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Articles from the June 30, 2021 edition


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  • Shimmering heat

    Jun 30, 2021

    A heat mirage, not water, shimmers across the causeway on SR-155 at Osborn Bay in Electric City Saturday as local temperatures under a "heat dome" built up Saturday toward 108 degrees or more, only to be outdone on Monday and Tuesday, when at least one local read got to 114 degrees, with more on the way. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning through Sunday. - Scott Hunter photo...

  • Grant County commissioners decline to ban fireworks

    Scott Hunter|Jun 30, 2021

    In a special meeting Thursday afternoon Grant County’s leaders declined to ban the sale or use of fireworks in the county, after fire officials across the county had urged them to do so. A motion by Commissioner Danny Stone, of Hartline, to ban the sale of fireworks did not receive a second motion from either Commissioner Cindy Carter or Commissioner Rob Jones, and so did not move on for a vote. “My position was, I felt like our fire marshal had made a good case,” Stone said later. County Fire Marshal Nathaniel Poplawski had urged the commi... Full story

  • No fireworks, open fires on reservation

    Jun 30, 2021

    Buying or selling fireworks, or having any open fires are prohibited on the Colville Reservation beginning today and lasting until October 1. The Colville Business Council passed several emergency resolutions on July 1 to mitigate the fire risk due to extreme fire conditions on the Colville Reservation and surrounding areas. A July 1 press release from the tribes says that "the sale and ignition of fireworks are now prohibited within the Reservation boundaries. In addition, open fires are prohibited within the Reservation boundaries. All... Full story

  • County set to ban fireworks Thursday

    Scott Hunter|Jun 30, 2021

    Grant County Commissioners will meet in a special session Thursday to consider banning the use and/or sale of fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county. The expected 10-minute session will start at 3:20 p.m. July 1. County Fire Marshal Nathan Poplawski recommended in a letter to commissioners temporarily banning the sale and use of fireworks under the current extreme conditions, invoking Grant County Code 6.04.030 which allows such a move. Poplawski said that he didn't make the recommendation lightly, and that all but two of the fire...

  • Fire restrictions issued for public lands in Eastern Washington

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 30, 2021

    Don't even think about lighting a firework, smoking or target shooting on public lands in these conditions. The Bureau of Land Management on June 29 announced fire restrictions in the BLM's Spokane District, a temporary ban that takes effect on July 1 in 21 counties including Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Douglas locally, as well as Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Klickitat, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima. "The fire... Full story

  • Update: Local towns forbid or clamp down on fireworks in extreme heat

    Jacob Wagner|Jun 30, 2021

    It’s the Fourth of July weekend, and with local towns all forbidding or severly restricting fireworks use this year, local residents will just have to enjoy the professional fireworks show that launches from the Grand Coulee Dam on Sunday, July 4, at about 10:30 p.m. following the laser show. In the wake of historically high heat over the last week, some municipalities that simply align with state fireworks laws are banning them this week. That includes Electric City, which held an emergency council meeting on June 29 to outright forbid ... Full story

  • Chairman voted out in tribal election

    Jun 30, 2021

    The Colville Tribes will soon have a new chairman, as current Chairman Rodney Cawston has been voted out in the recent election for seven Colville Business Council positions. Absentee vote tallies were added to poll votes and certified Thursday for a final vote count in the general election for seven of the 14 positions on the CBC, which governs the Colville Confederated Tribes. Alison Boyd-Ball defeated Cawston 418 votes to 322 in the race for Nespelem District Position #1. Cawston was first elected to the council in 2017, becoming chairman...

  • Community pours in support for C. J.

