News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Live music, good food, and local and Indigenous artists will take center stage at Coulee Dam's saʔtítkʷ (River) Artist Celebration this weekend, at what organizers hope will become an annual event on the reservation side of Coulee Dam. And that's not even mentioning trick-or-treating and a costume contest with cash prizes happening Friday. Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF), the celebration is centered on Mead Way, where most of the surrounding bus... Full story
An Electric City woman who allegedly kept dozens of dogs in her one-bedroom basement apartment failed to comply with code enforcement citations for over a year, and now faces the criminal charge of second-degree animal cruelty, according to police reports. One animal rescue professional described the situation as a case of “hoarding.” Kari Doughty wasn’t at her Coulee Boulevard home when Coulee Dam Police Chief Paul Bowden and two officers arrived to execute a search warrant Oct. 4, but she got there while police and Spokanimal staff were...
The switchyards that direct the power from Grand Coulee Dam have been owned by that Bureau of Reclamation project since it was all built, but that just changed. On Tuesday, the Reclamation formally handed over ownership of those assets to the Bonneville Power Administration at a signing ceremony in front of the dam, much of which was used to recognize those in each agency who worked to make it happen, many of them for years. Grand Coulee Power Manager Coleman Smith said he has been working on th...
Two separate incidents involving gunfire three days apart in Delano resulted in police response to the neighborhood. On Sept. 16, two people were shot and transported themselves to Coulee Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Police named a suspect, but lacking probable cause, canceled an “attempt to locate” dispatch the following day. On Sept. 19, multiple neighbors reported hearing rounds of gunfire but police found no victim and that case is inactive. Due to reporter error, The Star’s Sept. 25 article, “Shooting investi...
The Colville Tribes will receive over $400,000 for their inmate reentry program from a Department of Justice grant created to support public safety in tribal communities. Coming from the federal agency’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation funding, the award came as part of a package of federal grants totaling $6.9 million for state, municipal and tribal law enforcement programs, as well as medical examiner offices in Washington state. Specifically, the $424,623 for the Colville Tribes will go toward hiring a new reentry coordinator ...
Many people around the region saw this very odd cloud formation Friday. So did Shad Moore, who took this photo with his phone on top of Grand Coulee Dam and sent it to us later. Meteorologists call it a Fallstreak Hole. "Such holes are formed when the water temperature in the clouds is below freezing, but the water, in a supercooled state, has not frozen yet due to the lack of ice nucleation," states the entry in Wikipedia. "When ice crystals do form, a domino effect is set off ... causing the...
Leaders at one local school district broached the idea of changing the yearly school calendar to an alternative that cuts down on the long summer break. The state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction calls the concept a “balanced calendar” approach, which generally means taking the same 180 days a year of school and not concentrating them all into nine months, then taking all summer off. Nespelem School Superintendent Effie Dean said she’s noticed frustration on the part of teachers whose students are taking longer than expecte...
Starting January 1, a ride in the local ambulance will cost you an additional $25, amounting to a 3.5 to 4% increase. "Last time they were changed was two years ago," said Rick Paris, ambulance chief. "Inflation is probably about 5% over the last two years, but we're still trying to keep it reasonable for the citizens." The ambulance currently costs $700 per ride, or $625 for residents of Grand Coulee, which will become $725 and $650 respectively. Additionally, the charge for an ambulance...
Newsbriefs Scouts help at senior center dinner The Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center held its member appreciation dinner recently, where steelhead trout was donated by Pacific Seafood, and the “Grand Coulee Boy Scout Troop were rock stars and served over 65 meals!” noted Edna Hauser on the Grand Coulee Area Community Announcement Board on Facebook. “We could not have done it without them and are GRATEFUL for their help.” She said the event was an enjoyable evening for all. PUD changing rate strategy Grant PUD commissioners gave their unoffic...
A cooking mishap turned a house to ashes Friday, leaving a family without a home, but well, not including one or more less fortunate pets. Firefighters got the call at 5: 24 that evening, according to a post on the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook. When they arrived, "the fire had progressed enough to determine it would be a defensive attack," the post states, so firefighting would emphasize keeping it from spreading to other structures and the dry grass in the adjacent lot. A...
Despite comments on social media that two people were shot in Delano around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 16 — including a woman who said she was a family member of the victim or victims — police responding to multiple 911 calls from neighbors reporting gunshots were not able to identify any victims, nor any physical signs that anyone had been shot. However, Grand Coulee’s outgoing interim police chief told The Star in a text message Sept. 16 that “there is a suspect” and he confirmed there were two victims. He did not name them, but character...
With hands on hips some not-so-traditional ACH Warriors try to copy traditional dance moves at the powwow put on by Coulee Medical Center Thursday. The Gathering of Wellness event was attended by six area schools, including Coulee Hartline, Almira, Wilbur, Nespelem and Lake Roosevelt Schools. Behind them in traditional regalia, Shoshannah Palmanteer, CMC's senior director of clinic operations and development, who was asked in 2015 to develop the powwow, dances with them. Last week's event was...
