News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 3652 - 3676 of 6880
Almost a year after he started, the hospital’s CEO resigned last week after a committee of the hospital commission interviewed employees ahead of his upcoming evaluation. Jonathan Owens took the reins of Coulee Medical Center in July 2016. Owens stopped a plan last fall that had the hospital spending more on an electronic medical records system than it could afford. He hired a financial consultant to target high expenses and low revenue areas that had contributed to losses that forced the hospital to pay debts with county warrants, i... Full story
A crowd watches fireworks off the top of Grand Coulee Dam Saturday at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Festival of America. The chamber this year put the event on the Friday and Saturday before Independence Day, which fell on Tuesday, hoping to attract as many tourists as possible with tourism-dedicated tax dollars and donations, but crowds were thinner than last year anyway. That didn't curtail enthusiastic applause at the end of the fireworks show. - Scott Hunter... Full story
Dorothy Harris is the type of person who doesn’t give up easily. She has been trying to convince the city of Grand Coulee that a dog rescue shelter would benefit the city and provide a service that the city desperately needs. She has appeared twice at the city council, only to be turned aside. Now she plans a run at the city’s planning commission on Aug. 9. Harris was told by a neighbor that “you can’t fight city hall.” She doesn’t see it that way, but more as providing a service that the city sorely needs. She and her sister-in-l... Full story
A Grand Coulee man driving a stolen vehicle at speeds up to 100 mph was finally stopped near Steamboat Rock State Park, police reported. Christopher Peoples, 23, was seen driving near Pole Park Saturday, June 24, about 7 p.m., and refused to pull over, police said. They tried to stop him as he turned onto Federal Avenue and then on a number of side streets before racing out of town on SR-155, police reported. Police had gotten a call on the stolen vehicle from its owner, who said she was pursuing her black Nissan Murano and gave police the... Full story
In 1918, William McClure and his son, Robert, hitched their horses to their wagon and headed from the Spokane area to the Colville Indian Reservation to establish a homestead claim to 480 acres. McClures have lived north of Nespelem for generations now as loggers, farmers, cowboys, and homesteaders. The original homestead is still standing, and over 100 relatives from as far away as Colorado gathered on the family property June 24 to celebrate a little early the 100-year anniversary of the... Full story
George Davis Jr. will soon be hanging up his wrenches, so to speak. He submitted his resignation, effective Aug. 31, to the school board last month and will take a break as head mechanic at the school district's bus garage. He will be leaving the school bus operation a lot different than he found it, some 33 years ago. When he took over the mechanic role in 1984, the district had 11 buses, nine with red tags on them. A red tag means that a bus failed to pass its annual test. That was in early Se... Full story
The Colville Tribes had some very close races in the Colville Business Council general election June 24. The poll votes and absentee votes were certified on Thursday. In Nespelem Position 1 race, Rodney Cawston won over Ricky Gabriel, 392-285. Gabriel had been expelled from the council a week earlier by vote of the council on ethics grounds. In Nespelem’s Position 2 race, longtime business Councilmember Andy Joseph Jr. won out over Charlene Bearcub, 375-305. In the Inchelium Position 1 race, Joel Boyd won over Alan Hammond, 353-124. In the d... Full story
A process that for a time stranded some federal funding in Washington D.C., will now play out with Coulee Dam residents paying less for their new wastewater treatment plant because a grant finally came through. With some prodding. Mayor Greg Wilder received word in an email Monday morning that more than a half million dollars of the total $7.9 million augmented plan would come through as a loan, and almost a million more in a low-interest loan to allow the town to upgrade its “solids” handling at the new plant. Wilder said the new bottom lin... Full story
Both Grant and Okanogan County officials imposed temporary bans on outdoor burning last week. Grant County’s board of commissioners banned all outdoor burning until further notice. The temporary burn ban was prompted in part by a huge range fire near Wenatchee and Quincy, and generally very dry conditions throughout the area. The commissioners noted the current range fires were putting pressure on firefighting resources. Anyone caught burning outdoors could suffer fines and other consequences, the commissioners stated in their notice. Even t... Full story
Grand Coulee Police 6/23 - Police located a woman in Safeway that had been banned from the store earlier, and reminded her that she would have to leave. She did. - An officer returning from taking a person to Grant County jail struck a deer near milepost 22. The patrol car sustained damage to the front bumper, fender and headlamp area. 6/24 - An officer responded to a report of loud noise at a Hill Avenue apartment. All was quiet when the officer arrived, but an unlocked storage area was secured while the officer was on site. - Police went to... Full story
Two retired school employees, one a janitor and the other a math teacher, gave the Grand Coulee Dam School District board Monday a taste of how they feel about the recent results of surveys that asked about discipline in the schools. Ray Wells, a retired janitor, spoke at length on issues he had while employed at the school. Wells came loaded with hundreds of documents from his experience of over 15 years at the school district. He told the board that he had made several complaints to the administration at the elementary school on conditions... Full story
If you're wondering if there will be a professional fireworks display off the top of Grand Coulee Dam on July 4, the answer is no. The annual Festival of America occurred last weekend, when the fireworks were a hit on Saturday night. Here's a bit of the finale. Fun fireworks finale from Scott Hunter on Vimeo....
