News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 3759 - 3783 of 6880
Thirty new campsites at Steamboat Rock State Park will still have to wait to become a reality, with no set date for construction to resume. Currently the area for the new campsites is just a big, empty lot of sand, just as it was left in the fall of 2016. The $2.5-million-dollar project was delayed last fall because of the expiration then of the 2010 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the State Parks, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington State Department of Archaeology Historic Preservation (DAHP), and the Colville Confederated Tribes.... Full story
A new sound system was being installed Tuesday in the gym at Lake Roosevelt, including new mixing equipment and a new wireless mic system, just in time for a spring music concert. The new equipment became necessary as the old equipment failed at the high school graduation ceremony last year. The need for new sound equipment was apparent at other events as well, such as a recent visit from Oklahoma politician and artist Enoch Kelly Haney. “It’s rather embarrassing when you pay someone to come in to do a presentation to the kids, and they tra... Full story
Say you attended Center School in Grand Coulee and you have always wanted something to remember your days there. Now is your chance! The Grand Coulee Dam School District directors have OK’d a long list of surplus materials from Center School, and one day soon you could maybe pick up an item you are interested in, perhaps even a desk that you occupied while there. Items are listed from “fair” to “very good”and by rooms, so you can have easy access. You could even get a teacher’s metal desk, a kidney table or a large eight-foot movie screen. A s... Full story
Sound system to get tested The new sound system at Lake Roosevelt High School gym will get tested tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30 when the school band, art department and choir will be performing. The public is invited. Flags ceremony coming up The Isle of Flags is again taking flags of deceased veterans for the upcoming Memorial Day dedication at Spring Canyon Cemetery. Call Ben Alling at 509-633-0663 by May 20. NPS adjusts to mosquito problem The Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area will adopt “interim measures” this year to combat high mos... Full story
Work is underway on the mosquito district's new home in Electric City. The pole building will house the district's offices, meeting rooms, chemical storage and house its vehicles. The building will be 40 feet by 80 feet. DWK Fowler Construction is contractor. Here, Damon Fowler uses the backhoe to do some trenching at the corner of the building. The new facility is along Highway 155 in Electric City. - Roger Lucas photo... Full story
About 50 local children put on a musical Saturday after casting and rehearsals began that Monday. Held at the former Village Cinema theater spot in Coulee Dam, the young actors performed in the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Treasure Island." At far right, Showaway Hunt, as Jim Hawkins, points out the entry of seagull Hope Button at left, as noted by a band of ruffians: clockwise from top left, Noah Hunt, Raeley Portch, Shelby Mustang, Chante Bear Eagle, Celeste LaPlace and Finn... Full story
Electric City has received an emergency grant from the Transportation Improvement Board to make needed repairs to nine small street problems. City Clerk Russell Powers said that the grant is for just over $30,000, and will take care of nine of the 12 requests made. As soon as he learned that emergency grants would be available, Powers said he submitted a list of 12 emergency repairs the city would like to make, along with pictures of the problems. “They approved nine, and we hope to have the work done in June,” Powers said Monday. Worst of the... Full story
There will soon be a lighted crosswalk on Highway 174, where employees at Coulee Medical Center cross the highway from where they park. A meeting was held recently with representatives from the Department of Transportation, Coulee Medical Center, Grant County PUD and Grand Coulee Mayor Paul Townsend. Townsend said it’s a “go,” and “the papers have all been signed.” Grant County PUD will install a streetlight near where the crosswalk will be located, the DOT will paint the crosswalk, and Grand Coulee will pick up the monthly energy cost. Tow... Full story
Several positions and some programs will be cut back as officials of the Grand Coulee Dam School District try to erase a potential $745,000 budget deficit they are facing for the 2017-18 school year. Superintendent Paul Turner shared his concerns over the potential deficit with members of the school board Monday night. Cuts include one assistant principal, the high school registrar position, one librarian, an alternative school teacher and a paraprofessional from that program, a change in the way the athletic director position was handled,... Full story
Pay increase OK’d Grand Coulee’s council approved a 2-percent wage increase for all employees at its last council meeting. The increase is for both administration and staff. CMC considering assisted living Coulee Medical Center is about to hire a consultant that has helped build assisted-living facilities to look into the feasibility of such a venture locally. CEO Jonathan Owens told the hospital board Monday night that other individuals were also considering the idea locally, and he would ask the consultant to explore a possible col... Full story
The Colville Confederated Tribes held their eighth annual Earth Day celebration on Friday at the Nespelem Pow Wow grounds. Those attending learned about the environment and what we can do to help it. Many people of all ages attended on the sunny day and enjoyed the roughly 40 booths, free stuff, large amount of raffle prizes, free hot dogs, dancing, drumming, and more. There were many interactive and educational booths at the event which taught people about recycling, fire safety, clean energy,... Full story
There were plenty of highlights and firsts in the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Triple Fish Challenge last weekend. The fishing tournament attracted a record number of boats and participants to the fifth annual two-day event held on Banks Lake, starting and ending at Coulee Playland. Chamber Executive Director Peggy Nevsimal said 18 boats with 46 participants entered the Triple Fish event, with a record number of young anglers (14). Topping off the big fish that "didn't" get away... Full story
