News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 4046 - 4070 of 6735
People wearing glow sticks sit watching the fireworks finale in the Visitor Center park Monday night at the conclusion of the Independence Day festival put on by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce. The crowd cheered with approval through the nearly 20-minute spectacle, especially when the biggest explosions lit the sky. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
A second Electric City Pathways and Parks meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, July 16, in the park-like grassy area behind city hall, where residents can see how well the city’s Pathways and Parks Revitalization plan is coming along. Ice cream will be provided by MJs Bistro. The futuristic plan has been shaped by a Washington State University team from the school’s Rural Communities Design Initiative, after an earlier public meeting in May. A local committee, appointed by the city council, has reviewed some of the plans from the WSU gro... Full story
Grand Coulee and Electric City continue their disagreement over a $39,000 arsenic treatment dispute. Grand Coulee Mayor Paul Townsend proposed to his council that maybe it would be a good thing to meet Electric City halfway on the disputed $39,000. His suggestion got nowhere at the last council meeting. In fact, it prompted Councilmember Erin Nielson to move to stand firm on the city’s contention that it doesn’t owe Electric City the $39,000. His motion passed unanimously. Accordingly, Townsend sent Electric City the bad news by letter. The... Full story
New interpretations of old regulations forced a last-minute change to plans for a water park, a new feature of the chamber of commerce's Festival of America. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce put on the festival and an associated feature for kids planned to be mostly water features, but it was less so than planned. The change followed an 11th-hour phone call from a Grant County Health District official who said the district wouldn't allow the features that had been planned. The... Full story
It wasn't the smoothest sailing for festival planners over this Independence Day weekend. Problems started with short notice from Grant County Health District authorities that a water park for kids couldn't happen the way it was planned. Smaller complications, such as reportedly rude political protesters and a lost child (she was found) were wedged between that announcement and the final blow - a power outage that cancelled the Laser Light Show during the biggest festival of the year. Officials... Full story
Grand Coulee residents may soon face a water rate increase. City Clerk Carol Boyce said last week that she will propose to the council July 19, that the city increase its water rates by $3 a month, beginning in September. The increase would help the city replenish its water reserve account, which was depleted during several water service repairs back in 2014. That year, the city made major water delivery improvements near Jess Ford, city hall and East Heights. “We paid for those improvements out of our reserves,” Boyce stated. Those imp... Full story
Grant County Mosquito Control District 1 has reported a mosquito sample collected west of Moses Lake has tested positive for West Nile virus, making it the first detection of the virus in the county this season. Mosquito District 1 covers the Greater Moses Lake area, including the Moses Lake Sand Dunes and Potholes areas. The positive sample is an indication that WNV is present in this area and potentially other areas of Grant County. During the 2015 season, four humans, seven horses and 107 mosquito samples were found to be infected with WNV,... Full story
Grand Coulee’s council is going to look at meeting twice a month soon. It came up at the council’s last meeting after the meeting lasted about 90 minutes, long for a Grand Coulee meeting. Councilmember Tammara Byers brought it up, saying that she felt the council was rushed in making decisions. She got immediate support from Councilmember David Tylor, who wanted to make a motion to change meetings to twice a month. The council opted instead to put the issue on the agenda for its July meeting. Grand Coulee’s council had historically met twice... Full story
County commissioners told those attending the sixth public meeting on the Okanogan County’s Juvenile Department last week that they would commit to continue housing juveniles in the county facility in Okanogan, rather than outsource the job to a far-away place. The latter possibility had brought 100 or more citizens, including two opposed superior court judges, out to a series of meetings in which commissioners explored various aspects of the question. Their announcement June 21 followed the filing of a lawsuit against them a day earlier by t... Full story
New interpretations of old regulations forced a last-minute change to plans for a water park, a new feature of the chamber of commerce's Festival of America. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, which is putting on the festival and an associated feature for kids meant to be more about water features, is less so than planned. The changed followed an 11th-hour phone call from the Grant County Health District, which said it wouldn't allow the features that had been planned. There are...
