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 fire burned a patch of land near the canal near North Dam on Saturday night. A fireworks show put on by the Northwest Pyrotechnics Association went awry when a fire erupted and burned between two and three acres. The permitted event had fire personnel standing by for such an occurrence, with four trucks on standby. A press release from Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department Chief Rick Paris said that the fire started at 10:30 p.m. and that Grand Coulee and Electric City Volunteer Fire Departments were called in to assist Bureau of...
Several canoes launched from the Crescent Bay boat launch near the Grand Coulee Dam Friday on an eight-day journey toward Kettle Falls. The Inchelium Language and Culture Association, in association with River Warriors and the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT), organized the event for the third year in a row. A film crew from KSPS was present at the event, which included speakers from these various groups, the singing of a traditional song, and mingling between the paddlers and well-wishers...
The man who leads the state's legal bureaucracy, basically the state's own law firm, told an audience in Grand Coulee last week that the smaller part of their work gets the most headlines, but costs taxpayers nothing. That's because that part of the Attorney General's Office that takes others to court - actually sues other agencies or private companies - is in essence a state-owned law firm that operates off the settlements or judgments from those suits. But the vast majority of their work is...
The city council approved the creation of the position of “city administrator” and to have current clerk Russ Powers fill the position. The council discussed the need for the position and the justification for the added pay that comes with it for Powers at their June 11 meeting. “So the idea here,” Councilmember Aaron Derr asked, “is we’d have someone at city hall that can make more decisions, given that our mayor will typically have a full-time job and can’t be here on a day-to-day basis?” “Correct,” Mayor John Nordine said. “It makes sen...
Imagine how traveling to another country can change your perspective on life. Local cosmetologist Aly Van Geystel doesn t have to imagine, having returned from a month-long trip to Cambodia, where she taught the trade of cosmetology to former victims of sex trafficking so they can start their own careers. She found out about the Justice and Soul Foundation last year, and decided she wanted to be involved in what they do. A lot of the time," Van Geystel told The Star before leaving, former...
The Electric City council last week obliviated the idea of building a $40,000-plus entrance sign to the city. The city conducted a poll at city hall and online of citizens on the idea. Results showed that out of 81 citizens, 62 (77 percent) didn’t want a sign, and 19 citizens did. Citizens running for council or mayor in the upcoming November election, including Diane Kohout, Brian Buche, Cate Slater, Bob Rupe and Cheryl Hoffman, conducted a survey of their own, collecting signatures and asking Electric City residents if they were for or agains...
Grand Coulee Police 6/10 - Electric City Hall reported a bottle of drugs they found in their trash. Police took the bottle to the station for disposal. - A woman evicted tenants from a house she owns on Dill Avenue. She said she had given them 30 days notice and had said she would be there on the 10th. She locked the door and wouldn’t let them gather the rest of their belongings, but told an officer she would put the items on the street for them to gather. The officer told her to make sure to go through the proper channels for eviction, and t...
So what's going on with the effort to consolidate local towns into one? A group of local business owners and residents who have that goal met Thursday at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce to discuss the logistics of the ambitious task. The Coulee Area Consolidation Committee consists of people from Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and some outlying areas, and those present discussed wanting to bring in someone from Elmer City for the committee as well. The group discussed...
Family and friends record the moment with cell phones as the Lake Roosevelt High School Class of 2019, led by Class President Olivia Ludwig, move their tassles to the graduated side of their mortar boards Saturday. For more graduation news, see page 5. - Scott Hunter photo...
Despite overwhelming public opinion against the idea, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has chosen to ban vehicles from parking on Geezer Beach, located behind the Third Powerhouse of the Grand Coulee Dam. A press release Monday from the bureau announced the decision, emphasizing "safety" as their reason for banning vehicles from the beach popularly fished by elderly anglers who have heretofore appreciated the easy access to the beach. "The Bureau of Reclamation will continue to allow fishing,...
Canoes to Kettle will launch Friday About 80 people will leave in canoes from Crescent Bay, heading toward Kettle Falls on Friday, June 14. A brief ceremony will take place from 9 a.m. until the paddlers leave at 11 or possibly earlier, according to an organizer of the event. Traditional Native American singing may take place, and speakers will be at the launching of the canoes. The paddlers are heading toward Kettle Falls, a traditional fishing spot of local Native American tribes that is now under water. The trip is largely to bring...
Kids and their parents in the region will have plenty to do this weekend, with the local chamber of commerce’s Koulee Kids Fest offering activities all over town and Nespelem’s Millpond Days offering activities there. The chamber event for kids starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and offers 14 different activities around the community, from touring a fire truck to mini-golf, planting a flower, painting a piggy bank to free ice cream to building a dam. Those locations and more are detailed on a map on page 8 in an advertisement. Parents can pick and cho...
Grand Coulee Police 6/4 - Two people were banned from a residence in Grand Coulee after the rightful owner of the property, who resides in California, learned they were there without permission. 6/5 - A man reported damage to his father’s E Street home. Damage to a window appeared to be from a BB gun, and there was also damage to a front-door screen window. 6/6 - A man known to an officer to be wanted on a warrant was sitting in a car in the Safeway parking lot. An officer knocked on the car and the man didn’t exit the vehicle. The officer ope...
