News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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If you noticed smoke coming from up Lake Roosevelt on May 23, it was from a prescription burn near Whitestone Lookout. The Colville Tribes are burning piles of slash from logging about 78 acres in the area....
To call it a "school assembly" might give you the wrong impression. It was a rap concert at the end, but the bulk of it before the bass throbbed was all about honesty, mistakes, permanent hurt, forgiveness, letting go, and choices. James Pakootas was on a destructive path not too long ago, until he realized he was making the wrong choices. He told students at Lake Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, plus a few from the elementary grades, that he had chosen the wrong way to deal with the hurt...
A heated discussion took place concerning loose dogs at the Elmer City council meeting May 10. After the council was finished with the main agenda, which including disposing of an old trailer, the topic of loose dogs came up in a discussion. Several members of the council, as well as city employees, noted that dogs running loose, intimidating children, and getting into people’s yards, is an issue in the town. “I would just shoot them if they came in my yard,” said Councilmember Don Bonertz, “which is too bad; it’s not the dogs’ fault, it’s...
Tribal police will be focusing on ticketing seat belt violations from May 21 until June 3 in a joint effort with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The effort is part of the 2018 Click It or Ticket campaign. “We will be out focusing on seat belt violations and issuing citations to anyone caught traveling without a buckled seat belt or transporting unrestrained children,” a press release from Colville Tribal Public Safety states. “In 2016, 83 percent of traffic fatalities on the Colville Reservation involved an individual who w...
Grand Coulee 5/14 - Police stopped a driver on Alcan Road when an officer saw a truck whose registration had expired in 2012. The driver, who claimed to have just purchased the truck, was cited for the registration problem and having no insurance. - A woman living on Crest Avenue in Electric City reported to police that she thought someone had put sugar in her gas tank. 5/15 - Police saw a woman near the post office in Grand Coulee who tried to get out of sight when she saw the patrol car. She was identified as a woman wanted on a Department...
The following is an update on behalf of the Okanogan Department of Emergency Management & Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team on the flooding in Okanogan County and a current flash flood warning: OKANOGAN FLOODING 2018 Incident Update – May 17, 2018 12 P.M. Okanogan County – The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch due to severe thunderstorms that are predicted for later today. These storms will produce the potential for flash floods especially over recent burn scars, as well as the possibility of rap... Full story
An alarm that drew six fire engines, an ambulance, 22 firefighters and emergency medical personnel, plus three police officers tested their response plan but revealed only smoke at the high school gym Thursday about 3:45 p.m. The problem was apparently an old electrical breaker in an electrical room in the basement of the old gym, according to a press release from area fire chiefs. Damage was limited to the electrical equipment and the related smoke damage. When firefighters arrived, the room was filled with smoke, but no flame. The cause is st...
Officials returns for the May 5 Colville Business Council primary election show major shifts between the poll votes and absentee ballots, ensuring a race for the current chairman and clearly defining the top two candidates in each of four districts. Jarrend-Michael Erickson, with 173 total votes, will face Janet (Wak Wak) Nicholson, who garnered 222 for Nespelem Position 1 on the council. Nicholson had led by one vote 51-50 in the polling, with absentees making the difference. Charlene Bearcub got 168 votes, followed by Anna Vargas with 102...
It's not easy for most people in policy-making positions far away to appreciate what the word "rural" actually means. That's a problem when it could mean life or death. That's a point people with Coulee Medical Center's obstetrics program tried to make last week with a regional bus ride and presentation aimed at those who can influence policies that can either make it possible or impossible for the hospital to continue delivering babies. Leaders at the hospital fee strongly that stopping that se...
The Washington State Supreme Court paid a visit to the Colville Confederated Tribes on May 7 and 8, meeting with high school students, holding a public forum, and reviewing cases. The court visits three places each year that are outside of Olympia, the state capitol, as part of their public outreach program. "We use this opportunity to try and demystify us," said Associate Chief Justice Charles Johnson during the May 7 public forum. "It's healthy for government to be exposed and have our...
Jarred-Michael Erickson leads Janet (Wak Wak) Nicholson by just one vote in the Saturday polling for Nespelem Position 1 on the Colville Business Council, one of seven seats up for election. The poll vote was certified Monday, but can change dramatically as absentee ballots are counted later this week. Nicholson held the edge 50-51, followed by Charlene Bearcub, 30; Joaquin Marchand, 27; and Anna Vargas, 20. Andrea George held only a two-point lead over Darnell Sam for Nespelem Position 2, 56-54, followed by Sheilah Cleveland, 40; and Jonnie...
Food Sovereignty/Food Security is a growing concern in today’s environment. With disease outbreaks, food contaminations and recall announcements, it is becoming increasing more important for people to know where their food comes from and how to “grow their own groceries,” to support a safe, healthy food supply chain. Colville Reservation WSU Extension will be providing Food Sovereignty/ Food Security gardening workshops on the Colville Reservation. Workshops will be delivered at the Keller Community Center (11669 Hwy 21) on May 16, from 1:00p...
You can now fish along the east side of the Columbia River near the Third Powerhouse of Grand Coulee Dam from sunrise until sunset. Closed after the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001, the spot is being reopened nearly 17 years later and will be patrolled by Colville Tribal Enforcement, a Colville Confederated Tribes Fish & Wildlife press release stated Friday. Boats are not allowed past the SR-155 bridge in Coulee Dam, but anglers on foot can walk on a trail above the riprap rocks all the...