Jim Boyd, leader of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and renowned musician and recording artist, died unexpectedly last week at the age of 60. "This is a very, very sad day for the Colville Tribes," said Vice Chairman of the Colville Business Council Michael Marchand. "One of our most respected leaders and talented tribal members is no longer among us. The sheer enormity of our loss has not set in yet, and I doubt that it will for quite some time." Boyd, who won seven Native... Full story
You just bought a bag of fireworks and are wondering where you can set them off. Here’s your answer: Fireworks are banned from the Colville Tribes’ reservation this year. Likewise in Elmer City and Coulee Dam. Fireworks are also banned in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. You can let fireworks off in Electric City if you adhere to the state law covering fireworks. In Grand Coulee, North Dam is still open to fireworks, subject to fire department approval; anywhere else in the city is off limits. The Colville Tribes on June 17 issued a... Full story
There are a lot of fun, interesting things to do in the area this week. We detail them in a special section inside this issue, from the Festival of America, with its new water park, to a huge, national art quilt show with more than 180 pieces on display to honor the National Park Service. Here's an online version of the printed special section:... Full story
There are not enough superlatives to accurately describe Bob and Bev Bruno's rural log home. You could take the view. Or the careful detail of their home. Or even the house for their five banties. Nothing by itself will do! Bob, a log-house builder now semi-retired, has put all the things he has learned about log- house construction into one. The view is so outstanding that one room is designed for two cushioned chairs, providing comfort, and a place to stare at the view. The view is not only of... Full story
American flags available The Grand Coulee Dam area American Legion Post has free 3-by-5-foot American flags and a few 4-by-6-foot flags. You can stop by during the Post’s Saturday garage sale in Electric City and get a flag. County bans fireworks The Okanogan County Commissioners signed resolution 51-2016 on June 27, implementing a county-wide ban on fireworks due to hazardous fire conditions. Deadline on consolidation survey coming A survey on local feelings on merging the four local towns, or parts of them, will wrap up next Tuesday, July 5... Full story
There will be some changes on the Colville Business Council as a result of the general election tally over the past week. During the tally, it was announced that Chairman Jim Boyd had died. Boyd was running against Georgia Simpson in the Inchelium District Position 1 race, and lost the count 268-184. In other races, William “Billy” Nicholson II, lost his Nespelem Position 1 council seat to Willie Womer 409-346. Sheilah Cleveland captured the Nespelem Position 2 seat over former councilman Brian Nissen 416-333. In the Inchelium Position 2 rac... Full story
Lake Roosevelt High School could field a girls’ soccer team this year. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board is dealing with the cost and plans to review the soccer request at its July 11 meeting. Six schools in the North Central Washington 2-B League already have girls’ soccer teams — Brewster, Bridgeport, Liberty Bell, Manson, Oroville and Tonasket. Making the presentation before the board Monday was Casey Moore. She explained that the current youth soccer program had 120 kids involved and has become highly successful. The distr... Full story
The coulee loves basketball, and produces winners at Hoopfest 2016 in Spokane. Garrett Strocsher, a 2002 Lake Roosevelt High School graduate, finished first in the men's elite bracket at the big contest that hosted about 7,000 teams last weekend. Strocher's teammates from the Spokane Club probably had something to do with it too. They are Matt Brunell, Curtis Carlson and Brian Rabas. And in the much younger Youth Male division, the "NWA Elite" team took their bracket championship. Chase... Full story
Chamber of commerce members Thursday heard details on a proposed project that could put huge conduits for water under the community to produce more power and create jobs. The proposed Banks Lake hydroelectric pumped storage project could be operational by the year 2025. Tim Culbertson, and a team from Columbia Basin Hydropower, outlined a project that could require some 2,600 workers during construction and as many as 100 permanent employees. Culbertson spoke at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce’s weekly luncheon at The Siam Palace.... Full story
Votes in the Colville Tribes' general election are being tallied now. Below is the streaming video, live....
The Colville Tribes announced this morning (6-22-16) that Chairman Jim Boyd has died at the age of 60. What follows is the tribal press release: Chairman Boyd walks on NESPELEM, WA - The Colville Business Council has announced today that the Chairman of the Colville Tribes, James L. Boyd, has passed on. He was 60. Boyd, a prolific songwriter and entertainer, was well known throughout Indian Country. He travelled throughout the United States, was known for his love ofHarleyDavidson Motorcycles,... Full story
Young performers in the Wenatchee Youth Circus smile for the crowd during choreographed moves, swinging on ladders high above the ground. The circus, brought to the Lake Roosevelt football field for Kids Fest Saturday by the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union and its 75th anniversary, put on two shows, despite rain during the first one. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
It takes a lot of coordination and planning to put on the fireworks display over Grand Coulee Dam on July 4, according to Rocketman Pyros owner Dan Verheul. It all begins with the firm’s broker in China, and the selection of some 40 cases of carefully selected fireworks. Then when it’s time to set up, it takes 6-8 people to lay out the fireworks, starting at about 9 a.m. and getting done about 12 hours later. “We will lay out the displays from one end of the spillway to the other,” Verheul said last week. The fireworks display “will last about... Full story
The Almira Community Church will soon occupy the former Presbyterian Community Church in Coulee Dam. The Almira congregation voted overwhelmingly June 12 to acquire the historic stone church and develop a second campus. Almira pastor Paul McArthur said Tuesday that the congregational vote was 49-0 in favor, with one undecided. “We plan to have our opening in Coulee Dam on Oct. 2,” McArthur stated. The church plans later to address a roof problem, and plans some work days. “We are very happy to add the new campus, and look forward to servi... Full story
Hospital officials met last week with Washington State University officials working to make that institution's new medical school a reality. Kenneth Roberts, the vice dean for academic and community partnerships for the WSU College of Medicine, along with Jeffrey Bell, a partner at Gallatin Public Affairs, stopped at CMC to give officials there an update on WSU's progress in launching the new medical school. They've also been touring rural hospitals to undertand the needs and capabilities they h... Full story