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Articles from the October 4, 2017 edition


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  • Town of Coulee Dam will become a city

    Scott Hunter|Oct 4, 2017

    The town of Coulee Dam will soon become a “non-charter code city,” following a vote at the town council meeting last week. The council voted unanimously to make the switch that Town Attorney Mick Howe said most other municipalities in Washington have already taken. The proposal met with concern among citizens last June, who showed up at a council meeting after hearing of the proposal via a letter delivered door-to-door by a town council candidate, Fred Netzel. His concern, he said at the time, was not that the move would be bad for the tow...

  • Local man drives over the edge

    Scott Hunter|Oct 4, 2017

    A local man drove over a steep embankment at an overlook just below Grand Coulee Dam Friday night, surviving a 200-foot plunge down the hill. Christopher Coffey, 32, of Electric City, was ejected from the 2000 Toyota Tundra he was driving, ending up about 25 yards from the pickup, the Washington State Patrol and local police reported. As he headed southbound on SR-155 just before 7:30, Coffey drove uphill through two fences and an aluminum street light pole before heading over the hill to the...

  • Local quilters competing in international show

    Oct 4, 2017

    Marlene Oddie and Nancy Goddard, of Grand Coulee, are semifinalists for the 2017 AQS QuiltWeek event in Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 4-7. Quilts were entered in this international contest from 42 U.S. states and 13 other countries. Oddie has been chosen to display the quilt "RONDURE - SEAGLASS." Goddard, in collaboration with Oddie, has been chosen to display the quilt, "JEWELS," along with 214 other entries in the contest. As semifinalists, their quilts will be displayed in the show, which is...

  • Study outlines town's sewage options

    Roger S Lucas and Scott Hunter|Oct 4, 2017

    A study on Elmer City’s options for sewage treatment suggests the town may save over the long run by building a new treatment plant of its own, instead of extending its decades-long contract with Coulee Dam. Elmer City has received its wastewater treatment plant alternative study developed by Indian Health Services, and the report will get its first airing at the town council’s meeting, Oct. 12. The report provides several alternative routes for the town to develop its own sewage treatment system, or do nothing at all and remain with Cou... Full story

  • Elmer City plans lean toward own plant

    Roger S. Lucas|Oct 4, 2017

    The town of Elmer City currently has no plan to upgrade its sewage pump station, which it will need to by spring if it is to continue sending sewage to Coulee Dam. The issue came up at the town’s last council meeting when two members of Coulee Dam’s council and two of its engineers informed Elmer City that they needed to update their pumping station by March of next year when Coulee Dam’s new wastewater treatment plant goes online. If the new sewer plant went online now, “it would fail,” Elmer City Mayor Gail Morin stated last week. “It may n...

  • Newsbriefs

    Oct 4, 2017

    Bridge inspection may slow traffic State Dept. of Transportation bridge technicians will use an under-bridge inspection truck for a regularly scheduled structural and safety inspection of the bridge over the feeder canal on SR 174 in Grand Coulee on Thursday. The work is scheduled for Thursday only, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Drivers should expect short delays with single-lane, flagger-controlled traffic. County-wide burn restrictions lifted The Grant County Board of Commissioners and fire marshal announced Tuesday that county-wide burn...

  • LR homecoming royalty

    Oct 4, 2017

    The 2017 Lake Roosevelt homecoming royalty stands in front of family, friends, and classmates during halftime at the homecoming football game in Coulee Dam on Friday. Chosen by their classmates, the royalty rode onto the field in classic cars and posed for the many pictures taken of them. Homecoming week featured displays of school pride from students, such as dressing up in styles from past decades, a homecoming dance, and donating hygiene items to be given out through the local food bank (see...

  • Homecoming effort yields supplies for area

    Oct 4, 2017

    Another homecoming is in the books at Lake Roosevelt High School and out of all the fun a serious community need was met. When leadership students Alan Nordine and Blossom Armstrong were asked to head up the community service aspect of Homecoming Week, they researched many ideas, said the leadership class teacher, Lori Adkins. The students considered national and statewide needs. Many worth causes existed, but one stood out to them right here at home, Adkins said. When contacting the local food...

