News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Colville Tribal Police arrested a man wanted on a federal arrest warrant Tuesday after the U.S. Marshals Service put out news that morning of a $2,000 reward. The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) on Tuesday morning offered the reward of up to $2,000 for information that directly led to the arrest of Travis McClain, who was considered armed and dangerous. McClain was wanted for allegedly "assaulting by strangling and attempting to strangle an intimate...
She graduated at the top of her class from Lake Roosevelt High four years ago, then earned her bachelor's degree at Western Washington University in Bellingham last spring where she was named an "Outstanding Graduate." "During her time at WWU, Piturachsatit completed a 360-hour internship with Bellingham Public Schools shadowing the International Baccalaureate coordinator at Happy Valley Elementary and Alderwood Elementary," wrote Mary Lane Gallagher of WWU's communications department....
The American flag meets a rainbow Monday at Coulee Dam's Freedom Point plaza, built in August 2002 to honor emergency workers following the nation's 9/11 shock. The two pillars on each side of the flagpole represent the Twin Towers. A plaque reads: "This memorial is dedicated to honor our community and national emergency personnel. It is also this community's reverent memory of those whose mortal sacrifice has indelibly inspired the respect of a proud nation." - Scott Hunter...
The National Park Service has selected Devon Bradley as superintendent of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. He will assume the role Oct. 4, 2026. Bradley brings nearly three decades of military and federal government experience to the position, with extensive experience in park operations, facilities management, budgeting, project management and organizational leadership, the NPS said in a release. Since 2024, he has served as superintendent of Chickasaw National Recreation Area i...
Nancy, and David Brown and their daughter Dana stand with Bureau of Reclamation employee Keith St. Jeor atop the model dam, a 1/60th scale model of Grand Coulee Dam, which was opened for display over Labor Day weekend. St. Jeor said several hundred people came to view the facility again. It opened for the first time decades over the Independence Day weekend. - Scott Hunter photo...
It’s normal that hundreds of tons of trash to be hauled from Grand Coulee to Ephrata in a typical month. Manager Randy Gumm moved roughly 420 tons of solid waste last month on 19 trailer loads from the Delano Regional Transfer Station, according to his report to the Regional Board of Mayors Sept. 2. Asked about how much solid waste he typically hauls to the landfill in Ephrata, Gumm also noted holiday use at Steamboat Rock State Park had pushed volumes sharply higher over the Fourth of July weekend, with park users generating nearly 9 tons o...
by Scott Hunter The Coulee Dam Town Council Wednesday night declined to move forward with a request to loosen the town's fence regulations, opting instead to keep its long-standing prohibition on front-yard fencing. Council members considered a request from Michael Dennis to amend Municipal Code 17.85.040 to allow six-foot, open-style fences to extend all the way to the front property line. Dennis, however, after reading The Star's story about the council meeting online, posted his letter, on...
Coulee Medical Center recorded a strong surplus in July, helped by a major estate gift and several one-time payments, the hospital’s chief financial officer told commissioners Monday. Chief Financial Officer Natalie Dennis reported a July gain of $1,457,710, bringing the year-to-date surplus to $2,227,577. She said total cash and investments climbed to $7,040,947 by the end of the month. That monthly gain handily beat CMC’s simple monthly goal of a $50,000 increase. Much of the cash boost came from a $1,385,463 endowment from the estate of a fo...
A 47-year-old Coulee Dam man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a minor over a two-year period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced. U.S. District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Douglas Lee Clark on Aug. 26 after he pleaded guilty in March to abusive sexual contact of a minor. Clark must also serve 10 years of supervised release after completing his prison term. According to court documents, Clark sexually touched the victim repeatedly between approximately January 2...
City tree removed on Tulip Street Coulee Dam officials hired a contractor to take down a large, 80–90-foot dying pine tree near the old Masonic Temple on Tulip Street recently after it began leaning toward a nearby TV shack and threatening water and sewer lines, Mayor Bob Poch told the town council Aug. 26. The town hired Basin Tree Service because the tree was too large for the public works crew to safely handle themselves. The removal cost about $2,598, roughly $100 over what the mayor and public works director can authorize without council a...
Osprey in their nest in Coulee Dam atop a 100-foot-tall pole Aug. 13....
