News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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OLYMPIA – The Secretary of Health’s mask order will remain in place even after June 30, which means that people who are not fully vaccinated need to continue to wear a face mask in public indoor settings even when things start to go back to normal as the state reaches a reopening milestone. All people, regardless of vaccination status, are still required to wear masks in certain places, such as schools and health care settings, the state Dept. of Health said in a release Tuesday. In most other settings, people who are fully vaccinated do not... Full story
OLYMPIA – June 25, 2021 – Washington State Parks is prohibiting wood campfires and charcoal use in state parks east of the Cascades beginning today, June 25. Western Washington state parks may have local restrictions. With extreme hot and dry conditions affecting the entire state, the campfire ban is necessary to help prevent accidental wildfires. Eastern Washington state parks are under a level 3 campfire ban or higher. A level 3 ban prohibits wood and charcoal fires but allows for gas and propane camp stoves and firepits.. For areas in wes...
Olympia – June 23, 2021 – Hot, sunny weather is in the forecast for the next week. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures statewide will be in the 90s and 100s.The Washington State Parks Boating Program urges boaters and paddlers to be extra cautious on the water. Even though the air is warm, water in rivers and lakes remains cold from snowmelt runoff. Most river and creek water temperatures range from the upper 30s to the mid-40s — temperatures that can easily cause cold-water shock. “One of the best ways for boaters and pad...
Grand Coulee Police 6/22- A man and woman on Roosevelt Drive apologized to police for arguing outside when police responded to the location because of the argument. - Police responded to Eden Harbor where a man reportedly was screaming profanities near the docks. Police found the man at the docks taking his clothes off, then jumping in the water. While he was in the water police asked him what was going on. The man admitted to screaming profanities. Police told him he was scaring people and to stop. Police have seen the same man screaming at...
The MS Sanpoil, which ferries traffic across Lake Roosevelt on SR 21, is out of service until further notice, the state Dept of Transportation said tonight. The notice came less than an hour after an earlier notice advised the ferry would be down until 9 p.m. tonight due to mechanical problems. DOT did not specify what the mechanical problem was.... Full story
Following poll votes last Saturday, unofficial election results for the Colville Business Council came in showing a squeaker in the Keller District, a challenger ahead of the current CBC president and two Finleys leading in Inchelium’s districts. Absentee votes will be certified Thursday, June 24 and could make a difference in results. In the Nespelem District, Allison Boyd-Ball was leading 64-50 over CBC Chairman Rodney Cawston for Position 1, but Jarred Erickson had a healthy lead over Randy Friedlander, 74-44. For Keller’s Position 1, inc...
A fire broke out along SR 174 on the hill in the canyon between Grand Coulee and Wilbur about 4:30 p.m. The road was closed and traffic continued to back up until at least 6 p.m. while firefighters fought the blaze. A large helicopter equipped with an attached bladder and a hose for loading it repeatedly dropped loads of water on the fire, high on the steep, rocky hillside. Another aircraft, a fixed-wing plane reportedly joined the fight about 7 p.m. At one point a Level 1 Evacuation notice had...
An additional 25 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in local towns in just over a month. There have been 48 COVID-19 cases in the Grand Coulee and Electric City areas of Grant County since the pandemic began over a year ago, with nine of those cases coming in the past month. On May 19, when The Star last compiled an update on local numbers, Grant County Health District was reporting 39 cases in the Grand Coulee area. Since then, GCHD has listed cases in the local area on May 27, June 3, and June 21. GCHD recently switched to only reporting ne... Full story
With a historic vote finalized Monday night, the 80-year-old credit union that originated in Coulee Dam will merge with one 23 times its size based in Spokane. After 1,045 votes cast either by paper ballot sent in or online through a third-party election firm, 84% of those voting found the benefits of joining with STCU outweighed the loss of the name Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union. At a member meeting on the front patio of the Coulee Dam headquarters, CDFCU CEO Collene Manley urged people to...
Two new city leaders have been sworn in this month in two local cities. Kevin Black was selected two weeks ago to fill Council Position #1 in Coulee Dam, left vacant by Fred Netzel's resignation last month. The city council voted to put Black in the seat, which will be up for election in November for a four-year term. Councilmember Merv Schmidt said that he felt both candidates who applied were qualified, but that Black's experience with utilities, being the manager at Nespelem Valley Electric,...
“Koulee Kids Fest was such a great time!” Grand Coulee Dam Area Executive Director Rachel Haven about last Saturday’s event. “I believe it was a success. Kids were smiling from ear to ear all over town.” Three-year-old Cairo Billups won the iPad Mini and Beats headphones grand prize drawing that kids entered by participating in the event. This year’s Koulee Kids Fest featured L-Bow the Clown. “L-Bow the clown was so much fun!” Haven said. “L-Bow’s act included unicycling and juggling, making balloon animals and hats, and the grand finale of a f...
With temperatures set to soar to record-breaking levels in the next week, all fires at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area are prohibited effective 12:01 am, Friday, June 25, 2021 until further notice. No open flames are permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, all fires in NPS provided fire rings and boxes, shoreline fires, charcoal fires, tiki torches, incense burners, candles, and propane campfires. Self-contained propane or gas stoves and lanterns are still allowed during the full fire ban. For the most current information... Full story
After growing up in Grand Coulee, Michael Thomas now jumps out of helicopters in Bahrain. After graduating from Lake Roosevelt High School in 2016, Thomas went to Western Washington University to pursue a computer science major. But after a semester there, Thomas headed in another direction. His father Dale Thomas had been in the Navy, and friends had joined other branches of the military, so Thomas spoke to a recruiter who showed him the path to becoming an aviation rescue swimmer, someone who...