    Scott Hunter|Jun 30, 2021

    A big effort to support a young man with cancer garnered a large amount of support last weekend, including a pulled-pork barbecue and a softball tournament, both taking place in high heat conditions. People turned out anyway. Mike Shear's pulled pork sold out Saturday, and the softball tournament at North Dam Park included 10 teams with members from as far away as Spokane and Hermiston, Ore. Two more teams had to drop out, said organizer April Smith, but no matter. "It filled up in less than 24... Full story

  • Covid cases up in local towns

    Jun 30, 2021

    An additional 28 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in local towns since May 19, and an additional nine deaths were reported in Grant County this week. Grant County Health District Tuesday reported nine additional Covid deaths, including a man in his 30s from Royal City; a woman in her 40s from Moses Lake; a man in his 50s from Moses Lake; a man in his 60s from Ephrata; three men in their 70s from Moses Lake; and a man in his 80s from Moses Lake. Nine of those recently confirmed dead from Covid were not vaccinated, the district said, and... Full story

  • Take care in extreme heat and fire danger

    Jun 30, 2021

    With, the extreme weather conditions along with the holiday weekend coming area firefighters ask everyone to be extremely careful with all their activities. On Monday June 28, we were under a Red Flag Warning because of the expected temperatures of 107 F and windy conditions. Recent fires show how quickly fires can become big and dangerous rapidly, both vegetation and structure fires. We ask people to look around their property and take precautions, make sure weeds and grass are cleared/cut low around buildings. Remove accumulated dry...

  • Cooperation needed to keep what we began on Independence Day

    Jack Stevenson|Jun 30, 2021

    Americans paid a high price to obtain and maintain our freedom and independence. Americans have also paid a high price to help other countries maintain their independence. Those achievements required teamwork. In the wake of WW II, the U.S. Congress gained a lot of members who had served in the war, eventually reaching 78 percent of the membership. Military service in a war zone is not essential for legislative service. However, those former members of Congress gained something vital from their war time experience. They learned that...

  • Tribal council must have no discussions on removing Enloe Dam

    Arnie Marchand|Jun 30, 2021

    This is an “Open Letter to the Tribal Council.” I have to address it to them and to you because you members are the ones that will ultimately pay for this if it ever comes to pass. It has to do with the removal of Enloe Dam and what you should know about it. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Tribal Council, please accept this letter as a “last ditch effort” to persuade you to have no further discussions regarding Enloe Dam. I have sent each of you my video explaining our position exactly as it was stated those many years ago. Now, it seems like the ...

  • Everybody needs a Bob

    Roger S. Lucas|Jun 30, 2021

    The most popular person in my wife’s family was her brother, Bob. My wife came from a rather large family, and they all had a lot of kids, taking to heart to go out and replenish the earth. That is all except her brother Bob, who married late. So, he became the uncle figure for all these kids. He was the chief farmer on the family farm, dedicating himself to the tedious task of farming. He milked about 27 cows morning and night for years on end. Each cow had a name. When I visited, I would go out to the barn and would always place a grin on his...

  • The power of our interconnected grid with ample supply

    Don C. Brunell|Jun 30, 2021

    How about some good news coming out of our record-breaking (extreme) heat wave? Luckily, we live and work in the Pacific Northwest, and are reaping the benefits from our well-connected power grid, which is supplied with abundant electricity. So far, only smaller sporadic power outages are attributed to the hot temperatures. From Seattle to Western Montana, blazing temperatures registering above 110 degrees gripped the region and even shut down the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials in Eugene on June 27. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) an...

  • Tracy Stone-Manning is dangerous for Central Washington and Rural America

    Dan Newhouse, Congressman|Jun 30, 2021

    Tracy Stone-Manning is an unacceptable nominee to serve as Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and President Biden’s nomination of her highlights just how out of touch he is with rural America. The Bureau of Land Management has an enormous impact on the lives and livelihoods of people throughout the Pacific Northwest. With 16.1 million acres of BLM land in our region, we deserve a Director who understands and appreciates the complex nature of public land management and the priorities of Central Washington. Ms. Stone-Manning is the...

