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 big boulder fell from the wall of the Grand Coulee during the night, blocking most of two lanes on SR-155 along Banks Lake. Drivers could still drive around it where it was coned off at a wide spot in the shoulder of the road on an area of light traffic. But drivers Saturday morning found one-lane (mostly on a pull-out) traffic on the highway just south of the entrance to Steamboat Rock State Park. The Washington State Department of Transportation sent out an alert on its mobile app about 3...
A Grand Coulee man was arrested Jan. 18 after reportedly admitting to shooting his rifle at a boat on Rufus Woods Lake to try to “scare the occupants away,” a sheriff’s report says. Deputies of the Douglas County sheriff arrested Shawn W. Robison, 41, after an investigation, a Jan. 22 release from the sheriff’s office states. One of the five people on the boat called to report the shots, and deputies were dispatched at 8:14 p.m. to the “1000 block” of Strahl Canyon Road, in a remote section of the county about 25 minutes northwest of Grand Co...
Firefighters quickly doused flames in a pickup burning next to the Masonic Lodge in Coulee Dam. Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call at 10:18. The pickup truck was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. Two small explosions occurred as they were working to put out the fire. The pickup was backed up almost to the building on a gravel surface on the west side of the building. That building and an RV were close enough to be risk but were not damaged. Firefighters were...
Elmer City’s residents already pay around $68 a month for their sewer service, not the $14 stated incorrectly in an article last week, but that amount will still go up following a court ruling last December. The $14 cited at a town council meeting is what Elmer City had been paying Coulee Dam for treating sewage at the time. Okanogan Superior Court Judge Kathryn Burke ruled on Coulee Dam’s preliminary injunction seeking payment from Elmer City at double the $80 rate Coulee Dam charges its own customers. The judge didn’t agree to that high a rat...
OLYMPIA – Washington state lawmakers want to rein in how license plate cameras, designed to track vehicles, can be used. During a public hearing Jan. 20, Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, cited a recent University of Washington report that revealed federal immigration authorities were accessing data obtained by automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems in Washington as a major reason why the state must regulate these cameras. Trudeau is the sponsor of Senate Bill 6002, which would create a regulatory structure for ALPR systems and the data c...
Like a fully decorated tree occupying the living room well into the new year, STCU’s season of giving is still lifting spirits across the region. Earlier this month, the credit union presented $5,000 to Specialized Needs Recreation, a Coeur d’Alene non-profit that provides athletic and socialization opportunities for people with special needs. The credit union has surpassed $600,000 in giving this season, which began with $350,000 donated to food security initiatives last fall, including $10,000 to the local Care and Share Food Bank. That tot...
Elmer City must pay a lot more for the wastewater treatment service it buys from Coulee Dam, a county judge ruled recently, which may force Elmer City residents to have to pay more for their utilities. The town council endorsed a plan Thursday to increase rates to cover the bill in dispute for 2025, although the town is working on an appeal. In the meantime, residents who are used to paying $14 a month for their sewer service will have to pay considerably more. Coulee Dam's own residents pay...
A big boulder fell from the wall of the Grand Coulee during the night, blocking most of two lanes on SR-155 along Banks Lake. Drivers can still drive around it where it's coned off at a wide spot in the shoulder of the road on an area of light traffic, but drivers should expect one-lane traffic on the highway just south of the entrance to Steamboat Rock State Park. The Washington State Department of Transportation sent out an alert on its mobile app about 3 a.m. Saturday warning of a... Full story
A Grand Coulee man was arrested Jan. 18 after reportedly admitting to shooting his rifle at a boat on Rufus Woods Lake to try to “scare the occupants away,” a sheriff’s report says. Deputies of the Douglas County sheriff arrested Shawn W. Robison, 41, after an investigation, a Jan. 22 release from the sheriff’s office states. One of the five people on the boat called to report the shots, and deputies were dispatched at 8:14 p.m. to the “1000 block” of Strahl Canyon Road, which is at about its intersection with Road 32 NE in a remote sect... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee will write a letter endorsing a local effort to explore forming a regional "fire authority," the city council voted Tuesday night. A fire "authority" differs in state law from a "district" in that it is possible to include emergency medical services in it. Each of the affected areas in the currently proposed area must write a letter of its intent to move forward with such a study. The vote at Grand Coulee was unanimous, ticking off one more box on the list of things to...
Shane Proctor was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame Tuesday. The Grand Coulee cowboy went on to a winning career in professional rodeo after graduating from Lake Roosevelt High School in 2003. Naming Proctor as a 2026 inductee to the Bull Riding Hall of Fame (BRHOF), the nonprofit organization listed his many accomplishments in rodeo and bull riding. Proctor qualified for the PBR World Finals nine times from 2006 to 2017 and for the National Finals Rodeo five times from 2011 through... Full story
OLYMPIA – Sheriffs from across Washington state testified against a bill that would introduce new eligibility criteria for police chiefs, marshals, and sheriffs during a contentious public hearing Jan. 15. One sheriff's testimony was considered so inappropriate that the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) is considering expelling him. And the prime sponsor of the bill said the remarks show why new requirements are needed. The sheriffs claimed Senate Bill 5974 would w... Full story
The question of whether to continue studying the question of whether to create a “regional fire authority” is still active, although two local departments that would be affected have not yet sent in a letter of intent to agree to pursue it. Fire chiefs from Electric City and Grand Coulee spoke with Electric City’s city council Tuesday night with an update on the topic. Ryan Fish, Grand Coulee’s chief, said he hoped Electric City was still planning on supporting that effort, following a stall in momentum since last August. Fish said he did rec...