A high-speed chase Saturday ended on Peter Dan Road when two vehicles, a police car and the pursued truck, both crashed into the landslide that spans the road. The two suspects then took off on foot, one of whom was later jailed. The chase started around 7:25 a.m. when officer Dan Holland of Grand Coulee Police responded to a report of a disturbance with a knife at the Hill Street Apartments. While en route, the officer heard that the subjects had left in a silver truck. Seeing the truck, the... Full story
Things are getting serious about allowing ATV travel in city streets in Grand Coulee. And a new twist was added at Grand Coulee’s council meeting a week ago. An idea surfaced to allow all-terrain vehicles to travel between Grand Coulee and Electric City. Part of the idea would be to slow traffic from 45 mph down to 35 mph, the speed that ATVs can travel. It all started several weeks ago when Grand Coulee resident Bill Moore attended the council meeting and brought up the idea of ATV travel in the city. Moore and several others appeared at t... Full story
The idea of creating a “Transportation Benefit District” in Grand Coulee is still alive, but not certain. Cities form TBDs usually add a license plate tab charge to those within their jurisdiction to develop special monies for roads. Electric City and Elmer City both have TBDs, and Coulee Dam’s council has discussed it but has not moved forward with the formation. Grand Coulee’s council is discussing forming such a district, but is lukewarm on the license tab fee. If previous discussions are a clue, Grand Coulee is more interested in the sal... Full story
The driver of a pickup that crashed through a fence and damaged the high school baseball field last week was in the throws of a serious heart problem, the Star learned later. Driver Phil Grunlose, 82, told an officer who pulled him over that he thought he was having a heart attack. Grunlose’s surgically implanted defibrillator was shocking him throughout the incident, according to the police report, which caused Grunlose to jerk the wheel to the right and drive through the fence as he was driving through the parking lot. While the policeman s... Full story
The Merchants League sign-up and ice breaker scramble is set for 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26th at Banks Lake Golf Course. Merchants entry fee is $100 per 4 person team. League play will start May 3, 2017. Tee Off at 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays.... Full story
Michael Somday passed away Wednesday, April 26, 2017, in Grand Coulee. A complete obituary will be in next week's Star. Visitation will be held at Strate Funeral Home, Grand Coulee, on Saturday, April 29, from 3 - 7 p.m. No other services will be held at this time. Please sign his online register book at stratefuneralhome.com... Full story
What would you have done? James A. Fox, from Grand Coulee, turned in to put some gas into his car last Tuesday at Coulee Gas and found a wad of cash totaling $1,000. Fox promptly went to the Grand Coulee Police Department across the street and gave the money to officer Tom Johnson, who promptly put it into found property. Later, police sgt. Gary Moore went to Coulee Gas to review the firm’s security tape and saw that Everett Leishman (Mr. E) had dropped the money while gassing up his vehicle. Leishman went to the police station to describe h... Full story
A high speed chase ended on Peter Dan Road when two vehicles, a car and a truck, both crashed into the landslide that spans the road. A woman, apparently a nearby resident, told The Star that two suspects then took off on foot, and that police were going to houses looking for them. The resident also said that a SWAT team was on the scene in full uniform with guns drawn. No further info is yet available. A witness in Coulee Dam said a car speeding down the hill at Grand Coulee Dam hit the bottom... Full story
Update: The driver of the vehicle, Phil Grunlose, was having a heart attack at the time of the incident, and as of Thursday was still hospitalized, his wife confirmed. Turf flies behind a pickup on the Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School baseball field Tuesday as the driver spins brodies after crashing through the fence. People at a high school tennis game nearby heard the crash and witnessed the event at about 5:30 p.m., including the photographer, there to photograph the athletics. The... Full story
Coulee Dam’s new wastewater treatment facility got big push ahead last week as the town council approved interim financing to get the project started, then approved the bid to build it for more than expected, but with more cost-saving features. The council awarded the construction bid Wednesday to McClure and Sons Construction of Spokane, which bid $5,609,399.07. That award was contingent on the approval of supplemental funding from the US Dept. of Agriculture for extra work engineers deemed prudent to lower long-term operating costs. The t... Full story
Electric City’s park plan got a boost April 11, when the city council looked favorably on recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Committee (PARC). The council agreed to move forward on hiring an engineering or landscape firm to draw final plans for both the McNett Avenue Park and the Grand Avenue Park, both new to the city. Council members specified that the city should use funds other than hotel/motel money to pay for the completed plans. The council had voted a year ago to set aside $40,000 from its hotel/motel fund to pay for e... Full story
Jeremy Miller was unanimously selected last Tuesday night to fill the vacancy on the Electric City council. He was one of three candidates that submitted a letter of interest in serving on the council to replace Brad Parrish who resigned about six weeks ago. Others who submitted letters were Ken Anderson and Lisa Lyngar, who attended Tuesday night’s meeting. After council members selected Miller, Mayor John Nordine II thanked Anderson and Lyngar for their interest and said that the city often seeks local residents to serve on committees. He s... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation is asking for comments from interested parties on a planned overhaul of 18 generators in the left and right powherhouses of Grand Coulee Dam. The generators have been in service for some 70 years and need repair, the bureau has said. Doing the work would keep them making electricity for another 30 years. In a draft environmental analysis, the bureau lays out its preferred of three alternatives: Do the upgrades on two generators at a time and complete the work between 2018 and 2029. Another alternative would extend the... Full story