News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 1088 - 1112 of 1383
by Roger S. Lucas Although the final count won’t take place until Nov. 26, the official certification date, several local elections seem likely to withstand any late mail-in ballot arrivals. Winning a seat on the Electric City council was Aaron Derr who gained the Position 1 spot over Birdie Hensley, 160-134. In Hospital District 6, Betty Brueske won Position 5 seat, an open position, by defeating Diane Larson, 712-514. Incumbents winning back their seats were Jerry L. Kennedy who defeated Gerry L. Salstrom, 948-361; and Kristan Hare who d... Full story
Local PTA officials are already making plans to have another Missoula Children's Theater performance next year. "Blackbeard the Pirate," put on in two performances Saturday, attracted enough theater fans to encourage officials to look forward to another run in 2014. PTA Vice President Crystal Jones said Monday that she was pleased with Saturday's performances, when 32 children from local schools, kindergarten through the sixth grade, participated. She said that Missoula Children's Theater dates... Full story
A Grand Coulee man cited for operating a business in a residential district without a license may get his day in court soon. Donovan Picard, of 431 Grand Coulee Avenue, could argue his case before municipal court judge Richard Fitterer as early as Friday, Nov. 22. Picard has been served a citation with a penalty of $750 by Grand Coulee Police, telling him to cease repairing vehicles at his home garage in violation of the city’s ordinances. Two mechanic firms in Grand Coulee, MPH and Jack’s Service, had complained to the city council back in... Full story
A subcontractor advised police that someone had gained access to a tool trailer at the new school construction site and made off with a number of tools. David Hall, foreman for Icon Corporation, said that two padlocks on the tool shed had been cut with bolt cutters. Missing were four DeWALT screw guns two Leister heat guns, a Hitachi grinder and a small tool satchel full of tools. Police stated that several people had handled the cut locks so there was no chance of picking up fingerprints. The forced-entry theft occurred sometime last... Full story
The Colorama Rodeo was named “Rodeo of the Year” for the second time in a row at a meeting of the Pro-West Rodeo Association last Saturday night. The award was announced at the association’s annual awards banquet in the Tri-Cities area. George Kohout, president of the Ridge Riders, said that he was pleased with the announcement. Kohout is in his second year as president of the group, and was honored by the chamber of commerce as “Achiever of the Year” for his activity on behalf of the Ridge Riders. “We could never have done this without the... Full story
Colville Tribal police received a possible bomb threat Friday at 3:30 p.m., at Tribal Trails gas station at Barney’s Junction near Kettle Falls, also known as “Noisy Waters.” Tribal officers were dispatched, along with Ferry County deputies, and the building was evacuated and the perimeter around the building secured. A caller had stated that a bomb would go off within the hour. Washington State Patrol was notified, and a portion of SR-20 was shut down. Stevens County Emergency Services were also placed on standby. A bomb squad for the area... Full story
Greg Wilder is Coulee Dam's mayor-elect. He was ushered in by voters with a substantial margin over his four-time mayor opponent Quincy Snow. Wilder had swept his way into the general election by a 3-1 margin over Snow who was running for his fifth four-year term. The margin Tuesday night was 110 for Wilder and 54 for Snow. A few late ballots will not change the outcome. The major issue in the campaign has been Coulee Dam's proposed wastewater treatment plant. Wilder had opposed the $4.92... Full story
Returns at 9:15 last night (Tuesday) showed that there will be a change in mayors in Elmer City. Challenger Gail Morin, who is currently on the town council, is leading over long-time Mayor Mary Jo Carey by the slimmest of margins 29-25. Some late ballots mailed out before Tuesday’s deadline and not received or counted could possibly change the outcome. Morin had served on the council earlier and often challenged the mayor, but it was the Coulee Dam wastewater treatment plant issue that prompted her to run for mayor. Morin had supported Greg W... Full story
The Grand Coulee Civil Service Commission will hold a special meeting, Friday, Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m., in the council chambers to begin efforts to hire a police officer. Commission Chair Alan Cain and Commissioner Ken Carroll were the only members present at Monday afternoon’s meeting. Mark Graves had been in the council chambers earlier but had to leave before the meeting began. The commission’s new recording secretary, Kathy Carroll, was also present. Commissioners Cain and Carroll agreed to develop information from companies that do tes... Full story
Carol Visker, the senior municipal clerk in the coulee area, has resigned her position at Coulee Dam. Visker, who has been at Coulee Dam for 12 years, has taken a position at Almira/Coulee/Hartline schools. “She has done a great job for us and she and I have had a good run together,” Mayor Quincy Snow said. Snow said Visker would be available to answer questions about the 2014 budget which she put together before leaving. “A lot of clerks in the area know what she could do and often asked for her assistance,” Snow stated. His comments were mi... Full story
You can meet Blackbeard the Pirate this Saturday during two performances of a children's play by the same name at the Grand Gallery Theater in Grand Coulee. Children have been practicing all week with personnel from the Missoula Children's Theater organization and will perform at 2 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, a project of the local PTA. Children from local schools auditioned Monday afternoon at the theater at ?? Main Street and immediately began practices. This week practices are from 3-8 p.m. each... Full story
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
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
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
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
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
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
by Roger S. Lucas Grand Coulee police officers can no longer operate within the town limits of Coulee Dam, according to a letter sent last Wednesday to Police Chief Mel Hunt. The letter from Coulee Dam Chief Pat Collins revokes permission for Grand Coulee officers to operate within the town of Coulee Dam, even when they are covering for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Collins said Tuesday that the decision was prompted by Grand Coulee getting a bureau contract when Coulee Dam didn’t. The bureau awarded the three-year, $1.6 million contract t... Full story
Electric City’s council approved a request for a $2,000 contribution to the Grand Coulee Dam/Coulee City Nutritional Program at its meeting Oct 8. The council will take a formal vote on the resolution at its next meeting, Nov. 5. The request, made by Myrna M. Schryvers, director of the program, is for the city’s 2014 budget. This budget year Electric City gave the organization $1,500. Schryvers, by letter, explained to the council how costs have risen and how popular the program has become. The organization has a budget this year of $15... Full story