News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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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.... Full story
You may soon be able to bet on sports at Colville Tribal casinos. After more than a year of negotiations, a tentative agreement has been reached between the state of Washington and tribes within the state regarding authorizing them to offer betting on sporting events. “The proposed amendment to the existing compact will enable the Colville Tribes to effectively offer sports betting to its casino patrons,” a press release states. “The agreement is comprehensive, covering a wide range of concerns that include money laundering and integrity of spo...
3 Tribes Mill Bay Casino announces the official opening of the 12 Tribes Mill Bay Casino RV Park. Reservations are now available online or at the Players Advantage Club. “Lake Chelan is a beautiful area, and given our pristine location we decided to expand and provide an oasis for our guests,” said Kary Nichols, Colville Tribal Federal Corporation (CTFC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO). “With the increase in outdoor recreation, we are excited to open and provide 30/50-amp RV Park spaces near the 12 Tribes Mill Bay Casino and Lake Chela...
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
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
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...
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 ...
Eric Charles Smiskin, 50, Loving Son, Brother, Uncle and Faithful Friend, left us all much too soon, Saturday afternoon, June 19, 2021 from Nespelem, Washington. Born Monday, April 26, 1971 in Roswell, New Mexico to William "Bill" George and Sandra Mae Clark, Eric attended Lake Roosevelt School in Coulee Dam, Washington and went on to earn his GED from Washington State University. A proud member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville and the Catholic Church, Eric enjoyed spending time... Full story
Vincent Vargas Sr., 69, proud member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville, loving dad, grandpa and faithful friend passed away surrounded by his family early Wednesday morning, June 9, 2021, in Grand Coulee, Washington. Vincent was born Sunday, July 15, 1951 in Nespelem, Washington, to Julian A. Sr. and Clara E. Edmonds-Vargas. He worked as a laborer for the Tribal Government in various capacities. Always active, Vincent enjoyed going to Pow-Wows "they have the best food", Native Rodeo &... Full story
Hotter and drier summers seem to be the trend in climate changes locally as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the new U.S. Climate Normals for 1991-2020. The NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce and updates the climate normals every 10 years using a 30-year range of data. Comparing the 1991-2020 data to the previous 1981-2010 data shows that the Spokane area, like much of the western U.S., is experiencing hotter and drier summers. Including here. "Vegetation drie...
Grant County health officials are asking people to still wear a mask, even if you’re vaccinated, because too few have gotten vaccinations. The recommendations came Tuesday evening with a list of reasons for the decision. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its recommended safety measures, most notably not requiring masks when outdoors unless in very crowded areas and requiring no masks for fully vaccinated persons, even indoors. But Grant County is lagging the nation in vaccine uptake, with only 35.8% of i... Full story
(Nespelem, WA) — The Colville Tribes announced today that it is immediately lifting all public safety measures previously instituted to protect the community from COVID-19. A Resolution first passed on March 25, 2020, which imposed multiple public safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of the Colville Reservation and limits on gathering sizes. These safety measures have been extended on multiple occasions as the pandemic continued to remain a threat, but they are all now lifted, effective immediately. The C... Full story
This year will be the 20th Anniversary of the First Nations People crossing the border on Osoyoos Lake, paddling cottonwood dugout canoes from Osoyoos to Oroville. The crossing is to let all our People and the local communities to know and remind them that the border between the two countries has never and will never separate our People. The ceremony is held sacred in our hearts. Many Bands and Tribes are joining the Okanogan People helping us celebrate unity of the People of the First Nations. Herman and Joanne Edward are the ones that have...
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...
The Colville Tribes are interested in purchasing the community building in Coulee Dam that houses the old movie theater, bowling alley, restaurant, fire station, and more. At Coulee Dam’s April 14 city council meeting, the Colville Tribes Natural Resources Director Cody Desautel, who also oversees the tribes’ Real Estate Services program, asked the city council if they were interested in selling the building. Asked by Councilmember Merv Schmidt how the tribes might use the building, Desautel replied that it would be used similarly to its curren...
Mona Berland. September 2, 1951 to April 14, 2021; Passed away at home surrounded by family, after battling an extended liver disease. Mona graduated from Coulee Dam High School, Class of 1969. A member of Colville Confederated Tribes, she worked for many departments: Forestry, EMS and Police Department as a Volunteer Dispatcher and Reserve Officer. Her last position was with the Roads Department as Office Manager. Preceded in death by her father, Albert Weed; sisters: Valorie Weed and Cheryl Dick (Darrell); her first husband, Squires Agipith,... Full story
Grant County Health District confirmed cases of B.1.429 variants of COVID-19 in three Grant County residents Monday, and lists 103 new Covid cases in the last week, including from the Grand Coulee area. The district’s health officer is advocating masking up with the highest quality mask you can afford, not just to protect others but also to protect yourself against new variants. The variants, often referred to as “California variants,” were identified in the first and second week of April through genomic sequencing at the Washington State Depar... Full story
Nez Perce descendents who are currently in fourth through eighth grades have until April 27 to apply for a free rafting trip down the Snake River in their ancestral Nez Perce homelands. The rafting trip program seeks to have 15 youth from three different areas with Nez Perce residents to go on a 32-river-mile trip along the Snake River July 25-29, which includes two nights camping along the river. The program, paid for with grant money from the Gray Family Foundation, is being conducted in a partnership between the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland Pr...
Richard Rooney, 73, passed away on Friday March 23, 2021, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Richard was born and grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, graduated from East High School, enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam era and later received a BS in Industrial Arts and another in Natural Resource Management / Geography from the University of Wyoming. Over the years he lived and worked in various places that included Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Somalia (East Africa), Arizona, Nevada and Washington. His... Full story
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...
A Nespelem man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month to two years in prison for threatening his already-battered ex-girlfriend over social media, US Attorney Joseph H. Harrington said. Davis Henderson Tatshama Sr., age 36, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, was sentenced March 17 after pleading guilty on December 17, 2020 to “Threats in Interstate Commerce.” In January 2020, over the course of approximately 11 hours, Tatshama sent a series of Facebook messages to his ex-girlfriend, who is als...
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...
Whether they continue to share a wastewater treatment facility with Coulee Dam, or build their own, Elmer City ratepayers are looking at higher sewer rates, but how much higher remains to be determined. The Elmer City council watched a presentation from Project Engineer Nancy Wetch of Gray and Osbourne last Thursday night. Wetch’s report compared the estimated cost of building Elmer City’s own wastewater treatment facility to the costs of renegotiating their current agreement with Coulee Dam, which expires at the end of 2024. The report loo...
