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Housing developments in Elmer City and Keller are being built in the hopes of attracting health care professionals to the areas. On June 8, the Colville Business Council "voted to move forward with a commercial general contractor for the construction of two professional housing developments," Chairman Andrew Joseph Jr. said in an email. "Both sites will be completely developed, however we will only build seven houses on each site at this time," Joseph explained. Out of the seven houses on each...
Reversing an earlier decision, the Colville Tribes will now allow previously canceled stick games and a powwow to go one, but only vaccinated people can attend. The Star received an email announcing the decision late Wednesday morning, after the printing this week's issue. The decision was made by 2 p.m. Tuesday. Below is the new press release: The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation has decided to let the powwow and stick games set for September proceed, provided that each event will require all participants to show proof of...
The Colville Tribes filed a lawsuit last week against the United States, seeking damages related to the massive wildfires that burned more than 240,000 acres on the Colville Reservation in 2015. “The Tribes alleged that the United States failed to maintain adequate forest health, through measures such as prescribed burning, which led to fires of unprecedented size and intensity,” a press release from the tribes explains. In August 2015 the North Star and Tunk Block fires burned more than 590 square miles and 800 million board feet of tim...
Gov. Jay Inslee met with tribal leaders and people affected by wildfire in Nespelem last week, characterizing the area as perhaps "the epicenter of climate change." He met with the Colville Business Council as well as with incident command staff from recent reservation fires in a closed meeting inside the Lucy Covington Government Center, the Tribal Tribune reported. "These are such difficult days dealing with COVID and these fires," Inslee is reported as saying in the July 21 meeting. "No...
Gov. Jay Inslee has scheduled a visit to the Lucy Covington Government Center in Nespelem today. The governor is meeting with leaders of communities impacted by recent wildfires, including the Colville Business Council. Inslee plans to hear directly from a select group of community members greatly impacted by the fire on the first floor of the Government Center starting at 3 p.m., a press release from the Colville Tribes sent Tuesday night said. The governor will receive earlier briefings from the Colville Business Council and from fire...
Here is this morning's update on the Chuweah Creek Fire from the incident commander, along with an updated map. Cooler weather is helping for now, and acreage estimates have been changed with better mapping. CHUWEAH CREEK FIRE UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commander: Bobby Shindelar July 17, 2021 8:00 AM Operations Today: Firefighters continue to make good progress on the Chuweah Creek Fire, which was started by lightning on July 12 and is burning east of Nespelem....
Andy Joseph, Jr is the new chairman of the Colville Business Council, bringing 18 years of experience on the council with him. Seven newly elected or reelected members of the 14-member council took the oath of office July 8 at the Lucy F. Covington Government Center in Nespelem. Former Chairman Rodney Cawston lost his seat on the council to Alison Ball in the recent election. Joseph, who didn't have to run for reelection this year, was chosen by unanimous decision of his fellow council members...
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...
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 ...
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...
Following poll votes last Saturday, unofficial election results for the Colville Business Council came in showing a squeaker in the Keller District, a challenger ahead of the current CBC president and two Finleys leading in Inchelium’s districts. Absentee votes will be certified Thursday, June 24 and could make a difference in results. In the Nespelem District, Allison Boyd-Ball was leading 64-50 over CBC Chairman Rodney Cawston for Position 1, but Jarred Erickson had a healthy lead over Randy Friedlander, 74-44. For Keller’s Position 1, inc...
With poll and absentee votes both now certified, twenty-six candidates have been narrowed down to 14 in the primary for seven seats on the Colville Business Council, with only one incumbent knocked out of the running. There are seven out of 14 total positions up for election to the Colville Business Council, the governing body of the Colville Tribes. Primary polls opened May 8, with poll votes certified on May 10, and absentee votes were certified May 13. The top two candidates in each race will move on to the general election June 19 with...
Twenty-six candidates will vie for six seats in the primary runoff for the Colville Business Council coming in May. There are seven out of 14 total positions up for election to the Colville Business Council, the governing body of the Colville Tribes. The Keller District will not need a primary runoff because it has just two candidates, and they will face off in the general election in June. The primaries to narrow these races down to two candidates are set for May, with polls open on May 8, poll votes certified on May 10, and absentee votes...
The Colville Tribes have been diligent in vaccinating their members against COVID-19 and members 18 years and older qualify to make an appointment for theirs. More than 4,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been delivered on the Colville Reservation, representing more than a third of tribal members who have received at least the first shot of the required two shots of the Moderna vaccine, and many who have received both doses, according to a March 18 press release from the Tribes. In the coming days, the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine...
