News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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An agreement, new this year, allows state firefighting helicopters to park at the Grand Coulee Dam Airport and that's helping put out local fires sooner than later. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has an emergency-use agreement with Grant County Port District 7 to pay $1,500 a month to keep two helicopters parked at the airport, plus $750 for each additional one that may go there, based on available space. "It looked like a strategic place for us," said Russ Lane, assistant...
An outdoor music festival in Grant County spread Covid-19 across the state, perhaps underscoring the new realization that the most common variant of the virus that causes it spreads far more easily, even outdoors. The Watershed Musical Festival held outdoors at The Gorge July 30-Aug. 1 is associated with over 230 new cases of COVID-19, Grant County Health District reported Friday. Those cases were spread across the state, identified among Washington residents of King, Grant, Pierce, Skagit, Kitsap, Whatcom, Kittitas, Okanogan, San Juan,... Full story
Covid cases have been active in the community again after a month-long lull, with an additional 21 local cases reported in the past two weeks, a third of all local cases since the start of the pandemic. Since The Star’s last covid update Aug. 4, headlined “Covid cases at a minimum locally,” which reported low numbers of new cases, Grand Coulee and Electric City have seen an additional 17 cases. The Grant County Health District, in updates from Aug. 4, 9, 11, 16, and 17, said new cases have come from all areas of the county, including the Grand... Full story
The business development arm of the Colville Tribes has announced it is looking at a site between Pateros and Chelan for its latest economic development efforts, saying spot has the hallmarks of a new “flagship” resort for the tribes. The Colville Tribal Federal Corporation (“CTFC”) said in a press release that it has completed a “preliminary review” of the site, “colloquially known as MA-18, [which] consists of over 640 acres located across the highway from Azwell, Washington, between Pateros and Chelan. The site features views of the Columb...
A new semi-truck to haul the trailers of trash that come out of the Delano Regional Transfer Station to a landfill in Ephrata will cost a pretty penny in the ballpark of $180,000-$200,000. The Regional Board of Mayors, which includes mayors from Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, and Elmer City, discussed with transfer station manager Randy Gumm Aug. 9 the need for a new truck. City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal of Electric City said possible funding options for the truck included a grant/loan package from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Am...
The lack of animal control locally has been an ongoing issue since time immemorial, but gears are turning in Electric City minds to find a solution for all the local towns. It’s an issue that rears its head at least a couple times a decade, but at the Regional Board of Mayors meeting Aug. 9, Electric City employee Mike Shear and City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal spoke to the board concerning details on how to set up an animal control program. Shear, who currently does code enforcement work for the city and works for the Delano Regional Transfer S...
Strong winds Sunday night and early Monday pushed the Summit Trail Fire west of Inchelium to the northeast, south and southeast, igniting large spot fires on Brush and Tungsten Mountains. The blaze has torched 40,608 acres and is 35% contained. Along with the 376-acre Upper Lime Creek Fire, 421 personnel were engaged in the fight to quell it. Colville Tribal Police issued more Level 2 and 3 evacuations while fire crews and heavy equipment protected structures in the new areas, along with air support. Priorities Tuesday included protecting... Full story
Grand Coulee Police 8/10 - Fuel was reportedly siphoned out of a city vehicle parked at the city shop on Grand Avenue, as well as fuel siphoned out of a fuel pump. - A 2001 Ford F150 rear ended a 2017 Ford F150 near the intersection of SR-155 and the SunBank Resort turnoff. The information was turned over to a state patrolman who took over the situation. - A one legged, unlicensed man was allowed to move his vehicle which was partially blocking the roadway of Continental Heights. - A woman was advised by police to get a no contact order from...
What if all school sports were played at the same location? The Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors recently looked at slides of what the Lake Roosevelt Schools campus could look like under different options. The designs, from the school's recently hired NAC Architecture, showed a football/soccer field with a track around it being located near the current one in Coulee Dam, but at a different angle. A separate baseball field and softball field could fit near it. A new gym could b...
Despite strong winds and high heat Thursday, firefighters on the Whitmore Fire south and west of Nespelem managed to limit fire growth to just 18 more acres without the help of aircraft on the 57,478-acre fire, Friday morning’s update says. The wind out of the north and the smoke it brought with it from other fires kept aircraft out of the effort. High heat is expected again today. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning through 8 p.m. Saturday. Air quality was expected t... Full story
With no music teacher at the school, Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High students will have a different kind of opportunity to play music. Music teacher Karen Pace retired at the end of the last school year from a position not easily filled, but a club called Raider Rock Band was approved by the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors during their Aug. 9 meeting. History teacher Justin Thompson will sponsor the club. He says there are eight students he thinks will definitely join it, and at least 25 who expressed interest. The club...
Hazardous waste day set for September, returns to twice a year The Regional Board of Mayors on Monday approved Sept. 24 as the household hazardous waste cleanup day at the Delano Regional Transfer Station. Residents can bring household hazardous waste items, such as certain paints, batteries, aerosols, and pesticides, for disposal at the station, where a specialized contractor will collect it. More details of what is or isn’t accepted will be published at a later date. The RBOM also decided to bring back a date in spring for collecting such w...
Unofficial results of the Aug. 3 primary election for Grand Coulee City Council position 1 were posted late Monday at results.vote.wa.gov. Ben Hughes garnered 101 votes for 65.16%. He will face Tracy Justice Wright in the November general election. Wright got 17.42% of the votes with 27. Not far behind, Frank Jones garnered 22 votes. Five ballots were cast for write-ins. The next vote count and certification will take place Aug. 18. Voter turnout countywide was 27.75% across 45 precincts and...
