well as voluntary contributions from the 13 cities and towns within the county. Each council...
When Electric City’s leadership signaled last week that they want an independent attorney to rewrite an old, incomplete and ambiguous document governing the wastewater plant, they effectively put the ball in Grand Coulee’s court. Grand Coulee responded in kind — passing a nearly identical resolution at their Nov. 19 council meeting, and giving the wastewater plant’s joint board of operators some action items for their Dec. 5 meeting in Electric City. Then, Grand Coulee’s conversation turned toward the topic of the two cities coming together in...
Local emergency medical service volunteers are aging out and burning out, and it may be time to look at funding a new district to ensure full-time help is available. That's the message Electric City Mayor Diane Kohout and Grand Coulee Fire Chief Ryan Fish, and others shared at a community town hall meeting hosted by the Regional Board of Mayors Nov. 6. "The volunteer base has eroded over the years," Kohout said in an opening presentation in Coulee Dam's town hall. "If this continues, we're in...
The management agreement for Grand Coulee and Electric City’s shared wastewater treatment facility — written in 1984 — needs a rewrite, according to the Electric City Council members. The plant is jointly owned by the two cities and overseen by a “joint board of operators” made up of council members from both jurisdictions. However, Grand Coulee is effectively the majority owner, meaning, among other things, it was the only signer with SJ Environmental, the contractor operating the wastewater plant. That contract is currently up for renewal....
Though questions remain, the Grand Coulee Dam school board at their Oct. 28 meeting indicated openness to switching to a four-day school week in the 2025-26 school year. Board members will likely make their official decision at the Nov. 25 meeting after hearing more direct comments and concerns from staff, faculty and students — as well as a more complete proposal including the start time and end time for each school’s daily schedule. Superintendent Rod Broadnax presented survey results that tended to show staff in support of making the cha...
The Grand Coulee Dam district will propose a four-year school funding levy to voters on the February ballot, the board indicated at its Oct. 28 meeting. If approved, the new levy would replace the current one, which expires next year, and bring in nearly $4.2 million for educational programs and operations between 2026-29. The current year’s budget for educational programs and operations is just under $14 million. Though the final resolution language still needs formal approval by the board in November, members unanimously agreed with the r...
Grand Coulee Dam schools are scrambling this week to get almost 40 of their students who live in Nespelem to formally “choice in” to GCDSD — or else risk losing $9,100 per student in so-called “full time equivalent” funding from the state. As of Monday night, Superintendent Rod Broadnax told the school board they had not received paperwork from any of the Nespelem students yet, putting around $350,000 at risk. The state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has given GCDSD the ultimatum this year: Get it done or else lose out on th...
Congressman Dan Newhouse visited Coulee Medical Center last week as part of a tour through the north part of the 4th District to hear from leadership about the hospital's successes, challenges, and their hope to have their tiny home project included in the federal budget. The hospital district, which includes parts of four counties, brings in only about $200,000 annually from property taxes–not even enough to cover the salary and benefits for one doctor–since a large portion of the land is gov...
Village Cinema may not be licensed to screen copyrighted films yet, but owner Larry Hernandez isn’t letting that stop him from bringing movies to the Coulee Dam theater. This weekend he’ll screen two films that are in the public domain, meaning, the copyright has expired and therefore no licenses are required to show public screenings. Saturday night, those looking to celebrate spooky season can come watch Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero’s classic 1968 horror film often credited with popularizing the modern image of flesh...
Residents of Grand Coulee should start preparing for a nearly $30 fee increase per month on sewer bills once the upcoming $12 million sewage treatment plant upgrades are complete and the loan comes due, city leaders discussed at the council meeting last week. There were signs and unhappy expressions all around the council table as members deliberated on two possible loans to fund the upgrade. A 20-year loan would have meant an increase of $36.59 per month. The 30-year loan increase comes to $28.89. “I don’t like either one,” said Counc...
Like many volunteer-driven efforts, fire and ambulance services that depend on donated labor have seen participation drop in recent years. Local leaders are considering an alternative model: creating a special taxing district to fund ambulance and emergency medical services, subject to approval by voters. The discussion is not yet a formal proposal, but the Regional Board of Mayors invites interested residents to learn more at a public town hall meeting Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in the ballroom at Coulee Dam Town Hall. Grand Coulee Fire...
Grand Coulee has decided to re-advertise its police chief position, signaling an intent to rebuild its own department rather than contracting out with another jurisdiction. “I am recommending here that we go ahead and set out to hire our own chief of police at this point,” Mayor Ruth Dalton told the council at its Oct. 15 meeting. “We need to kind of take care of this as soon as possible here, to get our police department back where it needs to be.” The council approved an annual salary range of $110,000 to $130,000 for the police chief j...
Last month, two people were shot while walking along Spokane Boulevard in the Delano area, who then drove themselves to Coulee Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police reports from the Sept. 16 shooting. Though police did name a suspect, no arrest was made and an “attempt to locate” dispatch was ultimately canceled the next morning due to lack of probable cause. The case has been forwarded to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office. According to Grand Coulee Police Department reports, one victim, a 35-year-old, refus...