Rob Carroll poses with the sign he was carrying in Saturday's protest on Midway next to a Christmas wreath that had been repurposed to note the death of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minnesota last Wednesday. Carroll said his sign quotes her last words, which she spoke to the agent. The killing of the 37-year-old citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shocked the nation, sending masses of people into the streets of cities to protest what many see as the Trump...
While a lot of energy is put into celebrating the achievements of athletes in local schools, another celebration is in planning to do the same — for academic achievements. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Rod Broadnax told the school board Monday that, although the district honors students who meet certain goals with a special event on a regular basis, it’s been suggested to do more to bring in parents to celebrate with students for successes in their studies. “As a matter of fact, I got an earful from a parent after an eight...
Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Rog Broadnax presented a certificate of thanks Monday night to teacher Ethan Tatum "in recognition of your hard work and dedication to the children of the Grand Coulee Dam School District." Tatum, who teaches Spanish and English Language Arts, told The Star later that after being told to attend the school board meeting, he had thought he might be expected to discuss curricula decisions made last year; the award was a complete surprise. "It has...
A new federal program aimed at improving health care in rural communities awarded Washington more than $181 million last week. State leaders argue the money will be helpful, but ultimately will fail to offset anticipated revenue shortfalls from Medicaid cuts. The large sum comes from the Rural Health Transformation Fund, a $50 billion program in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill that Congress passed in July. Congress intended the fund to allay worries about the legislation’s cuts to Medicaid and how they would impact rural hospitals. Medicai...
Rex, an extra short, red corgi, keeps an eye on his approaching canine friend from the fishing beach at Crescent Bay on Lake Roosevelt while people fishing don't seem to mind as he walks under their lines supported in the sand. - Scott Hunter photo...
Seven adventurous souls take the polar plunge at noon on New Year's Day at Spring Canyon, just before the sky started blanketing snow and sleet on the area. Not everybody sticks around after getting out of the water, so not all the names were available, but at left are Terrie Owen, Diana Parish (in blue), her daughter and granddaughter, to her left, Tammy Norris, Gwen Hilson, and a grandson of Ross Vordahl in pink. Ross, an annual kayaker at the event, was nearby with his companion in one,...
Grant County Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny, has announced the start of the 2025/2026 respiratory illness season. Since the beginning of December, and especially during the last two weeks, influenza (flu) activity in Grant County has increased sharply, GCHD said in a Dec. 31 release. This includes a noticeable rise in emergency department visits. Flu activity has also been increasing on state and national levels. Healthcare facilities should begin implementing enhanced measures to reduce...
Grand Coulee is putting owners of empty buildings on notice. The city council passed Ordinance 1105 last month, after several months of discussion, to require owners of vacant buildings to register them with the city, which could at some point start leveling initially small penalties. “Once again, we’re not trying to go after anybody here,” said Councilmember Tom Poplawski. “It’s to gain some awareness that we’d like to see the city look a little nicer.” Poplawski first introduced the idea in March 2025, when he brought council members infor...
Washington State Standard December 30, 2025 Tax hikes on big business and rental cars. Unemployment benefits for workers on strike. Those are just a few of the changes to state law taking effect in Washington on New Year's Day. Some bills passed in 2025 became law earlier in the year, while others will take years to go into effect. The next legislative session, lasting 60 days, begins Jan. 12. Here's a look at some of the new laws on the books starting Thursday. Unemployment for striking...
In mid-July, Tim Lynch was headed to the post office, when he saw the smoke. Fast forward to Monday night at the end of December, and Lynch was on hand at the Coulee Dam Town Council meeting to receive a proclamation signed by the mayor to honor his "Extraordinary Bravery and Selfless Service" for having rescued three people from a housefire before emergency services arrived that day. Mayor Bob Poch's proclamation, actually first issued in August but not presented in person until Monday, first...
Coulee Dam's town council welcomed in two new council members just before breaking for cake to honor the service of two who were leaving, especially Merv Schmidt, who, in his second stint on the council, has served for six years. "From the bottom of my being, thanks for all you've done," Mayor Bob Poch said. Newly elected Ronald Toulou will succeed Schmidt on the council. And Brian Quill will take the seat just vacated by Chris Bulger. Those two new council members were sworn in, along with...
The folks in the Wayfinders group walking along Midway Avenue Saturday were dressed more warmly than they were a week ago. Dropping temperatures didn't dissuade too many though; there were still 30 of them with signs protesting the Trump administration's policies. - Scott Hunter photo...