News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Officers from Grant County’s Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Secret Service Thursday initiated their second Grand Coulee raid within the past three weeks, this time on a house at 409 A Street. Officers recovered several items that had earlier been taken in a burglary on Wetzel Street in Grand Coulee. Officers served a search warrant after investigators developed information that Melvin Toulou, 43, had been storing stolen property at the house. Toulou had been arrested Feb. 12, when his home was raided and officers found e... Full story
The Colville Tribes will gain millions from an agreement approved last week that settles the claims of nearly 700 tribes nationwide against the federal government. The nearly $1 billion settlement with the Obama administration has been reached over claims the government shorted tribes for decades on contract costs to manage education, law enforcement and other federal services. Tribes and tribal agencies are expected to submit claims for compensation ranging from $8,000 for some Alaska Native villages to $58 million for the Navajo Nation. The C... Full story
Shane Proctor, a 2003 graduate of Lake Roosevelt High School and longtime resident of Grand Coulee, showed his toughness, again, last Saturday, by winning the “Iron Cowboy” award at Arlington, Texas. It was another feather in Proctor’s cowboy hat, and a little jingle to boot, as the win gave him prize money of $115,625, and vaulted him from eighth to first in the Professional Bull Riding world standings. Now it’s on to the next PBR major, the third of four, this time in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won it all Saturday before some 35,000 fans cheerin... Full story
Eighteen students from Coulee Dam schools will be going to Northern Quest Resort in Airway Heights to continue studies of the Salish language. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board approved the trip at its meeting Monday night. The trip is for March 8 – 11 and involves members of the Lake Roosevelt Spirit Eagle Society. It’s all part of the Title VII after-school program. Indian Education Director Kim Stanger made the presentation to the board and stated Tuesday that 17 of the 18 students making the trip are from the third, fourth, fif... Full story
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says schools in Coulee City are closed this morning “as a precaution.” GCSO adds only that there have been no injuries and that law enforcement officers are at the school. Reports coming from a person near the school say those officers look “pretty calm” and that the street has not been cordoned off. The sheriff’s office has not said what the nature of the threat is, only that they “will share more information when we can.” Possible update: GCSO is asking the public (at about 9:50 a.m. Wednesday) to a...
GRANT COUNTY, Wash. (02MAR2016) – The lockdown of schools across Grant County was prompted this morning after a 39-year-old Flagstaff, Arizona man made threats to shoot up Coulee City schools. Benjamin VanTassell is in the Grant County Jail facing multiple charges. VanTassell called Spokane television station KHQ around 7:00 this morning expressing the threats. KHQ staffers notified the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, which sent deputies to Coulee City. The Coulee City schools were closed for the day. Deputies were able to track the mov...
A look at possible consolidation of services between Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam may end up as just finding ways to raise the level of cooperation. Mayors Paul Townsend of Grand Coulee, Greg Wilder of Coulee Dam, two councilmen from each municipality, and their fire chiefs and police chiefs met Monday in Coulee Dam to explore ways of combining services such as ambulance and fire departments. “We are really looking at raising the level of cooperation,” Grand Coulee Mayor Paul Townsend said Tuesday. “There’s too many counties involved to move fo... Full story
Investigators following up on several leads into a set of Grand Coulee area crimes served a search warrant this morning (Feb. 25, 2016) at a Grand Coulee home. Grant County’s Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET), the U.S. Secret Service, Grand Coulee Police and Grant County sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant at 419 A Street in Grand Coulee. Investigators developed information that Melvin Toulou, age 43, had been storing stolen property at the home. Toulou was arrested Feb. 12 for possession of stolen property. Inv...
Those who were disappointed in the Laser Light Show last season because the Bureau of Reclamation couldn't spill water as a backdrop for the lasers will be happy to hear that things will be fixed in time for the show this spring. The bureau has normally allowed a shallow spill across the face of the dam during the light show, adding a whitewater backdrop for the colored lasers. When a seal leak on one gate began leaking last year, it meant the lasers had only the dark concrete to dance on. Work... Full story
When he arrived at work about noon last Friday, the new owner of Riverview Lanes interrupted someone who had broken into the bowling alley. Scott Elmore told police that when he entered the bowling alley he saw light coming from the bowling machine area and when he started to investigate he saw the shadow of a person making a run for the door. Elmore said he raced to the door but by the time he got there the person had vanished. It was the third time since Oct. 19, 2015, that the bowling alley had been burglarized. Missing were Elmore’s portabl... Full story
It isn’t often that one home would be burglarized three times within a couple of weeks, but that just happened in Grand Coulee. Many items stolen from a burglary at the William “Moe” Evans home in Grand Coulee were recovered Feb. 12, when a county interagency task force and the U.S. Secret Service raided a house on Burdin Boulevard, police officials stated. Police Chief John Tufts said several items taken from the Evans home, which included a fireplace and dishes, were recovered Feb. 12, when officers raided the Melvin Toulou, Jr., home in Gran... Full story
The Nez Perce Longhouse Rebuilding Committee is asking for help in its efforts to rebuild their tribal longhouse that was lost to an electrical fire three years ago. Secretary Gloria Simpson said last week that an¥yone can h¥åelp with funding by sending a check or money order to the Chief Joseph Longhouse Building Fund, in care of Albert Andrews-Redstar, 1105 Tilmus Street, Coulee Dam, Wash., 99116. Simpson said the group is using a variety of methods to develop funding for the new longhouse, including grants and the soliciting of funds from th... Full story