Washington state’s top legal officer will speak at local Rotary club’s June 12 meeting. Attorney General Bob Ferguson will be speaking about the work of the Office of the Attorney General and taking questions from those in attendance. The Grand Coulee Dam Rotary Club’s meeting at The Siam Palace starts at noon next Wednesday, and the public is welcome to attend. Although not a Rotarian himself, Ferguson has the goal of visiting every Rotary Club in the state, with the local club being the 151st out of roughly 180 in the state, according to a st...
Seventy-nine years to the day after the original Ceremony of Tears, about 80 paddlers will leave Crescent Bay in canoes June 14 for an eight-day journey to Kettle Falls, the site of the original ceremony that mourned the loss of salmon from the traditional fishing spot for Native Americans. The Inchelium Language and Culture Association, in association with River Warriors and the Upper Columbia United Tribes (UCUT), have organized the event for the third year in a row. In addition to the 80 paddlers leaving from Crescent Bay for Kettle Falls,...
Officers shoot man in Okanogan County An Okanogan County Sheriff’s sergeant and deputy were involved in a non-fatality shooting near the Aeneas Valley Store, above Tonasket, Monday night, Sheriff Tony Hawley said in a press release Tuesday. Hawley said that Aeneas Valley Fire District 16 had been called to a reported vehicle fire, where firefighters discovered a body in the trunk of the vehicle, then contacted the Sheriff’s Office. Investigation indicated an adult male was reportedly seen leaving the car fire, which was reported at app...
Eagle parents along the Columbia River have their hands full with four eaglets in their nest in the Washington Flats area. Local wildlife photography enthusiast Nora Gabler Jenn, previously profiled in a Star article titled "Nora the Explorer," excitedly told The Star about seeing the eagles on her frequent drives around the area, as shown on her Facebook page. Jenn is watching three nests of eaglets this spring. "Four eaglets is kind of rare, but not too rare," said Eric Braaten, a local...
At 40, he thought he'd left his cross-country bicycling days in his 20s. Then his 6-year-old shared a dream. James Colver and his son Shepherd, now 7, are bicycling across the country, from Anacortes, Washington, to New York City. If they make it, says James, Shepherd will be the youngest person ever to cross the United States by bicycle. Last weekend they visited the Grand Coulee Dam area. James, now a mechanical contractor from Kenmore, Washington, had toured professionally in his 20s,...
An effort to remove a problematic, invasive fish from local waters has united multiple groups towards the common cause. The predatory northern pike are said by biologist to be a threat to native fish populations. Together, the Colville Tribes, Spokane Tribe, Kalispel Tribe, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and Grant and Chelan PUDs were able to remove 433 northern pike in a one-week period, according to a May 31 press release from the Colville Tribes...
The Ridge Riders Saddle Club and their annual rodeos got a boost Monday as Jess Ford principal Garrett Jess handed a check to Ridge Rider President George Kohout to cover the cost of a new piece of equipment. The $2,400 will pay for a new chute for the team-roping event at the Colorama Rodeo. "I kind of have a soft spot for rodeo in my heart," said Jess, who also competes in team roping on the rodeo circuit. That's something he "can't remember not doing," he said, but he only recognized as an...
Grand Coulee 5/25 - A man called 911 and spoke to an officer at Riley Point. The man said he had been the best of friends with a woman for the past two days, but was now concerned about his belongings because she had driven past him without offering him a ride. The officer said he would drive by the man’s place to make sure no one was taking his things. - A man camping at Osborne Bay called 911 about people shooting toward an old rock quarry while people were also hiking. The officer told the man that although the shooters’ safety pre...
The Keller Ferry vessel, M/V Sanpoil, will be out of service until further notice due issues with the north shore loading ramp. There is no estimate on when the ramp repairs will be complete. Drivers are advised to seek alternate routes until ferry service resumes. Those who are planning trips across the Columbia River on State Route 21 should choose an alternate route via State Routes 25 or State Route 155 and State Route 174. Before heading out the door, travelers can find highway conditions and service changes for the Keller Ferry on the... Full story
A public workshop related to school discipline will be held in the Lake Roosevelt High School student hub at 6 p.m. tonight. An agenda for the workshop shows staff members outlining district goals, discipline tactics, and more. "You are invited to attend our board meeting to receive updates on current discipline trends, introduce new discipline laws, and learn what the staff is doing to implement those laws while meeting the needs of our students," the agenda for the workshop reads....
Grand Coulee discussed the scourge of drugs in town at their latest council meeting. “I think we have a bit of a problem in terms of drug dealing,” Grand Coulee resident and business owner Kimberly Christensen said last week to laughter from a city council already familiar with the problem. “I’ve never been around it, I don’t want to be around it, I don’t want to see it. I’m concerned for everyone.” Christensen, who also owns the newly opened popcorn stand “The Popcorn Shoppe” on Midway Avenue and Main Street, addressed the city council May 21...
An 81-year-old man from the Grand Coulee Dam area was the subject of a search and rescue operation on Lake Rufus Woods, and the Douglas County Sheriff is now asking for information from anyone who might have seen him launching his boat. Charles Baker's boat, a 14-foot Alumacraft, was seen floating unoccupied five miles above Chief Joseph Dam May 29, and the next day was beached, authorities said. Baker's 1990 blue Dodge Pickup and boat trailer was found at the Army Corp of Engineers boat launch... Full story