News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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A few words of thanks and a ribbon cutting opened up a long-hidden part of the Grand Coulee Dam Project Thursday, as Bureau of Reclamation officials beamed to share a smaller but very interesting engineering feat, an old model of the Grand Coulee Dam at 1:60 scale. The model, most of which was hidden from view after it last operated as a tool for hydrologic research in 1952, was built to give engineers a way to test different water flow scenarios, measuring the results in the included scale...
Many recounted great times had over the Independence Day weekend at The Festival of America, until the finale on America's 250th birthday celebration. That's when, as everyone looked up, a few fireworks haltingly shot toward the sky from the top of Grand Coulee Dam, until they just stopped a few minutes after starting, later igniting fireworks of a different kind on Facebook. A technical problem with the fireworks had led to a fire. That had to be dealt with quickly, then technicians had to...
Bridge repairs originally planned to start July 6 will now start a week later, on Monday, July 13 and are scheduled to conclude Aug. 21with this "emergency" fix. Travelers will encounter slowdowns, lane closures and delays, a Washington State Department of Transportation release stated. For this "temporary" repair, contractor crews next week will start repair of the bridge's expansion joints. They will remove existing asphalt and install steel plates to hold the bridge deck panels in place and...
Electric City's new park will officially open and be named for longtime Mayor Ray Halsey June 16 at 5 p.m. That's the date set for the city's annual Electric City Community BBQ in the lawn area behind city hall, and the park committee has been aiming to get the park open by that date. Several volunteers, including Mayor Blake Martin, Councilmembers Cheryl Hoffman and Robbin Boyce and more were laying sod one week earlier on Thursday morning. The park will feature two sets of playground...
As the nation celebrates 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Grand Coulee Dam area is celebrating too, and at the Festival of America that means three days with kids' games, fun, a beer garden, and vendors, and two afternoons and evenings with live music, then the culmination of the festival with fireworks off the top of Grand Coulee Dam on July 4th. See our guide to the festival in this issue's second section. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, which... Full story
The SR-155 bridge over the Columbia River in Coulee Dam will be getting some "emergency repairs" starting next Monday. The Washington State Department of Transportation issued a maintenance alert Monday. Expect alternating one-lane and two-lane traffic, reduced speed limits, and flaggers at milepost 28 until Aug. 17 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. while crews perform emergency repairs on the bridge deck. Above, a look at the type of problems that have been developing and local drivers have been concerned... Full story
Town council members last week turned down a request from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to amend their fiber optics franchise with Coulee Dam, with the mayor arguing the change would interfere with a longplanned power line replacement project. At the June 24 council meeting, Mayor Bob Poch said the proposed fiber easement would run in the same narrow corridor where the town and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have been working for 15 to 17 years to replace electrical feeders 1 and 3 coming down the hill into town. The...
Federal grants will help four communities expand broadband access in underserved and unserved areas of the state, including the Colville Tribes, Communities in Island, Kitsap and Okanogan counties will receive a combined $5.1 million for four broadband projects to enhance online education, telehealth, public safety and local economic development opportunities, while extending reliable, high-speed broadband access to unserved or underserved households and businesses, a release from the state Department of Commerce stated this week. The funding...
A man walks on the sidewalk along highway 155 approaching Grand Coulee Dam, where the Bureau of Reclamation adorned fences and walls with patriotic buntings and American flags on light poles amidst a community contest those planned inspired. - Scott Hunter photo...
After a commissioner work session at 8:30 a.m. Monday morning, the Board of County Commissioners chose not to ban the sales or discharge of fireworks for unincorporated Grant County (outside city limits). The open public meeting included a statement from the fire marshal, discussion with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and public comments, a press release from the commissioners stated. They urge the public to use fireworks safely during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The fire marshal has determined that extreme fire danger exists based...
Kids and parents spent a fun and possibly exhausting, in a good way, day Saturday as local businesses rallied to provide lots to do the day before Father's Day. Led by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, they've been doling out that fun at the Koulee Kids Fest apparently since 2004. It's not all altruism. The initial thought back then was that such an event would encourage people to step into local businesses, look around a little and maybe come back. In the meantime, families would b...
Linda McKay took over as superintendent of Nespelem School District Monday night, being sworn in at the same school board meeting that was Superintendent Effie Dean's last. McKay, who grew up in Wilbur, told the community on the school's Facebook page earlier this year, "I understand that schools are the heart of the community." McKay has taught fifth-sixth grade combination classroom, but moved to administration as a principal, then superintendent, and most recently as deputy superintendent at...