The Colville Tribes filed a lawsuit last week against the United States, seeking damages related to the massive wildfires that burned more than 240,000 acres on the Colville Reservation in 2015. “The Tribes alleged that the United States failed to maintain adequate forest health, through measures such as prescribed burning, which led to fires of unprecedented size and intensity,” a press release from the tribes explains. In August 2015 the North Star and Tunk Block fires burned more than 590 square miles and 800 million board feet of tim...
In a win-win situation, you can support Raider football AND eat hotdogs tonight, Wednesday, in front of the Lake Roosevelt High School offices. The drive-through hot dog feed football fundraiser runs tonight, Aug. 11, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., when you can drive up, and pick up your meal. For $8 you get a hotdog, chips, a cookie and a drink, plus a second hotdog for $2 more. The Raider Athletic Booster Club hotdog feed coincides with sports physical night, which also runs from 5-7 p.m. and costs $35, cash only. Another sports physical night is...
Grand Coulee Police 7/29 - Police were unable to find a gold Nissan Pathfinder reported to have been speeding and passing cars on double yellow lines on SR-174 heading into Grand Coulee. - A wallet with an ID, credit cards, and about $100 was found at the Grand Coulee Dam Visitors Center after the laser light show and turned into police. Police were able to find contact info for the Idaho man, who retrieved his wallet. 7/31 - Police told people who had been shooting at Osborn Bay about burn restrictions that restrict target shooting in the...
A loud US Army training exercise on a hillside above town drew a different kind of fire at Coulee Dam’s city council meeting July 28, a small-caliber complaint compared to the big guns that alarmed citizens late at night July 22. Bob Hendrickson told the council he was disappointed that people had not been given any notice that a training was about to happen that might sound like a terrorist attack against Grand Coulee Dam. He said that he and many other people he talked to had worried about that as they listened to automatic weapons and w...
The Whitmore Fire is located on the Colville Reservation south of Omak Lake and west of Nespelem, WA. The Incident Command Post at Nespelem Community Center is closed to all but essential personnel to help ensure the health and safety of firefighters and community members. Operations Yesterday, fire fighters took advantage of cooler temperatures, higher moisture levels, and less active fire behavior to secure stretches of fireline. The southwest to southeast borders of the fire along Columbia... Full story
Inchelium, Wa. – The cold front that moved into the area yesterday brought measurable rain to the Summit Trail Fire, Upper Lime Creek Fire, and Chuweah Creek Fire. This moisture gives firefighters the opportunity to build direct fire line, while fire behavior is still moderate. Even though this moisture is helpful, the fire is not yet out. A drying trend will start today and continue with warmer temperatures throughout the week which will increase fire activity. Firefighters will hit the fire hard today with more direct attack in areas where p... Full story
A Level 2 notice to evacuate, meaning be ready, has been issued for the SR-155 corridor from the Colville Agency at the Columbia River Road to Nespelem to the Mission turnoff. The notice was issued at 9:18 p.m. Saturday due to the advance of the Whitmore Fire north and east from the Kartar Valley. In addition, the Washington State Patrol reported at 9:34 p.m. that SR-21 is closed at Keller due to wildfire, from MP 117 to MP123.5. WSP said residents are being evacuated immediately (level 3) by... Full story
Several new fires have started on the Colville Reservation following a lightning storm Tuesday night, and evacuations are in effect, with the largest of the fires already estimated at 2,000 acres. Residents from Kartar Valley, Goose Flats East to the net pens on the Columbia River Road and everything north of that road have been notified of a Level 3 Evacuation, meaning leave immediately, the Mt. Tolman Fire Center said in a release Thursday afternoon. Kartar Road is closed. Residents south of C... Full story
Everyone who enters Lake Roosevelt Schools’ indoor areas this year should expect to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status, including staff, students, and visitors. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Paul Turner told The Star on Monday that he intends to follow the masks-for-all guidelines from the Washington State Department of Health and State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. The DOH guidelines state that “all staff and students must continue to wear face coverings/masks, regardless of vaccination status.” A letter from Reykd...
"If you smell smoke, you're breathing smoke," a smoke outlook report from fires.airfire.org says. Today, Wednesday, Grand Coulee is projected to have air that is "unhealthy for sensitive groups," according to the report, and those sensitive groups should avoid physical activity outdoors. Fires producing smoke in the air include the Summit Trail Fire near Inchelium, which on Tuesday morning was at 22,305 acres and 15% contained; and the Cheweah Fire, which is holding at 36,752 acres and is 90%... Full story
At their July 28 meeting, the Coulee Dam City Council accepted a bid of $102,200 from Tomer Construction for a seal coat project on Roosevelt, Mead, Central and Crest Avenues in 2022. The cost will be paid for with grant money from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board....
Grand Coulee has decided to allow local property owner Sam Hsieh to continue to display multiple advertising signs along his lot located on Main Street called “Coulee Plaza.” “I would like to thank the mayor and the city council for working together with me through this,” Hsieh told The Star on Tuesday. “I’m excited to see Coulee Plaza continuing to serve the community!” The issue has been ongoing since October of 2020 when the city council had initially voted against allowing the signs to stay. Hsieh was told by the city following a c...