News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Electric City struck down its own “longevity pay schedule” at its meeting last week. The city had passed a resolution in 2002, initiated by then-mayor Ray Halsey, affirming the benefits of attracting and keeping key employees by giving them a longevity pay raise after 25 and 30 years employment. Halsey at the time wanted a method to keep key employees on the job, and thought that a bump in pay was the way to do that. The resolution grandfathered in employees who had 10 years in at the time of the resolution. Two employees have benefited fro... Full story
Police and school officials followed up on what they thought was a threat against Lake Roosevelt Schools last Friday. According to a police report, Vice Principal Paul Turner received a call from a person in Bridgeport who said he had overheard what he thought was a threat against the school. He had attended a volleyball match Thursday evening and recounted to Turner what he overheard between two male students. Police were called and school personnel locked outer doors to make sure they knew who was in the building. Meanwhile, security camera... Full story
We've got some good shots from this weeks's football and volleyball games. Which ones do you think should make into Wednesday's paper? Click the i in the slide show below to get the image number. Let us know what you think: - star@grandcoulee.com - www.facebook.com/GrandCouleeStar - @culestar - or in the comments below. You can also click on the Find Your Photos ad at right to search our archives....
Students at a Lake Roosevelt High School physical education class take part in a training regimen that has teenagers showing up, for no credit, to exercise long before school starts. Find out why in next week's Star article on APX. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
The family of a woman killed while fighting a local wildfire 25 years ago is hoping a new fire station planned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation could be named after her. Toni Godsil died Aug. 6, 1990, while fighting a wildland fire in Douglas County with the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department when wind shifted and the flames caught up to her. “She was the first female firefighter to be hired by the government into a program to be a 24-hour firefighter,” said her daughter, Danielle Townsend. “I just think that she really deserves some... Full story
Residents of Coulee Dam will have an opportunity to get to know at least some of their candidates for town council positions in the Nov. 3 election. The forum will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the community room at city hall. Scott Hunter, publisher of The Star newspaper, will serve as moderator of the event. Candidates, six of whom are running for the three open council positions, have been invited to participate in the forum, but only three plan to attend. Candidates will have an opportunity to provide information about t... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors’ limited recycling project never made it out of the chutes before it was shot down by Elmer City’s town council. The RBOM had proposed the purchase of a 30 cubic yard, $13,000 recycling bin. The four mayors were to take the proposal to their councils. The first to try to do so was Mayor Gail Morin, who explained to her council that Elmer City’s prorated share of the bin’s cost was $780. The council said “no.” The proposal had Sunrise Disposal hauling recyclables to Okanogan’s recycling place for a charge of $74 an h... Full story
Center School zone on agenda Grand Coulee’s Planning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) at city hall. Among items to be discussed is a zoning change for Center School, which the Grand Coulee Dam School District is trying to sell. Anyone wanting to use the building for something other than a school is reluctant to bid on it under its current zoning. The public is welcome to attend. Bridges near Nespelem closed or restricted In a press release sent about 5 p.m. Monday, Okanogan County Public Works said one bridge near Nespelem w... Full story
A marijuana retail store in Grand Coulee is now possible. The city council removed any roadblocks by a 3-2 vote last week. The Oct. 6 vote took the words “federal law” out of the city ordinance and declared that if a business license application met state law restrictions, a license “must” be issued. Prior to this vote, a decision on such an application had rested with the city clerk. Although federal law does not allow marijuana sales, the U.S. attorney general has made it clear the Justice Department will not pursue prosecutions in states... Full story
A house fire Sunday at 228 B Continental Heights that did major damage to the interior is still under investigation, according to Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Chief Richard Paris. The alarm sounded at 9:12 p.m. and fire units from Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and the Bureau of Reclamation responded. The house is owned by J & G NW Enterprises of Stanwood, Washington. It was rented to Crystal Adolph and family. No one was home at the time of the fire. Paris said the cause of the fire is... Full story
Grand Coulee’s ambulance rates are going up. But it isn’t as bad as it sounds, volunteer Fire Chief Richard Paris told the Grand Coulee city council last Tuesday night. He explained that, while the rates are going up, the new rates will include some services that had been charged separately before. Paris said a third-party billing company that handles some 150 ambulance accounts said Grand Coulee is the only one that breaks out supplies and charges separately for them. “We are folding the break-out charges into the basic charge, which will... Full story
A 26-year-old Nespelem man was arrested and jailed in Grant County after a high-speed chase through parts of four counties on Saturday night. Arrested was Jory L. Vallee, who was driving a car police said was stolen. He was able to avoid multiple police cars at speeds up to 80 mph, police reported. Police say it was the second such occurrence for Vallee, who on Aug. 12, was able to outrun police while driving a vehicle and ending up somewhere above Keller on a logging road. Police said they are recommending that the prosecutor’s office c... Full story
EPHRATA, Wash. —Three employees remain at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle following an accident last week at Grant PUD’s Priest Rapids Dam, which hospitalized six power-plant electricians and operators. Over the past weekend, two employees were discharged, one remains in satisfactory condition, one remains in critical condition, and one has improved to serious condition, the utility said in a press release. “I can think of nothing worse than one of our employees not returning home to see their family at the end of a workday,” said Grant P... Full story