Jason Jackson levels Electric City's new park area with his bulldozer, getting the space ready for the first stage of development. The park area, behind the fire department, was purchased last year from the Banks Lake Bible Church for $25,000. Jackson is doing the work as a contribution to the city. - Roger S. Lucas photo... Full story
Treatment plant info meeting tonight A public meeting is scheduled tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 24, at Coulee Dam town hall at 5:30 p.m., to discuss funding for the proposed new wastewater treatment plant. The meeting will provide information on the funding process with USDA Rural Development. Ambulance runs reported The Grand Coulee volunteer ambulance crew made 43 calls during the month of January, a record, Fire Chief Rick Paris told council members last Tuesday night. Fifteen of the calls were in Coulee Dam, 35 percent of the total. The Grand... Full story
Members of the Medical Lake chapter of Future Farmers of America address the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Thursday, presenting arguments on both sides of a controversial proposal to re-introduce salmon above Grand Coulee Dam. The team has honed their presentation to a required 15 minutes for an upcoming state competition, a challenge given the complexity of the topic. They asked for feedback from chamber members, who offered facts about the dam and advice on presentation skills. -... Full story
Chamber of commerce members will award the “Achiever of the Year” and the “Business of the Year” at a special noon luncheon March 10, scheduled at the Moose Lodge. The awards will be decided from a vote of Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce members. A special ballot went out to chamber membership earlier this week. Five people have been nominated for “Achiever of the Year.” They are Debbie Bigelow, Birdie Hensley, Kerry Higgins, Scott Hunter and Jerry Sands. Those nominated for “Business of the Year” are Coulee Dam Federal Credit... Full story
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the North Central Washington Gun Club, will host a handgun safety course on Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the NCW gun range in East Wenatchee. The class is open to those 21 and older who have no restrictions on gun ownership. Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal stated that there has been a spike in the number of people applying to purchase handguns and to obtain concealed pistol licenses. The goal, Gjesdal noted, is to reduce the likelihood of injury or death by improper h... Full story
Nomination letters for The Star’s annual Volunteer of the Year award are published in this issue, on page 2, and online. The honoree is chosen by our readers, either through a written note or an online poll. You can let your choice be known: • by mail to Volunteer, PO Box 150, Grand Coulee, WA 99133, • in person to The Star, 3 Midway Ave., Grand Coulee, or • use the poll below. Responses will be accepted through next Wednesday, Feb. 24. The honoree will be named in The Star March 2. Who should be named The Star's Volunteer of the Year for 201... Full story
One man is in jail and another suspect is being sought after a county interagency task force and the Secret Service raided a Grand Coulee residence early Friday morning. The raid site was lined with police vehicles and slowed traffic that used Burdin Boulevard as a route to get to work. Arrested and jailed was Melvin E. Toulou, Jr., 42, of 308 Burdin Boulevard. The search warrants covered that address and another home at 58220 Spokane Boulevard. Officials said the investigation covers thousands... Full story
Boaters in Washington state born after Dec. 31, 1954, now need to take a boater education course and carry a state Boater Education Card. An online course is offered by a private company for $29.50 at boat-ed.com, but the Boat US Foundation is also offering a free online course. (Thanks to reader Randy Semanko for that tip.) And the Grant County Sheriff’s Office is offering a course, in person, for free as listed below. February 20: Moses Lake – 1274 Lowry Street (Sheriff’s Substation) May 7... Full story
Coulee Dam residents will get an update on the proposed wastewater treatment plant project at a public meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. at city hall. In a letter to the editor in today’s Star newspaper, Mayor Greg Wilder stated that the town has “virtually completed the environmental processes and approved the engineering contracts.” He went on to write, “Rural Development, our funding agency, has now approved the engineering contract, and we expect funding in the form of a grant/loan package within a month or so.” The quest... Full story
Grand Coulee’s city council will meet one more time in February, but then will meet only once a month. The council passed its once-a-month ordinance at its meeting Feb. 2. After the Feb. 16 meeting, the Grand Coulee council will meet once a month on the third Tuesday of the month. Its meeting in March will be on the 15th, and meetings will start at 6 p.m. The new ordinance amends the city code. City Clerk Carol Boyce said the once-a-month change for meetings will allow city staff more time to prepare matters for the council, and allow c... Full story
The Chief Joseph Nez Perce Longhouse, destroyed by fire three years ago, may soon be replaced by a new building if a committee working for it can settle with insurance and find more funding. The new replacement building is projected to cost $3 million, a press release from the Colville Tribes said, but a settlement with an insurer still has to be worked out. And the effort must break ground by July 1 this year or face the loss of the insurance funds. At the time of the fire, Dec. 26, 2012, it... Full story
There’s an effort to resurrect “Them Dam Writers,” an organization that encourages people to write. The group had been organized back in the 1980s, but in recent years had dwindled to only a few. The effort to get the group going again started with a brainstorming meeting Saturday afternoon at the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center. Them Dam Writers is a non-profit organization that had many of its members’ articles published in The Star newspaper in a “Reflections” column. The group in the past has featured writers’ workshops, poetry writin... Full story
Tillman named pro tem Jesse Tillman was named mayor pro tem by a vote of council members at Elmer City’s council meeting last Thursday night. He will fill in for mayor Gail Morin when she is away. Blood drive scheduled There will be a Grand Coulee Community Blood Drive on Monday, Feb. 22, at the community room on the Coulee Medical Center campus. The drive is held in conjunction with Inland Northwest Blood Center and will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. New PUD manager named Grant PUD Commissioners announced the appointment of former Chief F... Full story