Here's our complete guide to the Festival of America this Friday and Saturday.... Full story
Both Grant and Okanogan Counties imposed temporary burn bans on outdoor burning. Read the full press releases from each county below. Grant County Board of County Commissioners Press Release June 28, 2017 For more information contact: Grant County Fire Marshal's Office Grant County Courthouse Ephrata, Washington 98823 Phone: (509) 754-2011 ext 3001 GRANT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IMPOSE TEMPORARY BURN BAN EPHRATA-The Grant County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) today imposed an emergency, temporary ban on outdoor burning effective immediately,... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District's preschool will move to the old middle school this fall, following a decision made at the school board meeting Monday night. "The elementary school needs the classroom for its growing early grades," according to Superintendent Paul Turner, who stated his concerns last Thursday. Earlier plans had called for the preschool to be moved to the former science classroom at the old high school, but costs to remodel the space had made this impossible, Turner said.... Full story
Taking their best guess, Nespelem School District set up a tentative plan to spend $4.7 million to run the school in the next school year, give or take $525,000. Financial officer Tanya Bunting said they won’t know exactly what money will come in until the state Legislature passes a budget. The $525,000 will depend on what formula the Legislature comes up with to fully fund public education, a state Supreme Court requirement under the McCleary decision. That process is hung up and threatening a state government shutdown by Friday if D... Full story
A boater cruises down Banks Lake Tuesday at the start of a very moderate weather week, expected to feature blue skies and pleasant temperatures. See the forecast on page 8. - Jacob Wagner photo... Full story
Carol Nordine filed her intent to run for a seat on the Electric City Council during a special three-day filing period last week. Nordine filed for Position 4 on the council currently held by Jeremy Miller, who did not file because, he told council members, he might move. Miller has held the position for only a few weeks and was selected by the council to fill the vacancy when Brad Parrish resigned after his wife took the position as deputy clerk. The filing period was June 19-21. Nordine was the lone person filing for the seat. If Miller... Full story
The Wednesday Market began last week and will continue on Wednesdays through Sept. 13. Chamber of commerce Executive Director Peggy Nevsimal said a number of exhibitors have signed up for the entire summer. The market runs from 4-8 p.m. each Wednesday at North Dam Park. Nevsimal said those who have registered for the entire summer will have produce, other food items, decorated gourds, baked goods, children's items and some surprises along the way. This is the first year that the market has been... Full story
Geologist Bruce Bjornstad came to Dry Falls-Sun Lakes State Park June 17 to give a guided tour of the Caribou Trail to a dog and about 10 human hikers who were local, from the Seattle area, and from as far away as New England. The approximately 90-minute guided hike started with Bjornstad showing maps of the area depicting what things were like during the Missoula Floods. He showed how a large ice dam used to be where the Grand Coulee Dam is now, and how that had diverted the Columbia River... Full story
Grant County Health District officials say there are three confirmed, and possibly more cases of whooping cough in the Ephrata area. Three cases have been confirmed and one additional probable case, with additional cases pending, health officials announced. Whooping cough (pertussis) is highly contagious, and in an effort to control the outbreak of the disease, county health officials have recommended antibiotics for a defined number of individuals who have come into close contact with ill individuals. Health officials stated that early... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee restricts the use of legal, personal fireworks to a single venue: off the top of North Dam. But even there, local police would like you to know, they still have to comply with state law. And that lets out any mortar-style fireworks to those under the size of a golf ball. Firecrackers are illegal, as are bottle rockets, or any other missiles or rockets and other fireworks lacking the proper state seal. Officer Gary Moore said last week that he’d rather not spoil anyone’s fun, but he will if he discovers illegal fir... Full story
Forests across America are a prized natural resource, and anyone can help plant trees in these vital areas by joining the Arbor Day Foundation this month. Through the Replanting Our National Forests campaign, the Arbor Day Foundation will honor each new member who joins in July by planting 10 trees in forests that have been devastated by wildfires, insects, and disease. The cost for joining the Arbor Day Foundation is a $10 donation. America’s national forests face enormous challenges, including unprecedented wildfires that have left a b... Full story
Grand Coulee Police 6/19 - Police responded to a report that two brothers were fighting at an Electric Boulevard location. One brother said he had tried to enter the house to get some sleep but the other prevented him from doing so, so he punched him in the face 10 times, the report stated. - A driver southbound on Martin Road was stopped by police because it was noted that he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Police cited the driver on the seatbelt issue and also for driving with a suspended license and for driving without a valid operator’s lic... Full story
The possibility of changing Coulee Dam from a “town” under state law to a “city” drew significant discussion at a town council meeting Wednesday, where the audience was packed following a door-to-door push last weekend by a candidate for council. Fred Netzel, who is running against David Schmidt for the council, said he wanted enough people at Wednesday’s meeting to ensure a basis of knowledge on the subject among townspeople and encourage open discussion. Mayor Greg Wilder said the question is one of importance for the town, which currently... Full story