Colville Business Council Vice-Chairman Joel Boyd of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation was placed on administrative leave on March 24 by action of the Executive Committee of the Colville Tribes, a press release from the Colville Tribes says. The leave is effective immediately and will continue until further action is taken by the full Colville Business Council in the next available Special Session, which is currently scheduled for April 8, 2021. Vice-Chairman Boyd will not conduct business of the Colville Business Council...
The town of Coulee Dam still plans on its traditional, spring cleanup help with yard waste despite the fact that the areawide spring cleanup was altered this year. Grant County officials told the Regional Board of Mayors recently that the traditional waving of fees at the transfer station for spring cleanup is not legal, so the mayors agreed on a reduced fee for dumping yard waste, not free. Coulee Dam has its own spot for dumping yard waste, so will continue with that service for its citizens April 3-10. “Since we do not use the landfill to d...
A new book by Colville Tribal member Arnie Marchand titled "What Is Your Name?" describes the way of life of the Okanogan Native Americans, examining the lives of individuals and the history of the people. The book, Marchand's second, is published by Heritage Productions out of Oroville where Marchand lives, and is available on Amazon as well as through the North Central Washington library system, which includes the Grand Coulee Library. "In this work I want to let you know some things about...
The chairman of the Colville Business Council expressed support Thursday for finding a regional solution to restore salmon in the Columbia River and expressed appreciation for the willingness of Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) to offer a regionwide proposal. Simpson released his “Northwest in Transition” proposal earlier this month, drawing immediate fire from critics of its central tenet of breaching dams on the Snake River, including from Simpson’s colleague in the House, Rep. Dan Newhouse, who represents Washington’s 4th District in Congres...
(Nespelem, WA)—The chairman of the Colville Business Council expressed support Thursday for finding a regional solution to restore salmon in the Columbia River and expressed appreciation for the willingness of Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) to offer a regionwide proposal. Simpson released his “Northwest in Transition” proposal earlier this month, drawing immediate fire from critics of its central tenet of breaching dams on the Snake River, including from Simpson’s colleague in the House, Rep. Dan Newhouse, who represents Washington’s 4th District...
The Colville Tribes has lifted the Covid-related curfew in Keller a week after it lifted the same restriction in Inchelium. The Keller 9 p.m. curfew was lifted as of tonight, Jan. 14. "Fortunately, the spike of COVID-19 cases seen in recent days in the Keller District has trended downward enough that the Business Council is able to lift the curfew at this time," explained tribal Chairman Rodney Cawston in a statement issued Thursday evening. "Thank you to all in the Keller community who have...
Opportunity for growth has opened for the town of Nespelem with an upgraded water system now up and running. Mayor Darcy Epperson explained to The Star over the phone on Tuesday that the town actually has two water systems, and needed to repair one of them. "We did two because if our one goes down, we are without [water] and our town has no way to get that water to our customers. So that's why it was such an emergent situation. We have them both up and running now." "The town had been in this...
Colville Indian Housing Authority Request for Quotations The Colville Indian Housing Authority is requesting quotations from Indian owned and non-Indian owned firms to furnish labor and materials for one project. All work and materials will be detailed in the scope of work for the project. Demo fire damaged Malott Unit’s 4154, 4155, and 4156. For additional information or to request copies of the complete RFQ and scope of work please contact Melissa Williams at 509.634.2548 or melissa.williams.hsg@colvilletribes.com. All written proposals m...
Colville Indian Housing Authority REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS ENCC Fire Rehab 1198 Bullrope St. Omak, WA 98841 Description: 1. Provide quotation on the Rehab of fire damaged building. (see scope of work). The Colville Indian Housing Authority is requesting Quotations to furnish Labor and material for the above items as contained in the attached scope of work, All work and materials will be as shown in the Scope of Work and Provisions to the Cotnract. The following documents are attached and will be included in and become part of the Contract Documen...
The Colville Tribes is working to address the problem of students in the Nespelem area not having access to the internet while schools are switching to a distance-learning model of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nespelem School District board of directors Aug. 26 approved allowing the Tribes to build an internet tower on school grounds, something that Superintendent/Principal Effie Dean said would bring internet access to the town of Nespelem. And beyond the town people could create “hotspots” using their phones, altogether bri...
Janet Louise Nicholson age 66, proud member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, whose life was spent in service to the her nation, passed away in Elmer City, Washington Tuesday morning August 25, 2020 surrounded by her loving family. Born Saturday, August 21, 1954 in Nespelem, Washington to Isaac & Marie Covington–Wak Wak, Janet was baptized into the Catholic Church, was a member of Seven Drums – “Washaat,” and American Legion Post 114 of Nespelem, Washington. First employed by the tribal government at age 14 years; Janet w...