  • Bill Moore

    Jun 30, 2021

    Bill Moore, 78, of Grand Coulee, Washington, passed away Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Hewas born on June 29, 1942, to Lillian Taylor Moore & William Maxwell (Max) Moore in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He grew up in Garden City, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He was an only child, but played with his cousins, who lived nearby. He loved to read-his mother always told him "when you have a book to read, you are never alone". As a child, he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. His father quit his job and... Full story

  • Williams graduates from EWU

    Jun 30, 2021

    Hannah Lee Williams recently graduated from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology. Williams was on the Dean's List with a 3.57 gpa. She had Institutional Honors of Cum Laude and was also a part of the LOTA Beta Honors Society for Social Work. She is going to continue her education though the advanced standing masters program at EWU. Williams a 2017 graduate of Lake Roosevelt High School, is the daughter of...

  • Cooling centers at libraries

    Jun 30, 2021

    NCW Libraries branches in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan and Ferry counties are serving as cooling centers during the current heat wave. Anyone who needs to escape the heat is invited to browse books and movies, read and relax, use public computers and connect to wifi — and stay as long as they need during the normal hours of operation at libraries. Please stay cool and safe!... Full story

  • Don't forget your mask after June 30 - you may still need it even if you're vaccinated

    Jun 30, 2021

    OLYMPIA – The Secretary of Health’s mask order will remain in place even after June 30, which means that people who are not fully vaccinated need to continue to wear a face mask in public indoor settings even when things start to go back to normal as the state reaches a reopening milestone. All people, regardless of vaccination status, are still required to wear masks in certain places, such as schools and health care settings, the state Dept. of Health said in a release Tuesday. In most other settings, people who are fully vaccinated do not... Full story

  • Legals for June 30, 2021

    Jun 30, 2021

    CITY OF COULEE DAM, WASHINGTON ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS 2022 SEAL coat project – Roosevelt Way, Mead Way, Central Drive, & Crest Drive The City of Coulee Dam, Washington, will accept electronic bids for the work described below until 1:30 PM. on July 14, 2021 local time. Due to the current COVID situation Bids will be opened and read aloud virtually via the following link: meet.google.com/ngn-qaba-mrq Join by phone (US) +1 615-965-4963 PIN: 700 821 664# A bid summary will be issued after opening, emailed to all bidders and posted on the w... Full story

  • Campfires, charcoal prohibited in eastern Washington state parks

    Jun 30, 2021

    OLYMPIA – June 25, 2021 – Washington State Parks is prohibiting wood campfires and charcoal use in state parks east of the Cascades beginning today, June 25. Western Washington state parks may have local restrictions. With extreme hot and dry conditions affecting the entire state, the campfire ban is necessary to help prevent accidental wildfires. Eastern Washington state parks are under a level 3 campfire ban or higher. A level 3 ban prohibits wood and charcoal fires but allows for gas and propane camp stoves and firepits.. For areas in wes...

  • Boaters, paddlers reminded to take extra caution during heatwave

    Jun 30, 2021

    Olympia – June 23, 2021 – Hot, sunny weather is in the forecast for the next week. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures statewide will be in the 90s and 100s.The Washington State Parks Boating Program urges boaters and paddlers to be extra cautious on the water. Even though the air is warm, water in rivers and lakes remains cold from snowmelt runoff. Most river and creek water temperatures range from the upper 30s to the mid-40s — temperatures that can easily cause cold-water shock. “One of the best ways for boaters and pad...

  • Coulee Cops

    Jun 30, 2021

    Grand Coulee Police 6/22- A man and woman on Roosevelt Drive apologized to police for arguing outside when police responded to the location because of the argument. - Police responded to Eden Harbor where a man reportedly was screaming profanities near the docks. Police found the man at the docks taking his clothes off, then jumping in the water. While he was in the water police asked him what was going on. The man admitted to screaming profanities. Police told him he was scaring people and to stop. Police have seen the same man screaming at...

  • Keller ferry is out of service

    Scott Hunter|Jun 30, 2021

    The MS Sanpoil, which ferries traffic across Lake Roosevelt on SR 21, is out of service until further notice, the state Dept of Transportation said tonight. The notice came less than an hour after an earlier notice advised the ferry would be down until 9 p.m. tonight due to mechanical problems. DOT did not specify what the mechanical problem was.... Full story