News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 4650 - 4674 of 6735
Carol Nordine was selected to fill out Marie Chuinard's unexpired term on the Electric City council last Tuesday night, with a tie vote broken by the mayor, her son. At the conclusion of the meeting she was sworn in by Mayor John Nordine. She was one of two candidates who filed for Chuinard's vacated seat. The other was Birdie Hensley, who had served on the council earlier. Both will be on the November ballot for the full four-year term. But the vote was close, ending in a 2-2 tie, with the... Full story
The fate of some Colville Business Council positions is fuzzy as a result of polling last Saturday. Absentee ballots will be counted this Thursday, providing the final vote tally. Both races in Nespelem are close. In Position 1, Brian J. Nissen led Ricky Gabriel, 105-97; and in Position 2, Sheilah Cleveland was ahead of longtime council member Andy Joseph Jr, 105-97. In the two Omak council positions, the races are equally close. In Omak Position 1, Karen Condon leads Richard Tonasket, 107-91, and Mel Tonasket leads Cherie Moomaw, 103-96 for... Full story
Elmer City’s sidewalk project is up in the air as the lone bid for the work was far too high, council members were informed Thursday night. The bid was for $306,000, far above the engineer’s estimate of $159,000. Public works director Jimmer Tillman said the town will try again, this time allowing those on the town’s small business roster to bid on the project. The town has a $225,000 grant from the state’s Transportation Improvement Board and was advised to reject the lone bid. The work includes sidewalks on Front and Williams Streets and prov...
Three local leaders recalled a time when the community was more united than it currently is, and called for revisiting a list of goals drawn up in the 1980s that remains relevant today. Jim Keene, David Schmidt and Mary Jane Bailey attended last Thursday’s chamber of commerce meeting to remind people of the effort that helped spawn many initiatives we see as realities today, including the laser light show, the formation of a park district, building ball fields at North Dam Park, and constructing entrance signs to the “Grand Coulee Dam” commu... Full story
A banner thanking local veterans was unfurled in the high school gym Monday, both as a project and a prelude to another. Proposed by Soy Redthunder, the banner is about 40 feet long and will be hung in the high school gym. American Legion Post 157 also wants to spearhead a drive for a new scoreboard for the school's football field. The current one, installed in 1983, often no longer works. The banner cost of $644 and the estimated scoreboard cost of $20,000 will be funded by donations. An "LRHS... Full story
Grand Coulee may move to aggressively enforce its own nuisance laws to clean up the city and add a part-time employee to do so. A woman who lives on Burdin Boulevard, finally got her message about trash in her Grand Coulee neighborhood across to the city council at its meeting June 2. Becky Billups found a friend in Mayor Pro-tem Paul Townsend, who will be the city’s next mayor, and in a council poised to act on her complaints. The council listened again to Billups Tuesday night, periodically breaking up as she told how her neighborhood was goi... Full story
A new metal sculpture called "Raider" will soon stand near the entrance to the new school complex in Coulee Dam. The Grand Coulee Dam School District's art committee had hoped to have the sculpture placed before school was out but it will have to wait a few more weeks before all the things are in place. The 7-foot high metal work was created by Virgil "Smoker" Marchand cost $12,500, part of some $70,000 worth of public art that will eventually be associated with the new school. Marchand said... Full story
Grand Coulee’s council inched closer to a deal to address the Four Corners traffic question last Tuesday night. The council voted to ask the Department of Transportation to move forward and install two “Your Speed Is” radar signs on SR-155 to improve the compliance rate of vehicles to the existing speed limit of 35 mph. This is one of the steps that the DOT had suggested to the city in a memo sent to city hall a week ago. The council isn’t ready to take on the idea of reducing the speed between Four Corners and the turnoff to Delano. There h... Full story
Graduation section inside this issue The Star newspaper this week features a special section on Lake Roosevelt graduates. Read about this year’s graduating class at Lake Roosevelt High School this week and attend Saturday’s graduation ceremony. Bullet proof vest for dog Douglas County’s only K-9 dog is now wearing a ballistic vest, safeguarding it from bullet and knife attacks. The dog, Hamu, is handled by Deputy Mike Baker. A national organization, Vested Interest in K9s, has teamed with Groupon, to provide funds to purchase the special K-9 v... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors is looking at some type of recycling program for the area. The idea of starting a recycling program is not new for the mayors, who are still trying to figure out how to pay for it. The group heard a proposal from Sunrise Disposal Monday that would limit product to cardboard and aluminum, both easily sellable and possibly able to pay their own way. Most items that are considered recyclable don’t pay their way. Start small, and do what’s doable, seemed to be the message. Sunrise would supply bins and place them in... Full story
The low bid for the proposed Federal Avenue/Main Street sidewalk project in Grand Coulee came in about $80,000 over the original engineer’s estimate, Grand Coulee’s council learned last Tuesday night. The low bid of $440,292 was submitted by Halme Construction of Davenport, who did work for the city during the covering of the landfill project some years ago. At the meeting, Jeff Stevens, of Gray & Osborne, the city’s engineering firm, said he was working with the low bidder to see if there was some wiggle room that would get the project withi... Full story
Indian Health Service Acting Director Robert McSwain presented long-time National Indian Health Board Member Andy Joseph, Jr. with the 2014 IHS Director's Special Recognition Award on May 29. Recently re-elected chairman of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and member-at-large to the National Indian Health Board, Joseph was recognized for "his significant contributions and unwavering leadership to advancing the health agenda in Indian Country," an IHS press release stated. Joseph... Full story
