News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The state’s new plan for funding education is going to make it difficult to put together the budget for the 2018-19 school year, officials here have indicated, and they’re planning for a second round of big cuts. Superintendent Paul Turner, who trimmed the current year’s budget by over $500,000 last spring and summer, will be faced with the task of doing it again. It is all tied to the McCleary ruling handed down in 2012 when the Washington State Supreme Court told the Legislature that it had to fully fund basic education. The Legis...
Kindergarteners perform a poem titled "Chubby Snowman" during a concert at Lake Roosevelt Elementary last Wednesday. They are holding their hands on their noses to represent the carrot that a hungry bunny stole. From left to right are Haddie Marconi, Eva Connors, Sage Green, Macy Paslay, Charisma Holt, Reese Erickson, Kolby Graves, Kacen Duclos and Shyne Redstar. - Jacob Wagner photo...
Voters in Grand Coulee this week received their mail-in ballots asking whether they approve of creating a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) and bumping up the sales tax rate to pay for it. The city council voted back in October to create a TBD to raise money for streets. If voters pass the issue, residents and anyone else purchasing taxable items within the city limits will pay two-tenths of one percent more in sales tax. The new money would develop funds to repair streets within the city. A transportation benefit district can use one of...
Elmer City has requested Coulee Dam’s help in paying for adjustments needed to keep the two towns’ sewage treatment systems working together, an idea that met with resistance at Coulee Dam’s town council Wednesday night. Coulee Dam, which treats Elmer City’s sewage, is building a new wastewater treatment plant, due to come online later this year. Elmer City’s leadership has chosen to pursue building its own plant, but that would be years from opening, provided they are successful getting the financing to build it. In the meantime, Coulee Da...
No basketball tournament this year Larry Jordan announced this week that the Nespelem All-Indian basketball tournament has been canceled for this year. Town to open bids on trail Bids will be opened at 3 p.m. today (Wednesday) on the Elmer City recreation trail, officials stated. The opening will be at town hall. The $250,000 project was funded by the state Transportation Improvement Board. The grant will pay for both the engineer and construction cost. The trail system, a paved system for both walkers and bicyclists, will be along the Lower...
If you were to rate the reception you get at the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the greatest, you might rate Ivan Snavely's welcome an 11. Snavely runs the tour program and the Visitor Center for the Bureau of Reclamation. "It's the best job I've ever had," Snavely said last week. His smile, and interest in meeting and serving people, is contagious. Snavely has been on the job here for eight years, and recalls when he filled out the applications for a variety...
A four-car crash blocked the intersection of two highways at Soap Lake Tuesday, injuring three people, including a Grand Coulee man. The Washington State Patrol said the collision occurred at 10:13 a.m. when a Twisp driver headed south in a 2014 Jeep Wrangler ran a stop sign where SR-17 meets SR-28. The Jeep, driven by Amy Days, 39, struck the passenger side of a 2010 Honda Element driven by 79-year-old Colleen Martin, of Wilson Creek, who was driving west through the intersection. The Jeep...
University of Washington students from the Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma campuses met with lawmakers in support of higher education bills during the annual Huskies on the Hill lobby day, Monday, Jan. 29. The Associated Students of the University of Washington from all three UW campuses asked their legislators to fully fund the State Need Grant which, they said, is underfunded by $85 million. But diversity and undocumented students' rights were at issue too. Kendra Canton, director of diversity...
I recently sat down with one of my all-time favorite ladies, Lake Roosevelt senior Chasity “All-star” Williams to talk about how things are going. Chasity has one of the biggest, best smiles and has grown a lot over the past few years. She is also a private person when it comes to her personal life, but she opened up a bit as we chatted with each other. “Better than I thought.” That was her answer to my opening question of how her year was going. She explained that she got an early accepta...
It’s not good to be a North Korean guest worker these days. As part of stepped-up sanctions against the rogue nation’s accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile development programs, countries around the world are expelling North Koreans. They are being sent back to an impoverished country, which continues to spend the bulk of its money on sophisticated weapons systems. North Korea is a nation where over 70 percent of its citizens have no electricity, over 125,000 are imprisoned, and food and jobs are scarce. Its dictator sends conscripted wor...
On Friday, January 19, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined together and walked along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the 45th annual March for Life. In full view of the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol, and in the shadow of the Washington Monument, marchers raised their voices to show support for the cause of human life and dignity for every person, born or unborn. While marchers gathered outdoors, inside the House of Representatives work was being accomplished on pro-life legislation. The House was debating H.R....
1 years ago The Lady Raiders took an early lead and never looked back as they put together a 77-48 Caribou Trail League win over Cashmere in Coulee Dam Saturday night. That made it two in a row last week, having trounced the Omak Pioneers on their home court 65-44. Pipe breaks in school: School district workers are mopping up after a pipe broke over the weekend at Wright Elementary. Superintendent Jeff Loe stated that there is a lot of water in the library and in the hallway off the library. “We don’t think the pipes froze; it was the pip...
Craig E. Purdy passed away Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at his home in Coulee Dam, Washington. He was born July 18, 1950, in Spokane, Washington, to Edward and Helen Purdy. Craig was a longtime custodian at the Grand Coulee School District. He had an antique radio sales and repair business for over 40 years, and had customers from all over the world. Craig was a very kind-hearted person. He also received an AA degree in computer repair. Craig is survived by his sister, Michelle Purdy; one niece, A... Full story
Josephine "Jo" Switzer, 92, of Grand Coulee, Washington, passed away Friday morning, March 31, 2017, in the long-term care unit of Coulee Medical Center. Jo was born January 7, 1925, in Staunton, Illinois, to Mike and Agnes Martinovich. In 1947, she married Robert E. "Bob" Switzer, with whom she shared just a few days shy of 30 wonderful years. Jo's lifelong occupation and greatest joy was as a wife, mother, and grandmother; though during the 1970s she did serve as cook for the hospital in... Full story
Utility rate discounts set in December for Coulee Dam were repealed by the town council last week when members passed a set of ordinances identical to the ones the previous council had replaced in December. The new ordinances passed Wednesday reset the discount amounts charged for water, sewer, electricity and trash collection to their previous rates, but may be amended again after the new council agrees on new rates. Councilmember Keith St. Jeor had objected to the ordinances passed in December and contends that discounts set for low-income...