A 43-year-old Grand Coulee man is set to appear in Grant County Superior Court this month, accused of molesting a 7-year-old girl. Charges were filed against Charles E. Johnson, who was seen entering a field April 20 with the girl. He was followed by a neighbor who reported hearing her scream. He confronted Johnson and held him while he called 911 for police. The incident had been under investigation until charges were filed by the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office last week. Prosecutors filed a charge of child molestation in the first d... Full story
An effort to keep an American flag flying in an unlikely spot saw success last week as the stars and strips were hoisted proudly above Delano Friday. Anyone traveling between Delano and Electric City can see it to the south of the highway. It's easily the highest flag in the area. Jay Kemble and Mike Rounds made the trek to the top of the large rocky hill that separates the Delano neighborhood from Electric City and raised the flag on a pole fashioned long ago by long-dead patriot Wade... Full story
Early next year, many businesses and some homeowners can expect a modest decrease in the cost of their fire insurance. Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department Chief Rick Paris said this week that the city has improved its fire protection classification from a seven to a six, effective Feb. 1, 2016. Monday, insurance broker Jerry Kennedy stated that the new rating will definitely save local businesses money on their next fire insurance policy. “Many homeowners may also see modest decreases in their fire policies,” he said. “Policyholders shoul... Full story
One of the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s trucks was stolen last Tuesday and recovered a few hours later at Crescent Bay. A school employee, Dean McPherson, was working on the roof at Center School and looked down to see his truck being driven away by an unidentified man. McPherson immediately called police, who combed the area but were unable to locate the truck. McPherson said when he looked down, the suspect appeared to be changing his shirt and then took off, heading east on SR-174. The truck had recently been filled with gas, so o... Full story
The Eagles Club was broken into sometime early Sunday morning. A burglar entered by breaking through the back door. Security cameras showed that a male intruder ransacked the place and stayed inside the lodge for about half an hour. Dispatch notified police that the Eagles’ security alarm was going off, and officers Adam Florenzen and Sgt. Gary Moore both responded. The officers searched the building and photographed potential evidence, which was then turned over to the Washington State Crime Lab. Several interior doors had been forced open, a... Full story
Coulee Dam police are investigating a break-in at the Riverview Bowling Alley that occurred Sept. 15. Owner Pat Zlateff told police that he had arrived to do some work and found a number of items lined up at the back door. The burglar had gone through the business area and taken small change from vending machines and then stacked up items to take when exiting the building. Zlateff said a Craftsman three-drawer tool box was missing. Officers found cigarette butts scattered throughout the building, suggesting the intruder had been in the place... Full story
Blood drive set The Inland Northwest Blood Center, along with Grand Coulee Community Blood Drive Volunteers, will hold a blood drive Monday, Oct. 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the community room at Coulee Medical Center. INBC needs an average of 200 blood donors every day to meet the needs of more than 35 hospitals in the Inland Northwest. Haunted house planned A haunted house is being planned at the Grand Theatre on Grand Coulee’s Main Street for Oct. 26-30. Workers will be busy in the next few weeks coming up with scary ideas for the H... Full story
The Grand Coulee Library will host Mike VanQuickenborne for a public presentation at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, as part of a Speakers Bureau program. VanQuickenborne is a philosophy instructor at Everett Community College and organizer of the world's first philosophical film festival "Philosophy in the Dark." He will speak about philosophy through comedic films. The public is invited.... Full story
EPHRATA, Wash. — (Updated with new information at 7:10 p.m.) At approximately 4:15 p.m. today an explosion was reported at Priest Rapids Dam along the Columbia River. At this point there are six confirmed employees with various levels of injury that have been taken to regional medical facilities via airlift or ground ambulance. All six employee families have been notified. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time. The cause of the explosion is attributed electrical equipment and the hydroelectric facility remains stable. A... Full story
In a press release sent about 5 p.m. Monday, Okanogan County Public Works said one bridge near Nespelem will be closed and another restricted on Tuesday. The agency said it is closing Bridge B-3 at milepost 5.08 on Park City Loop Rd, and will post a 5-ton weight restriction on Bridge B-15 at milepost 2.15 on Joe Moses Road. “Your patience during these short delays is greatly appreciated," the press release said. “We apologize for any inconvenience you may encounter during the construction.” It did not specify the purpose of the bridge restr...
A town council meeting at Coulee Dam that was designed to discuss consolidation of services such as police, ambulance and fire departments with other cities and towns was essentially postponed until Oct. 7, because only three of five council members were present last Wednesday. Mayor Greg Wilder said he didn’t want to get into serious discussion on consolidation until all members of the council were present. Wilder has indicated on numerous occasions that he favored some type of consolidation of services in the area for greater efficiency and s... Full story
Kids at Nespelem Elementary know what a spleem is. It's what you're not supposed to do. A pax, on the other hand, is what you are supposed to do. Those two concepts, and those labels, are part of a new game at the school that is changing not just classrooms, but migrating into the larger community, too, some say. And it's giving students a new tool to help with school and life. The PAX Good Behavior Game is making a difference in the school, helping kids learn how to behave appropriately and... Full story