For the first time, Grand Coulee’s own Colorama Pro Rodeo has won formal recognition amongst small rodeos in the northwest. The Mother’s Day weekend rodeo was named second runner up in the PRCA Columbia River Circuit, which includes Washington, Oregon, and north Idaho. “Not #1, but we will take it,” said Cindy Edwards, a longtime volunteer with the Ridge Riders, who put on the annual pro rodeo in Grand Coulee. “It’s a huge honor to be even runner up out of 56 events.” Edwards said she hopes the award will bring more attention to the north end o...
What started as a classic social media venting session turned into something positive: a spruce-up day for Crown Point Vista, the Washington State Parks property overlooking the Grand Coulee Dam area. A handful of volunteers and parks staff gathered Saturday morning with the goal of painting the guardrail posts and adding a fresh coat to what some folks call the "sundial" – the concrete open air building at the edge of the overlook. "My administrative assistant said she saw on Facebook a g...
Live music, good food, and local and Indigenous artists will take center stage at Coulee Dam's saʔtítkʷ (River) Artist Celebration this weekend, at what organizers hope will become an annual event on the reservation side of Coulee Dam. And that's not even mentioning trick-or-treating and a costume contest with cash prizes happening Friday. Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF), the celebration is centered on Mead Way, where most of the surrounding bus... Full story
An Electric City woman who allegedly kept dozens of dogs in her one-bedroom basement apartment failed to comply with code enforcement citations for over a year, and now faces the criminal charge of second-degree animal cruelty, according to police reports. One animal rescue professional described the situation as a case of “hoarding.” Kari Doughty wasn’t at her Coulee Boulevard home when Coulee Dam Police Chief Paul Bowden and two officers arrived to execute a search warrant Oct. 4, but she got there while police and Spokanimal staff were...
Starting January 1, a ride in the local ambulance will cost you an additional $25, amounting to a 3.5 to 4% increase. "Last time they were changed was two years ago," said Rick Paris, ambulance chief. "Inflation is probably about 5% over the last two years, but we're still trying to keep it reasonable for the citizens." The ambulance currently costs $700 per ride, or $625 for residents of Grand Coulee, which will become $725 and $650 respectively. Additionally, the charge for an ambulance...
Despite comments on social media that two people were shot in Delano around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 16 — including a woman who said she was a family member of the victim or victims — police responding to multiple 911 calls from neighbors reporting gunshots were not able to identify any victims, nor any physical signs that anyone had been shot. However, Grand Coulee’s outgoing interim police chief told The Star in a text message Sept. 16 that “there is a suspect” and he confirmed there were two victims. He did not name them, but character...
It looks increasingly likely the Grand Coulee Police Department won’t exist for much longer. Instead, the city may contract with an outside entity for law enforcement within city limits — potentially the Soap Lake Police Department or the Grant County Sheriff’s Office — based on comments made at Tuesday night’s council meeting, and by outgoing interim police chief Levi Johnson in a phone call with The Star last week. Johnson confirmed he had put in his notice earlier this month, and his last day with the department is next week. Council m...
A Lake Roosevelt teacher’s recycling proposal won approval from the school board last week, a move he hopes will reduce the district’s waste footprint and perhaps even its garbage bill. The unanimous decision at the board’s Sept. 9 meeting means the district will begin collecting mixed paper and cardboard in a separate recycling bin provided by Sunrise Disposal. “[Sunrise] expects we may be able to eliminate a dumpster within 2 months of getting our program up and running,” wrote Aaron Derr, a 6th grade teacher at Lake Roosevelt Elementary. Pic...
Organizers for Run the Dam say registration this year has almost doubled over last year, with participants coming from all over the western U.S., B.C., and as far away as Texas and Florida. Executive Director Kelly Buche said she expects to surpass 500 sign-ups, a milestone that has been her goal since she took over in 2016. That's thanks in part to a new marketing person, Buche said, but the run and the accompanying weekend festival is attracting more people by simple word of mouth, too. "The...
The education and operations levy that squeaked by in 2022 expires next year, and Grand Coulee Dam School District is already working on the next funding proposal to voters, which the board president would like to see appear on the February ballot. Though the final proposed rate and election date won’t be set until November, it will likely fall somewhere between $2 and $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, based on comments at the school board meeting Sept. 9. Superintendent Rod Broadnax says he intends to bring a proposal to the b...
After a decade of planning and debate, Electric City residents may see early signs of their first city-owned park before the snow falls. Park Planning Committee members are hoping so, as they discussed plans September 3 to get bids for concrete or asphalt, a perimeter fence, rocks, excavation, and lawn irrigation. A six-piece set of outdoor fitness equipment is already on the way, which will include a cross-country skier machine, a sit-up bench, a rower, a fit rider, an elliptical and a warm-up station for the “parcourse.” The set is wit...
It started as an answer to a job interview question in 2015, and next week, the Gathering of Wellness Powwow and Health Fair returns to the CMC grounds, across Highway 174 from the hospital campus in Grand Coulee. Though in its fifth year, it will be the first time since 2019 that Coulee Medical Center has offered the free community event, co-presented by the Colville Tribal Health Program. The powwow specifically began with the goal of improving CMC’s relationships with tribal communities, but everyone is welcome — and it makes for a great fir...