Two nearby fires this week underscored the ease with which dry vegetation burns as summer begins, and two others not far enough away burned thousands of acres. Firefighters responded quickly and traffic was blocked at a fire in Belvedere north of Elmer City Sunday afternoon. Another fire blackened the dry grass and trees alongside the Columbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam Monday morning after 10 a.m., also blocking traffic as fire trucks occupied the bridge. Those smaller blazes brought home the...
It lay on the ground for years after the church burned in 1948, having spent its history as the cross atop the steeple at the old Sacred Heart Mission since 1916. On Saturday, the members of the mission attended a special mass led by the bishop of Spokane, then went outside to bless the old cross where it now sits restored in its new home. After the old church burned, the cross lay in the rubble for years, forgotten in the grass that grew up around it. But its cover of tin, around a wooden box...
Nespelem kicked off its annual Millpond Days festival Friday, June 19 with kickball games in the morning, a community dinner in the park at 6 p.m., then a Glow Party Dance at 7. Saturday saw a parade, fun run, street games and vendors, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament....
Update 6-17-26 4:10 pm The Kartar and Omak Road Fires have merged and now total about 6500 acres burned. The Level 3 evacuation is still in place. Roads are still closed. Firefighters were prepping around structures and holding fire along control lines, according to an update from Mount Tolman Fire Center. The fire currently has 40 personnel fighting it. Air support currently includes an air tactical plane, a DC-10 Type 1 Very Large Tanker, A DC-9 Type 1 LAT, and a Type 2 Airtanker. A Type 3... Full story
Several wildland fires were burning in the region last night as "Red Flag" conditions predicted by the National Weather Service proved accurate. Around 8 p.m. fires along the Columbia River Road and Omak Lake Road were spreading in the windy and low-relative-humidity conditions that prompted an "immediate evacuation" order for a large area and closed roads. The Kartar Fire was estimated to have burned 1,700 acres before 9:30 p.m. The Omak Lake Road Fire a few miles north was still listed at 50 a... Full story
Nearly $3 million in federal grants since 2008 have helped Grant County Port District 7 improve the Grand Coulee Dam Airport, adding equipment and technology that saves lives and property. Airport officials say the upgrades have made the airport increasingly important for emergency medicine, firefighting and regional transportation. A review of Federal Aviation Administration records identified at least $2.89 million in confirmed federal airport grants awarded to the district since 2008. State m...
If Electric City and Grand Coulee do not come to an agreement on the operation of the wastewater treatment facility they share, a lawsuit may follow. The Electric City Council June 9 discussed what that city views as a violation of an interlocal agreement between it and Grand Coulee. The 1984 agreement established joint ownership of a wastewater treatment facility, although operations have historically been performed by Grand Coulee employees. After a departure and a retirement of two separate...
The Grant County Board of Commissioners announced Monday that the county will be accepting applications for the Grant County Treasurer position, following the announcement of Treasurer Darryl Pheasant’s retirement. He is set to vacate the office June 30. Pheasant had stated earlier this year that he did not intend to seek re-election, but his current term would normally end at the end of this year. By state law, the county treasurer is responsible for the custody of the county’s money and is the administrator of the county’s financial trans...
Bureau of Reclamation workers mount U.S. flags on the light poles around a curve along SR-155 June 12, ahead of the June 14, which was Flag Day and President Donald Trump's birthday.... Full story
If Lake Roosevelt High School's graduating class of 2026 hadn't actually thought about it, the speakers representing them at Saturday's graduation ceremony certainly did: The end of high school is a time of profound change, one the 38 seniors advanced to together. The class heard traditional speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorian, plus two elected class speakers, and a "guest speaker," who, for the second year in a row, was chosen from their own faculty. Each observed or even probed... Full story
While fielding complaints about cuts to programs, teachers and others for the third school board meeting in a row, district leaders announced Monday night that some cuts had already been reversed because of over $800,000 in unexpected funds that came from more than one source. Superintendent Rod Broadnax said the money came, in part, from the state after its Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction determined a miscalculation in March of the amount due the Grand Coulee Dam School District for “apportionment,” that is, for the num... Full story
by Alex Baumhardt, Washington State Standard June 4, 2026 Key points - Electric utilities in Oregon and Washington are increasingly leaning on the use of gas generators to help data centers meet their energy demands, as well as buying more gas-powered electricity from other states. - Utilities' growing use of gas to meet the new demand, and data center owners connecting facilities to on-site natural gas and diesel generators, means both states could miss 2050 targets for dramatically reducing...
A new city park next to the Electric City fire station is nearing completion, with officials eyeing a July 16 ribbon-cutting to coincide with the city's annual barbecue. Fire Chief Mark Payne told the City Council May 14 that the sidewalks in and around the fenced play area are finished and the new restroom building has passed its insulation inspection. The restroom, has been sheetrocked since that meeting, will include a baby-changing station and a storage area for some supplies. A contractor... Full story