News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Grand Coulee Police 1/3 - The manager of the Spring Canyon Apartments told police that someone had entered one of the apartments. He said that he had opened up all the blinds and locked the door the previous day, but he found the blinds pulled shut the next day. The manager said the person on the lease was in jail and that whoever had been in the apartment was not authorized to be there. Police entered the apartment but no one was there. - Police were called to the Spring Canyon Apartments where, they were advised, people were arguing and it... Full story
The sale of Center School is made more complicated by the issue of zoning. The school district has made efforts to sell the vacated school and some additional acres, but so far no one has stepped up to the plate to make an offer. The issue of zoning keeps coming up and any interested buyer isn’t certain how the property might be re-zoned. Currently, the Grand Coulee planning commission is studying a wide range of zoning issues. “We are not looking at a single property, but what needs to be done throughout the city,” stated planning commi... Full story
Wintery weather and slickness headed to region The National Weather Service warned Saturday that a fresh round of troublesome winter weather is likely headed our way beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing through Sunday night. We could end up with 1 to 5 inches of snow, followed by some rain and freezing rain that will glaze surfaces enough to "make walking hazardous," not to mention driving. Now might be a good time to stock up on groceries for the next day or so. Below is the NOAA's...
Bob Hendrickson heads back to the boat launch at Coulee Playland after a brief excursion just after noon New Year's Day, kayaking through the ice on Banks Lake. Behind him are Ross Vordahl, Rod Hardin and Darla Orr. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
There were smiles all around last Thursday as Port District 7 officials got the year-end financial report on Banks Lake Golf Course, which they manage. At the end of 2015, port commissioners were looking at red ink to the tune of $32,000. But last Thursday, district Secretary Joanne Davidson brought smiles to commissioners when her report stated that the golf course was in the black for 2016, $17,006.16. Actually, things look better than that. The Port District paid off its golf carts in 2016, a $17,048.37 non-recurring expense. Given that,... Full story
Grand Coulee got first place, but not necessarily the type of first place you’d want to receive. An FBI report for the state of Washington shows that Grand Coulee, for its size, was rated first in the state for burglaries for the year 2015. Statistics show that Grand Coulee had 23 burglaries for its population of 1,056, a statistic skewed because it doesn’t account for the population of Electric City, which the Grand Coulee Police also support, noted Police Chief John Tufts. Two other nearby communities on the list include Winthrop, which was... Full story
Port changes meeting time Grant County Port District 7 is changing its meeting time, according to a vote of commissioners last Thursday. The Port District has been meeting at the airport at 5 p.m. the last Thursday of every month. Commissioners, by vote, changed the meeting time to 4 p.m., effective, Thursday, January 26. Brrr! With temperatures dropping as low as 0 in the next few days, don’t forget to leave water running about the width of a pencil in any sinks on an outside wall to help avoid costly pipe freezes and ruptures. The Grand C... Full story
Elmer City has a 2017 budget, but not without a bit of strife. It was all over a $2 an hour raise for city clerk Gary Benton. The raise and passage of the town’s $915,603 budget narrowly passed Dec. 8, with one council member, Jesse Tillman, voting against the budget because of the raise, and another, Councilmember Don Bonertz, abstaining. That left the vote 2-1, with Clara Carson and Larry Holford voting for the budget, including the raise for Benton, and Tillman voting no and Bonertz abstaining. Councilmember Joaquin Marchand was not at t... Full story
Grand Coulee Mayor Paul Townsend, right, welcomes the city's eighth police officer in a swearing-in ceremony held Monday at city hall. Mathew Ponusky, left, of Spokane, will attend a four-month academy training session in either Spokane or Seattle as soon as there is an opening. Ponusky replaces Sean Cook, who left the department two years ago. The police department has been operating one officer shy since that time. - Roger S. Lucas photo... Full story
You know who they are. They work in your church or volunteer at the school. Maybe he or she picks up litter every week along the highway, or is the one who can always be counted on to shovel a sidewalk when someone else can’t. Or maybe it’s someone who volunteers on a board or commission or city council, putting in countless hours on behalf of the community. The Star will honor the 2016 volunteer of the year in an upcoming issue and will publish your letters of nomination between now and then. We encourage you to think about those who give of... Full story
The Star newspaper reported last week that Carl Russell had resigned as president of POWER. He only had resigned as manager of the fish pens in Electric City. He is still president of POWER. The Star regrets the error.... Full story
There will be a two-hour delay to the start of Lake Roosevelt Schools this morning.... Full story
Grand Coulee is hiring an outside source to help the city reconcile its finances. The city council approved the hiring of an outside contractor to do the “reconciliation of city financial software system to city bank accounts to assure accuracy of financial data being reported to the council and State Auditor’s office,” according to a contract for services. Hired was Toni Nelson of Government Financial Services, at a cost to the city of $110 an hour. The estimated time period for the work is 25-30 hours, part of the time on-site and part away... Full story