Two fairly new Grand Coulee businesses have had such success that they've moved to bigger spaces this year - Sweet Pickens and Billups Sub Co. Three friends started a business in Grand Coulee a year ago, and it's growing. Shirley Palanuk, Fawn Brashears and Carlene Worsham make the most of their eye(s) for value among a population full of talented makers. They curate items for sale from 25 vendors. They had to limit suppliers to that number because they were out of room, again. They have a...
It looks increasingly likely the Grand Coulee Police Department won’t exist for much longer. Instead, the city may contract with an outside entity for law enforcement within city limits — potentially the Soap Lake Police Department or the Grant County Sheriff’s Office — based on comments made at Tuesday night’s council meeting, and by outgoing interim police chief Levi Johnson in a phone call with The Star last week. Johnson confirmed he had put in his notice earlier this month, and his last day with the department is next week. Council m...
With roots in Seattle and Las Vegas, eight-piece band Monster Road brings funk and soul-infused covers of classic hits to Rockfest at Sunbanks Resort last weekend. It was the second year the resort hosted the rock 'n' roll weekend music festival, building on the success of the blues-roots-Americana fests that have been held there for 27 years. The Sunbanks reservations and operations manager said they had 120 campsites and houses reserved for Rockfest this year, compared to just 35 in 2023....
A Lake Roosevelt teacher’s recycling proposal won approval from the school board last week, a move he hopes will reduce the district’s waste footprint and perhaps even its garbage bill. The unanimous decision at the board’s Sept. 9 meeting means the district will begin collecting mixed paper and cardboard in a separate recycling bin provided by Sunrise Disposal. “[Sunrise] expects we may be able to eliminate a dumpster within 2 months of getting our program up and running,” wrote Aaron Derr, a 6th grade teacher at Lake Roosevelt Elementary. Pic...
The Regional Board of Mayors has designated a Fall Cleanup Day at the Delano Transfer station, where residents can drop off yard waste free of charge, including leaves, grass clippings, tree trimmings and other “clean green” items. Fall Cleanup will be Saturday Oct. 26 during the transfer station’s regular hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year all materials collected will be hauled to the city of Quincy’s compost facility. As compost, materials should not be bagged, and cannot contain lumber, dirt, rocks or other non-organic debris, accordi...
Organizers for Run the Dam say registration this year has almost doubled over last year, with participants coming from all over the western U.S., B.C., and as far away as Texas and Florida. Executive Director Kelly Buche said she expects to surpass 500 sign-ups, a milestone that has been her goal since she took over in 2016. That's thanks in part to a new marketing person, Buche said, but the run and the accompanying weekend festival is attracting more people by simple word of mouth, too. "The...
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area invites you to join volunteers nationwide for nation's largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands. On National Public Lands Day Sept. 28, tens of thousands of volunteers across the country will join in trail maintenance, planting projects, trash pick-ups, and other activities aimed at restoring and caring for our public lands to celebrate the 30th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Organized each year by the National Environmental... Full story
Coverage of an apparent shooting or shootings in Delano in the early hours of Sept. 17 will appear in next week’s issue of The Star. The police report was not released by the time this issue went to press Tuesday night, and Interim GCPD Chief Levi Johnson could not be reached Tuesday afternoon. Grand Coulee Clerk Lorna Pearce confirmed Johnson was at the Delano call, but did not provide further details....
Washington State Parks needs the help of its visitors to stop the spread of invasive pests that can cause significant damage to our forests. State parks have a wide variety of natural native and planted non-native trees and forests, which puts them at risk for almost every worrisome invasive pest. Parks are of particular concern because they welcome visitors from all over the state and country who often bring their own camping supplies for their stay. This includes the main culprit for invasive pest transfer: firewood. But the battle to prevent...
The education and operations levy that squeaked by in 2022 expires next year, and Grand Coulee Dam School District is already working on the next funding proposal to voters, which the board president would like to see appear on the February ballot. Though the final proposed rate and election date won’t be set until November, it will likely fall somewhere between $2 and $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, based on comments at the school board meeting Sept. 9. Superintendent Rod Broadnax says he intends to bring a proposal to the b...
A bit of red remained in the air Monday night, the last vestige of smoke from Oregon wildfires born by winds from the south that lent that sunset tinge to this Devil's Punchbowl photo. By Tuesday, air was clean and temps mild. See the forecast on page 5. - Scott Hunter photo...
After a decade of planning and debate, Electric City residents may see early signs of their first city-owned park before the snow falls. Park Planning Committee members are hoping so, as they discussed plans September 3 to get bids for concrete or asphalt, a perimeter fence, rocks, excavation, and lawn irrigation. A six-piece set of outdoor fitness equipment is already on the way, which will include a cross-country skier machine, a sit-up bench, a rower, a fit rider, an elliptical and a warm-up station for the “parcourse.” The set is wit...
It started as an answer to a job interview question in 2015, and next week, the Gathering of Wellness Powwow and Health Fair returns to the CMC grounds, across Highway 174 from the hospital campus in Grand Coulee. Though in its fifth year, it will be the first time since 2019 that Coulee Medical Center has offered the free community event, co-presented by the Colville Tribal Health Program. The powwow specifically began with the goal of improving CMC’s relationships with tribal communities, but everyone is welcome — and it makes for a great fir...