Martin Falls tumbles in full flow over the coulee wall Thursday as the mist covers the rocks. - Jacob Wagner photo...
This Raiders chalked up two league victories, a loss in league, plus a non-league loss last week, defeating the Tonasket Tigers, losing to the Omak Pioneers, defeating the Bridgeport Mustangs, and falling to the Brewster Bears. The Raiders hosted the Tigers Jan. 23, and won with a final score of 60-56. "Close win," Head Coach Jeremy Crollard said. "The boys played well." "Down the stretch, Kyle Edmo got some big boards for us on defense," added Assistant Coach Ty Egbert. Trevor McCraigie scored...
It’s a girl for Berry/Vargas Vanessa Berry and Lindsey Vargas, of Malott, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Michelle Vargas, born December 21, 2017, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington. She weighed 7 lbs., 13.4 oz., and was 21 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Xena R. Vargas, age 3, and Lindsey R. Vargas Jr., age 1. Maternal grandparents are Elizabeth A. Berry and Tommy E. Berry. Paternal grandparents are Laurie M. Saulque and Marc Vargas; great-grandparents are Myra Agapith a...
The Lady Raiders had a busy week, defeating the Tigers, losing a close one to Omak in a non-league game, demolishing Bridgeport, and losing to Brewster. Hosting the Tonasket Lady Tigers on Jan. 23, the Lady Raiders won with a final score of 53-39. "That was a win that we definitely needed," said Head Coach Wallace Pleasants. "The girls figured out what to do. We did a good job of taking away what they wanted to do." Several technical fouls were called on both sides. "Everybody knows what's on...
The league mix and match was held in Coulee Dam on Saturday, with all six teams from the Central Washington 2B league in attendance: Lake Roosevelt, Oroville, Tonasket, Brewster, Pateros, and Liberty Bell. The event helped give wrestlers the chance to face off with league opponents they haven't wrestled yet, and also helps coaches determine seeding for the districts tournament in Oroville. Not everyone wrestled, Head Coach Steve Hood said, "but the ones that needed to did. Some got one match,...
Local students on SCC honor roll The fall 2017 honor roll list at Spokane Community College includes several students from local region, who made the honor roll status, by earining a 3.0 grade point average or higher while attending full time with at least a 12-credit class load. Named to the SCC list were Cameron Tillman and Matt- hew Tillman, both of Nespelem; Charles Hunt and Tyler Weimerskirch, both of Coulee City; and Alexander Dye, of Hartline. SCC is one of the largest community colleges in the state and serves more than 20,000 students...
Wed. Jan. 31 5 p.m., LRJH Girls’ Basketball here with Omak 5 p.m., LRJH Wrestling at Nespelem with Omak/Oroville Thurs. Feb. 1 LRHS Basketball here with Waterville/Mansfield(L), 4:30, Boys’ JV at MS, Girls’ JV at HS; 6 p.m., Girls’ Varsity; 7:30 p.m., Boys’ Varsity both at HS 5 p.m., LRJH Girls’ basketball at Bridgeport Fri., Feb. 2 TBD, LRHS Wrestling Districts, TBD Sat.. Feb. 3 LRHS Basketball here with Soap Lake, 3 p.m., Boys’ JV; 4:30 p.m., Girls’ Varsity; 6 p.m., Boys’ Varsity TBD, LRHS Wrestling Districts, TBD Tues., Feb. 6 4 p.m., LR...
DAM KEGLERS TEAM W L Team 6 60.5 39.5 Native Spirit 50.5 49.5 Colville Lites 48 52 The Melody 44 56 Team 5 40.5 59.5 High Game: Jesse Vieira 261; Candy Weed-Butz 199 High Series: Jesse Vieira 588; Candy Weed-Butz 528 THURSDAY MIXUPS TEAM W L San Poil Valley 48 32 Flying J 45 35 X Men 44 36 Good Ol' Boys 40 40 The Crew 36 44 *GG's w/a Chance 27 53 High Game: Jesse Vieira 256; Mae Stensgar 192 High Series: Jon Stensgar 658; Candy Weed-Butz 512 Splits: Amber Olson 5-6; Logan Stensgar 2-5-7; Jesse Vieira 2-4-7-10 WEDNESDAY SENIORS Karen M....
Grand Coulee Senior Center Call for bids The Grand Coulee Senior Center is accepting bids to replace approx. 600 sq. ft. of flooring in the commercial kitchen. A detailed work order can be requested by calling 633-2321 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Bid closing date March 1, 2018. The Grand Coulee Senior Center reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive technicalities, and in its sole judgment, accept the bid which it deems is in its best interest. The Grand Coulee Senior Center is an Equal Opportunity and... Full story
Coulee Dam Police 1/22 - A man was stopped by an officer, who noted his vehicle didn’t have rear lights on after dark. The officer learned the driver’s license was suspended. He was cited for that and told to park the vehicle until a licensed driver was found. - Police officers assisted tribal police in the arrest of a man wanted on warrants. The officers noticed the man run into a house on River Drive and called for tribal officers to come to the location. Tribal officers got permission to enter the house and found the wanted man hiding in...