Grant County Port District 7, which runs Banks Lake Golf Course, has cut down a number of cottonwood trees at the course. The decision was made earlier this year because roots from the trees were tearing up the asphalt cart paths and in some cases "roots were growing into some of the greens," port commissioner Jerry Sands stated. Sands said 13 trees were eliminated and several more cottonwood trees need to be cut down. "When they planted the cottonwoods, I understand," Sands said, "they only... Full story
The POWER program to feed game birds in the winter will soon end. Lack of “manpower” is finally catching up to the longtime program by POWER (Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources). Carl Russell, longtime president of the organization, said that when the final sacks of feed are distributed, the program will end. Some 59 small backyard feeders are scattered around the community along with 15 large feeders, and have been a food refuge for quail and other game birds for over 20 years, Russell stated. Russell recently resigned as pre... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee is changing the way it pays for training for its volunteer fire department personnel. The council has agreed to pay the fire department a fixed monthly fee instead of payment on the number of members who show up for training sessions. The change was made a week ago, based on a request by fire department Chief Richard Paris. Paris said the change would satisfy concerns of auditors on the way training payments were paid by the city. The fire chief told the council that the former payment method had been in place for 36... Full story
School enrollment up The average enrollment at Lake Roosevelt Schools for December was 714, according to school officials. The district had budgeted for an average of 690 for this school year. Street carts still being considered The Grand Coulee City Council is still considering allowing golf carts, ATVs and ORVs to roll on city streets. Some council members are leery of allowing the carts because of highway traffic. The carts wouldn’t be allowed to drive on the highways, but could cross only at designated areas. Police Chief John Tufts told t... Full story
Here's a list of some of the major stories we've followed in 2016. Which ones were your favorites? January 6 An overhead covering that had shaded rodeo fans for decades at the Ridge Riders Rodeo Grounds collapsed under a heavy snow load, leading the organization to make extensive repairs of its wooden grandstands, but which has not so far included a new covering. January 13 Electric City calls a meeting on a trail that would reach from Sunbanks Lake Resort entrance to Grand Coulee and beyond.... Full story
The National Park Service, along with local groups, will hold a discussion of an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail long-range interpretive plan here on Jan. 23. The meeting will take place at 1 p.m., at the Coulee Dam community room at town hall. Denise Bausch will make a 45-minute presentation of the Ice Age Floods Trail plan, followed by a question-and-answer period. Also making a presentation will be Russell Powers, deputy city clerk of Electric City, on what the city is doing on its Pathway & Trail plan. The city plans a recreation... Full story
An agreement a local contractor says he made with former mayor Ray Halsey got opposition from Electric City's mayor and council last Tuesday night. Wayne Snyder addressed the council and said that then-mayor Halsey had made a deal that if he annexed his property into Electric City, the city would put in roads and sidewalks within two years. Snyder told the council last Tuesday night that the city should honor its agreements. Snyder wants to short plat four lots on property he owns and are now wi... Full story
Christel Pitner's third-grade class performs with enthusiasm at Lake Roosevelt Schools' concert Dec. 14.... Full story
It had never been done here before, but by the time they pulled it off, about 250 hospital employees were trained in what to do if an "active shooter" ever enters Coulee Medical Center. No one knew exactly what scenario would play out or how long it would take Nov. 5, when the hospital's parking lot looked like a law enforcement/fire/EMS show of force. Multiple agencies from across the region wanted the chance to learn how to respond to such an event in a facility like a hospital, which cannot... Full story
Born locally, a national hero is dead A man who as a soldier faced down a rogue platoon of compatriots to help stop the slaughter of innocents in Vietnam in 1968, died Dec. 17. Larry Colburn, 67, was born in Coulee Dam in 1949. His father was a WWII veteran and civil engineer who worked on Grand Coulee Dam, the New York Times reported last week. Colburn, a door gunner in a helicopter, agreed to back up the pilot, who placed the aircraft between the remaining civilians at My Lai and the platoon that was killing them. Colburn agreed to fire an M-... Full story
Almira Coulee Dam Community Church Sat., Dec. 24, 6 p.m., Christmas Eve Service, Coulee Dam campus, 509 Central Drive Sun., Dec. 25, 9 a.m., Christmas Day Service, Almira campus, 101 S. 2nd St. Church of the Nazarene Sat., Dec. 24, 6 p.m., Christmas Eve Service Sun., Dec. 25, 9:30 a.m., Sunday School and 10:45 a.m., Worship Service Faith Community Church Sat., Dec. 24, 5 to 6 p.m. a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held. Bring the whole family for Christmas Carols and reading the Bible’s account of the birth of Jesus. This gathering i... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District received a grant from the Washington State Library Dec. 13, to enhance reading material for Native American students. The grant will provide more than 80 books, with emphasis on Native Americans and their cultures. Of the book list, 55 volumes are new to the Lake Roosevelt libraries. Margo Piver, assistant elementary school principal, and Aaron Derr, elementary library literacy coordinator, worked on the grant application, which was sent on Dec. 9. Carolyn Peterson, from the WSL, announced winners of the... Full story