Residents pressed Grand Coulee city leaders last week to crack down on long-running nuisance and drug problems they say are driving away tenants, scaring off potential homebuyers and damaging the town's reputation. During a council meeting Thursday night, multiple speakers focused on a cluster of problem properties - especially on Dill Street - where people are living in RVs and tents without utilities, dumping waste outdoors and attracting steady drug activity. "I have numerous rentals in... Full story
The Coulee Dam Town Council Wednesday night declined to move forward with a request to loosen the town's fence regulations, opting instead to keep its long-standing prohibition on front-yard fencing. Council members considered a request from Michael Dennis to amend Municipal Code 17.85.040 to allow six-foot, open-style fences to extend all the way to the front property line. Clerk/Treasurer Stefani Bowden reminded the council of the current code. "The fencing can't come beyond ... the front... Full story
Lake Roosevelt’s alternative education program has a new name and, soon, a new home. The district is moving ahead with a disputed plan to relocate the ALE program from the old middle school campus miles away to a controlled classroom in the CTE building on the main Lake Roosevelt campus, even as staff raise safety and supervision concerns. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board on Aug. 24 unanimously approved renaming the district’s ALE program the Lake Roosevelt Alternative Learning and Online Alternative Learning Experience, a change req...
Dust rises from sandblasting on the west end of the Columbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam as the repair crew works at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. The construction crew finished a week of night work Saturday that had closed the bridge for an hour at a time late at night so they could ensure the installation of steel plates on the deck, which had been clamped in place side by side one lane at time as planned, was done evenly across the bridge. Communications Consultant Sebastian Moraga with the North Central...
A great horned owl watching over Crescent Bay on Aug. 3.... Full story
On August 17, 2026, at approximately 12:51 a.m., Douglas County Deputies were dispatched to a reported stabbing at the Bridgeport Quik E Mart, located at 2606 Foster Creek Avenue in Bridgeport, Sheriff Tyler I. Caille reported in a news release. Deputies later contacted the victim at his residence—a 35-year-old Bridgeport male—who had an apparent stab wound. The victim was unable to provide many details about the assault and stated he had walked home before reporting the incident. He was transported by EMS to a local hospital with non-life-thre... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District board on Tuesday approved a one-season agreement allowing Nespelem high school students to join Lake Roosevelt High School’s football and girls’ volleyball teams this fall. Nespelem’s board had yet to vote on it. GCD board members voted unanimously to adopt the Interdistrict Athletic Combine Agreement with the Nespelem School District for the Fall 2026 season. The agreement covers only high school football and high school girls’ volleyball, and will expire at the end of the season unless the distric...
Emergency bridge repairs on State Route 155 in Coulee Dam have switched from daytime work to nighttime work for one week. The Columbia River Bridge is closing each evening from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Monday, Aug. 17 through Saturday, Aug. 22, with brief reopenings every hour on the hour. Travelers should plan for delays of up to one hour. The bridge will reopen during daytime hours, still one lane. Starting Monday, Aug. 24, work is expected to return to daytime hours with delays up to 10...
Ben Dupris outlined an ambitious vision last week for transforming the former theater space into the Coulee Art House, telling the Coulee Dam Town Council that renovations are underway and aimed at creating a year-round community hub for youth, families and elders. Dupris, who is renting the former Village Cinema space from the city, said they have been addressing long-standing maintenance issues in the building, including holes in upstairs drywall and areas in the lobby that appeared to have mold or water damage. They have stripped problem...
Elmer City council members tightened local parking rules and updated rental and utility service fees Thursday night, then heard from an Okanogan County District Court judge making a rare outreach visit to the small town. Parking overhaul replaces 1950 ordinance The council unanimously adopted Ordinance 394, a major update to the town’s parking regulations for vehicles, on city streets, sidewalks and alleys. The new law repeals a 1950 parking ordinance and largely brings Elmer City in line with state standards. It: • bars parking within 30 feet...
Demolition crews work at tearing down the old Coulee House Motel Tuesday whose signage and outside artwork has been salvaged by the folks working to make a Coulee Art House inside the former theater next door. Ben Dupris told the Coulee Dam Town Council Aug. 11 they hope to enlist help from students to restore the mural that used to hang on corner of the building at right. - Scott Hunter photo...
Care and Share Food Bank received a great big gift last week, a refrigerated truck for picking up food from its distributor every month. The food bank, staffed by volunteers, has had to rent a U-Haul every month for the trip to Moses Lake to pick up food from Community Services of Moses Lake (CSML). Care and Share manager Dave Noggles said the new truck will save a lot of time and money. CSML gave Care and Share the truck for its use but will keep ownership of it. The new vehicle, complete with...
Grand Coulee's city council will not meet tonight (Aug. 18), moving its regular city council meeting to Thursday night, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m., an emailed note from City Clerk Lorna Pearce said Monday. The city had also advertised a public hearing on its Six-Year Street Plan for tonight. No reason was given for the postponement.... Full story