Grand Coulee Police 6/15 - Police didn’t observe any puppies at large near Bachelor Square but did talk to the owner who wasn’t sure how the puppies could have gotten out. - A woman was pulled over on Midway Avenue for driving with a shattered windshield. An officer noted that she seemed indifferent about the shattered windshield. She was cited for the windshield as well as for driving without insurance. 6/16 - A woman on Electric Boulevard reported that she never received a package from her aunt containing stitched fabric of a family tre...
GRANT COUNTY, WA – In response to the high temperatures we are experiencing across the Columbia Basin, the Grant County Health District is issuing a heat advisory and urging people to take extra precautions to avoid heat related illnesses. Extreme heat often results in the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards. Heat-related illnesses are preventable. It is important to learn the symptoms and what to do if you or a loved one shows signs of having a heat-related illness. In extreme heat, evaporation is slowed, and t... Full story
Lake Roosevelt High School graduates took deep breaths of fresh air at their graduation ceremony Saturday after two school years boxed in by a global pandemic. The class of 2021, 56 in all, took their seats on the bleachers above the football field, facing a throng of families strategically distanced from each other in groups on the field below. Unlike last year, the weather cooperated on a beautiful day. Speeches from the valedictorian, salutatorian and two class speakers tried to summarize...
With a recent wildfire started by a ricocheted bullet adding to safety and noise issues, target shooting at Osborn Bay is a concern for some, and the federal agency that owns the area says it is illegal to target shoot on their lands. In response to the June 5 fire at Osborn Bay, Electric City resident Jerry Kennedy submitted a public comment in an email that was read at Electric City’s June 8 city council meeting. The area lies within city boundaries. Kennedy lives less than a mile north of a common, unofficial shooting range there where a s...
In its 80th year, Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union is in the process of merging with a larger credit union, a process that has been repeated across the country many times over the last couple years. A special members’ meeting is set for next Monday evening at CDFCU’s Coulee Dam headquarters. Members are already voting online and by mail — 955 times as of Monday, CEO Colleen Manley said. Voting for CDFCU’s 11,788 eligible members has been open since the end of April. The boards of directors of both CDFCU and Spokane Teachers Credit Union already...
Being a father of three, I understand how important fathers are to their kids. My three amazing children - Emmaline (10), Malyala (8), and Callaway (6) are a tribute to my parents. I wish I could take full credit for the way they are, but I can't. Growing up, my dad wasn't around the house much; he was busy running a restaurant to provide financially for his family. He worked six days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 at night. I have heard him share several times that all he did was "wake up, go...
Grand Coulee Police 6/6 - A man reported things stolen from his unattended campsite at Osborn Bay. The man had observed some shady looking men in an orange/yellow work truck near his campsite looking around his vehicle. They left when he approached them. The missing items include a battery, LED lights, and more, and are valued at a total of about $250. 6/8 - A woman was banned from the Continental Heights apartments and left without incident. She was alleged to have smoked meth at the apartments at one point. - A loose puppy was reported on...
KELLER – Keller Ferry users who travel across the Columbia River on State Route 21 will need to find alternate routes. The Keller Ferry, M/V Sanpoil, was removed from service earlier today due to issues with the rudder. Currently, there is no estimated time for the vessel to return to service. Traveler’s planning a trip across the Columbia River on SR 21 should choose an alternate route during the closure via SR 25 or SR 155 and SR 174. Plan additional time for travel as it can take up to an hour to complete the detour.... Full story
A fire at Osborn Bay in high winds Saturday forced two people there to stay in the water for hours as flames came near enough at times that they could feel the heat. The fire near Osborn Bay, south of Electric City burned approximately 30 acres of sagebrush, dry grass, trees, and other vegetation in high winds on Saturday after a bullet ricocheted and started the fire. Electric City Fire Chief Mark Payne said the fire started at approximately 12:55 p.m. when a man shooting in the area reported...
A Lake Roosevelt student-athlete testing positive for COVID has led to students quarantining and basketball games being cancelled, but an outdoor graduation ceremony is still planned for Saturday. Basketball games on June 4, 5, 7, and 8 were canceled as a result of the situation. A June 5 notice on the Raider’s athletic website announced that a student-athlete had tested positive for Covid resulting in the basketball teams quarantining. A June 7th update on the school’s Facebook page explained that in response, the school’s “admin team has been... Full story
Get your passports ready; Koulee Kids Fest is taking place on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lots of free activities for kids to participate in around the town. The “passports” are used by the kids to go to various activities and get their passports stamped at up to 16 local businesses offering fun activities to qualify to win prizes. “My hope for Koulee Kids Fest is for it to draw families outside, support the community, and engage in some safe and fun activities,” Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Executive Directo...
Hotter and drier summers seem to be the trend in climate changes locally as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the new U.S. Climate Normals for 1991-2020. The NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce and updates the climate normals every 10 years using a 30-year range of data. Comparing the 1991-2020 data to the previous 1981-2010 data shows that the Spokane area, like much of the western U.S., is experiencing hotter and drier summers. Including here. "Vegetation drie...