The Washington State Supreme Court will hold its court at the Lucy Covington Government Center at the Colville Agency near Nespelem on May 7 and 8 as part of its public outreach program. An April 30 press release from the court detailed the visit. On the morning of May 7 the court will be visited by local area high school students, and then from 1-3 p.m. the court will hold a public forum at the government center. On May 8, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on three real cases, all of which are open to the public. “We invite and e...
For months, my Pacific Northwest congressional colleagues and I have been raising our voices and working on legislation to prevent increasing forced spill at the lower Snake and Columbia River dams from raising electricity rates in our region by $40 million. That forced spill order, the result of a ruling of a single federal judge in Portland, took effect at the beginning of April. Last week, our work resulted in passing bipartisan legislation, H.R. 3144, introduced by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, myself, and members of Congress from the...
I was honored this weekend to spend some time with some truly gifted men and women. I attended a training session put on by First Peoples Fund, in partnership with Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF). The training was about how to hone your skills and market yourself in a variety of ways. This included budgeting and pricing of your art. But much more was covered, and I found some great people with greater stories. You know many of the names, but how they got to the little NNDF building on a sunny weekend in April is a novel ready to be...
Randolph B. "Randy" Tonasket, 62, left us unexpectedly Monday afternoon, April 23, 2018, from Grand Coulee, Washington. Born Sunday, October 30, 1955, in Coulee Dam, Washington, to Joseph and Mary Louise Tonasket, Randy served with the United States Coast Guard from 1975 to 1981. A proud member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Randy was employed with the tribal government for over 25 years, holding the position of Database Manager at the time of his passing. On Saturday, August 28, 2004,... Full story
Performances coming up Young students at Lake Roosevelt School will put on an elementary musical called “School Is Cool” Thursday at 1:30 p.m. It’s written by four fifth-grade students. Acting is done by the fifth- and sixth-grade students, with a chorus consisting of the third- and fourth-graders. They will perform it in the elementary school gym. Donations accepted The Grand Coulee Dam School District board approved donations at their meeting Monday night: $3,000 from Colville Tribes to the Northwest Indian Youth Conference for the Nativ...
Carnival tickets are on sale this week, offering substantial savings for early birds, a chamber of commerce official reported. Executive Director Peggy Nevsimal stated those who purchase carnival tickets by Thursday, May 10, will save $10. Tickets for early buyers are $20, while the same ticket will cost $30 the day of the carnival. Nevsimal said tickets will be available at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce office, Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, Coulee Hardware, The Star newspaper, Loepps Furniture, H&H Grocery and the Trading...
The Colville Tribes hosted their ninth annual Earth Day celebration on Friday, giving away T-shirts and raffle items, hosting a free barbecue, and teaching children and adults alike about Earth Day-related topics. Hosted at the powwow grounds in Nespelem, booths provided information on electricity, forestry, recycling, drainage and runoff of different soil types, how to reuse old clothes, invasive species, health and nutrition, and much more. A popular booth hosted by M3 Consulting Group had bot...
The town of Coulee Dam and the Colville Tribes are negotiating on working together so that each might complete projects to bring high-speed internet service to the town and to the Colville Reservation. "Whether we like it or not, the internet is air," Sanjay Saggere told the town council last week. "I come from a place where I could breathe internet; here I can only breathe air." Saggere, who the tribes hired as their new chief information officer earlier this year, said that the Colville Confed...
The 9th Annual Earth Day Celebration will be held this Friday, April 20, at the Nespelem powwow grounds, with an expected 1,500 attendees and over 55 information booths that include interactive activities and free items. Running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event is free to the public and will include traditional drumming, dancing, a free barbecue picnic lunch, and raffle items, including energy-efficient appliances and items that encourage folks to enjoy the great outdoors. Booths at the event will teach those attending about recycling,...
Kwana'pᵊm Velvet Leigh Solomon passed away unexpectedly in Portland, Oregon, on March 13, 2018. She was 41 years of age. As a child, Velvet grew up in Spokane, Washington; Kodiak, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; and Nespelem, Washington. She attended elementary schools at Kodiak and Ketchikan, and graduated from Lake Roosevelt High School. In her life she attained the following accomplishments: in 1986, Velvet was selected as a youth ambassador to Ketchikan's sister city in Katiyama, Japan. She s... Full story
Coulee Hartline School District 151 Elementary Playground Site Preparation Project The Board of Directors of the Coulee Hartline School District 151 has declared the following project is up for bid at Coulee City Elementary at 410 W Locust. The bid consists of the following: Removal of 13 inches of ground material within an 82’ x 114’ feet area. Removal and disposal of existing playground equipment with the exception of slide structure. Level excavated area for fill. A complete bid packet may be obtained by contacting Coulee Hartline Sch... Full story
A draft plan for parks and recreation in the town of Coulee Dam that will lay out goals and objectives for the next 20 years was presented to the town council last week. The second edit of the draft Parks and Recreation Plan will go through yet another edit before being finally adopted. That should be presented at the council’s next meeting April 11. “I don’t see it as a wish list,” Larry Curtis told the council in presenting the plan, “I see it as a doable list.” The document is a part of the the town’s “comprehensive plan” and is often a ne...