  • Real newspapers, real news

    Rollie Atkinson|Oct 4, 2017

    “Real Newspapers, Real News” is the theme of this year’s National Newspaper Week (Oct. 1-7). Indeed, there’s always been lots of “real” at newspapers. Real stories, real journalism, real work, real deadlines, real honesty, real facts, real changes and, now, real threats. This is the 77th annual National Newspaper Week, a time to reflect on the job of newspapers to keep all things “real,” such as real conversation, real democracy, real science, real trade, real fact-sharing, real faith and real friends. Of course, we hear lots these days abou...

  • Concerned that PUD stopped network buildout

    Mick Qualls|Oct 4, 2017

    As a concerned group of Grant County citizens, we believe that your readers will be as concerned as we are to learn that Grant PUD eliminated build-out of new fiber connections from their 2018 budget. The budget maintains service to those that have fiber, but no new service will be connected in the coming year. Our community group, Grant County Fiber Active, believes that fiber service is a necessity for the future of our county. Without connectivity, businesses, homes and students are completely disadvantaged. Modern agriculture businesses...

  • Mourning in the morning

    Oct 4, 2017

    I woke up Monday morning and my heart broke. I watched the video and sat in awe once again. A shooting in Las Vegas, 59 dead, hundreds injured and the shooter took his own life. It became obvious as the details emerged that this was a planned-out massacre and murder of many. The why is not known at the time of writing, but with investigation that may emerge also. Is this what America has come to? Violence and unnecessary death fed to us on a daily score sheet. Arguments over the little and big that end up destroying sons, daughters, mothers,...

  • Election reform is about more than fraud

    Lee Hamilton|Oct 4, 2017

    A dozen years ago, the preface to a report on federal election reform began with these words: “Polls indicate that many Americans lack confidence in the electoral system, but the political parties are so divided that serious electoral reform is unlikely without a strong bipartisan voice.” I can find no part of that sentence that’s not still true. Americans still lack confidence in the electoral system. The political parties are still divided. Serious electoral reform remains unlikely. Perhaps the only change is that the commission issui...

  • Sixty-eight Years Ago

    Oct 4, 2017

    Interior view of the left barrel of the cut and cover section of the feeder canal. In the foreground, forms for a completed pour are still in place. – October 11, 1949...

  • Class celebrates 60th reunion

    Oct 4, 2017

    The Coulee Dam High School class of 1957 held their 60th class reunion in Spokane, Washington, Sept. 22-23, beginning with a luncheon Friday at the home of Herm and Jeraldine Caviness in south Spokane, then dinner at the Twigs restaurant with a program and video following. Members of the class took a tour Saturday of the Bing Crosby childhood home, followed by a picnic box lunch at Duncan Gardens in Manito Park. The finale was an afternoon cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Members of the class came...

  • Enjoy the majesty of fall: Join the Arbor Day Foundation

    Oct 4, 2017

    The Arbor Day Foundation will brighten up your fall by offering 10 free autumn classics trees or five free Crapemyrtle when you join the organization in October. The free trees are part of the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation’s Trees for America campaign, a program dedicated to environmental stewardship through the planting of trees. Everyone who joins the Arbor Day Foundation in October will receive five free crapemyrtle trees or 10 free autumn classics selected for your area. The 10 autumn classics include: two sugar maples, two red maples, a... Full story

  • Senior meals

    Oct 4, 2017

    Wed., Oct. 4 - Dinner Cheeseburger, French Fries, Mixed Veggies, Mixed Fruit, Brownie Thurs., Oct. 5 - Dinner Chicken Alfredo over Noodles, Green Beans with Onions, Fruit Cup, Cook’s Choice Fri., Oct. 6 - Breakfast Ham Scramble, Hashbrowns, Toast, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice Mon., Oct. 9 - Breakfast Country Skillet (Meat, Eggs, Potatoes) with Gravy, Toast, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice Tues., Oct. 10 - Dinner Stuffed Peppers, Salad and Fruit Bar, Cook’s Choice Wed., Oct. 11 - Dinner Chicken Caesar Salad, Garlic Toast, Mixed Fruit, Cup...