Coulee Medical Center is “planting a seed,” actually a lot of seeds, with an intent to grow into a better facility far less dependent on outsourcing its work. From billing to building medical staff, CMC is getting a handle on its future, staff reports last week indicated to hospital district commissioners. Three new health care providers are scheduled to begin practice in August, and CEO Debbie Bigelow said there may be a fourth ready to start, too, relieving the load doctors and mid-level providers have carried for years. The hospital has bro... Full story
A set of conceptual drawings that could significantly affect the quality of life in the area were delivered to the park board last week. The renderings, intended to form a basis for planning a new community center, were commissioned by the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District, which had obtained a grant from Grant County's Strategic Infrastructure Program to get architectural help envisioning what a new "wellness center" might look like. NAC Architects of Spokane did the work. District... Full story
Jean Comstock didn’t have public comment this week after she learned that the City of Grand Coulee had denied her application for a business license to put in a marijuana retail store on Burdin Boulevard. While Grand Coulee was denying an application for a business license, the city of Omak was granting one. The state’s attorney general had declared that his office would not recognize a city’s refusal to grant a business license based on the fact that it would be in violation of federal law. That was the primary reason Grand Coulee City Clerk C... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District spent $1,762 more in utility expenses for the new school in the first seven full months of this school year, the school board learned Monday night.The utility comparison is for power, water, sewer and garbage, and is from October, 2014 through April, 2015. Superintendent Dennis Carlson said that a more accurate picture of comparisons will likely take two or three years. Prior to this year, the district schools were in three different buildings. September, 2014, is not included in the comparison because of... Full story
A school board candidate who filed for Ted Piccolo’s at-large seat has decided to withdraw her name. Tamra Sacchi, who filed her intention to seek the at-large seat during the normal filing period, found out Monday that she couldn’t serve on the school board and be a substitute teacher at the same time. She said Tuesday that she plans to advise the Grant County Auditor’s office of her decision and have her name taken off the ballot. Earlier this week, Sacchi had delivered a letter of interest in finishing out Piccolo’s term to the school... Full story
Playhouse is winnable You could win the kid’s playhouse parked in front of Loepps Furniture. All you have to do is purchase a ticket inside the store for a drawing to be held sometime during the Junior Rodeo scheduled for the Ridge Rider rodeo grounds, July 18,19. Tickets are $1 each. The playhouse was built and donated by DWK Fowler Construction. School enrollment noted Enrollment for Grand Coulee Dam District schools was 696 for the month of May. That compares to 663 for the same month the previous year. May’s total this year is 36 above the... Full story
After years of study and political upheaval around the subject, Coulee Dam is on the path to building a new modular wastewater treatment plant, following a decision by the town council last month. The new facility will be built on the existing site with about a third of the capacity of that called for in an earlier facility plan. After an alternatives study, the longterm costs of building the new plant, versus refurbishing the old one, are projected to be less. A summary presented to the council May 13 assumes a $5.4 million funding package,... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson received an “Award of Merit” from the North Central Washington Educational Service District for his administrative leadership. Each year the various educational service districts in the state select a key administrator to honor for outstanding contribution to education in their area. Making the presentation May 21 in Wenatchee was Richard Johnson, Okanogan School District superintendent and chair of the Washington Association of School Administrators. Richard McBride, ESD sup... Full story
A local veterans’ organization is taking on a project that would make sure kids who might otherwise not be fed much on the weekends go home Friday with a supply of food. Three American Legion Post 157 members addressed a luncheon of the chamber of commerce recently to outline the program. Jim Brakebill, Ben Alling and Shawn Neider said a new connection with a hunger-fighting organization had made the effort more feasible. A package program from Second Harvest would allow the group to send home a package for $144 per year, per child. The ... Full story
The school board learned how students referred to the “Opportunity Room” get a new lease on life, at their meeting Monday night. Tami Nichols, who short circuits students referred to the program because of their activities, had put a spark back in their lives by using a book and teaching tool called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” Nichols, catching the students before they face more serious consequences, has had good success showing them that they all possess sometimes hidden talents and abilities. Nichols provided an outline of the ... Full story
Port District 7 commissioners selected their engineering firm from among five presenters at a special meeting Monday. Selected was T-O Engineers, from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, rated number one through a series of criteria approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. The selection committee was made up of two commissioners, James Keene and Dennis Lohrman; secretary Joanne Davidson; and airport Manager Bob Babler. Other firms submitting packets included Century West, of Ellensburg; J-U-B, of Spokane; Reid Middleton, Spokane; and Stantec, of S... Full story
Crews will be repairing potholes on SR 155 near Elmer City Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the state Department of Transportation announced Wednesday. Drivers should expect short delays, flaggers and alternating single-lane traffic. Crews will be applying hot asphalt patches to the pavement.... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee has denied a business license for a marijuana retail store here. City Clerk Carol Boyce said Tuesday morning that she is denying the license application by Jean Comstock because it is still a federal crime to possess marijuana. She said she is given the authority by city ordinance. Comstock’s application had created a storm of protest by more than 25 people who attended to the city council meeting May 19, to ask the city to deny the request. Many of these same people had attended the city planning commission the previou... Full story