  • Meetings and Notices

    Oct 4, 2017

    Chamber to Meet The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet this Thursday, Oct. 5, at Siam Palace. Meeting begins at noon. Bob Valen is speaking about “The Bugs on Your Face.” Candidate Training Workshop Oct. 15 Thinking about running for an elected office or helping someone who will? Attend a nonpartisan and free workshop led by Ashley Thrasher for Okanogan County citizens and those citizens who share legislative districts with the Okanogan County. The workshop will be held Sunday, Oct. 15, in Tonasket Community Cultural Cen...

  • Celebrating 60 years

    Oct 4, 2017

    Larry and Gerry Boyd will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on October 12. After all these many years, they only want the presence of their two daughters, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren at a family dinner. They include: Lorena (Allen) Galbraith, Aaron, Lisa and Kole, Charlene (Gilbert) Desautel, Theresa (Rod) Gilchrist, Kalani, Alyssa and Talon, Lacy (P.J.) Pakootas, Autumn Sky and Stormy Sky....

  • With season at 7-1, Raider volleyball now enters league play

    Jacob Wagner|Oct 4, 2017

    The Lady Raiders are entering the league season with an overall 7-1 win-loss record, following a loss against Brewster and a win against Soap Lake last week. The Lady Raiders lost to the Lady Bears in three sets Sept. 26 in Brewster. "Brewster was the better team for the night," said LR Head Coach Kasey Garvin. "We struggled early with passing and putting anything fluid together. We started to find a passing groove in the last two sets, but our net play lacked. It felt like we were playing...

  • Raiders run in challenging meet

    Jacob Wagner|Oct 4, 2017

    The Lake Roosevelt Raiders competed at the Tonasket Invitational on Thurs., Sept 28. "It was a challenging meet," said Head Coach Brian Daniels. "Just in terms of the course, there's a big hill that they had to climb twice. I thought we had done a lot of hill work, but having to do that in a race setting was a challenge." The coach said that, facing the grass-gravel-dirt surfaced, 2.8-mile course (shorter than the usual 3.1-mile course), his runners performed consistently with how they've been...

  • LR soccer drops two, one in a shootout

    Jacob Wagner|Oct 4, 2017

    Lady Raider soccer had a tough week, losing a couple of close games. In Okanogan on Sept. 26, the Lady Raiders lost to the Lady Bulldogs, 3-0. "It was a difficult game to watch," said Head Coach Casey Moore. "Our team didn't play as aggressive as usual. They did well on communication and passing. Maddie (Toulou) had several close attempts. Okanogan is a solid team and they deserved their 3-0 win. Our team played better than last year, and we are looking forward to a rematch with Okanogan next...

  • Raiders stung in loss to Oroville Hornets

    Jacob Wagner|Oct 4, 2017

    The Lake Roosevelt Raiders are in need of some antihistamine after getting stung by the Oroville Hornets on Friday night. Leading 8-6 at the half, the Raiders lost the lead, then the game, when the Hornets put up 27 points in the third quarter. It wasn't a total blowout, as the Raiders put up eight points in the third, and eight in the fourth, with a final score of 33-24. In the first quarter, a Hornet fumble recovered by Raider Dylan Steinert gave LR good field position. A pristine pass from...

  • Legals for October 4, 2017

    Oct 4, 2017

    Public Notice Town of Coulee Dam NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEETING DATE CHANGE To the citizens of the Town of Coulee Dam, Washington, Due to staff training, the October 11, 2017 regular Town Council Meeting will be moved to Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. Stefani Bowden, Clerk/Treasurer (Publish October 4, 2017) Town of Elmer City Notice of Public Meeting The Town of Elmer City will conduct a Public Meeting to decide how to allocate TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT tab fee funds. Said meeting will be held at Elmer City Town Hall, 505 Seaton... Full story

  • Coulee Cops

    Oct 4, 2017

    Grand Coulee Police 9/23 - An officer returning from taking a prisoner to jail came upon a two-vehicle accident near Coulee City. The officer took information, cleared the intersection and advised the county sheriff’s office and Washington State Patrol. 9/25 - A man on a motorcycle known to have a warrant for his arrest was detained and, after the warrant was confirmed, taken to Grant County jail. - Coulee Dam asked for assistance after one of their officers stopped a vehicle, had one person detained, and two others fled in the vehicle. The v...