News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Following Tuesday’s inspection of their school buildings by their insurance company, environmental consultant, and property restoration team, Nespelem School Superintendent Linda McKay announced the district had been informed that they “will need to delay the first day of school until Tuesday, September 8.” The school’s buildings were inundated with thick smoke during the recent wildfires, and McKay told the school board July 27 that she would have the inspection done. Air Quality Index measurements inside the school remained elevated on Tues...
With no takers for Electric City’s police services contract and a November deadline looming, the city council on Tuesday agreed to modify and reissue its request for proposals while also beginning a deeper look at the cost of creating its own police department. Mayor Blake Martin told council members the city had received no formal bids on its current police contract RFP, which closes Aug. 15. Grand Coulee and Soap Lake have both declined to submit proposals, citing staffing and short-contract concerns, while the Grant County Sheriff’s Off...
Grand Coulee Dam School District directors Tuesday accepted and countered an offer for the sale of the old middle school to a local company, but the sale is contingent on successful negotiations of specifics. “I think the biggest comment is that we are still trying to do this for what’s best for our students,” noted Director Alex Tufts in a special board meeting called mainly to approve the offer. “We’re not going to make the sale of this if it’s going to harm our students.” Superintendent Rod Broadnax agreed. “Just going to negotiate, and if i...
Sue Dickey, right, accepts an ice cream bar from Harlan Holt as Harvest Foods and Variety gave out ice cream, lemonade and hot dogs to customers to celebrate the store's 50th anniversary Friday. Ray Duclos, center, sips a lemonade instead of working. The founder is now retired but showed up for the day and visited with patrons, including Dickey. She was there when they opened five decades ago, too, and won a drawing. At left Kota and his mom, Sarah Holt help Stephanie Duclos staff the welcoming... Full story
August 10, 2026 Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an emergency proclamation Monday to temporarily suspend some state laws in order to fast-track the recovery process from wildfires ravaging central and eastern Washington. The announcement comes as fires have burned over 700,000 acres in Washington this year, destroying more than 871 homes. "We're in for the long haul on this as a state," Ferguson said during a press conference in Spokane, where fires that began at the start of the month tore... Full story
The Coulee Dam Wrestling Club partnered with Auntie Dannee's Restaurant Friday evening for a successful spaghetti dinner fundraiser, bringing the community together in support of families impacted by the recent fires. The event, held from 5- 7 p.m., saw a large turnout as community members filled the restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal while supporting an important cause. Many others stopped by to pick up to-go orders, while others simply made monetary donations to support their neighbors...
Grand Coulee Dam School District Directors will meet in a special meeting, online only, at noon Tuesday, Aug. 11, to discuss the sale of the old middle school in Grand Coulee. The Zoom link to the meeting is https://gcdsd.zoom.us/j/89474772041?pwd=Zk5pNnB6MWovOUNLMEtUcTR1MEsyQT09 Or you can go to the district homepage at https://www.gcdsd.org and scroll to the bottom for the link and directions. The school board had planned last Monday to meet online in the next few days to vote on the sale,... Full story
There are 51 large wildfires across the states of Washington and Oregon. There are two large fires currently burning on the Colville Reservation. The Kaiser Canyon fire is more than 136,000 acres. The Modrite fire is more than 51,000 acres. Both were started by lightning strikes and have expanded rapidly because of high winds, hot temperatures, low humidity, and fuel conditions that caused Washington State Department of Natural Resources to issue a “Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory” on July 14. Gov. Bob Ferguson made a formal request for an...
Staff, community and school board members heard and voiced concerns during a hearing July 27 about the proposed upcoming sale of the old middle school that the Grand Coulee Dam School District seeks to sell. Most of the debate centered on longterm access to the gym and safety for student athletes. Athletic Director Casey Brewster urged the board to slow down until a clear plan is in place for replacing the facility, saying the gym and adjacent spaces are heavily used yearround by school and community programs. Brewster said losing the building...
Local firefighters quickly quashed a fire on the hillside above the south side of Grand Coulee Monday afternoon near the road going to Almira. Firefighters from Grand Coulee, Electric City, Coulee Dam and Elmer City FD #2 responded to the Grand Coulee Hill Road for a reported brush fire in the area. Crews got there by 4:30 and had the fire in mop-up status by 4:42. They completed mop up around 7:30. "We are very thankful for our mutual aid partners and all the quick response and quick attack!"...
by Shyleigh Gray and Scott Hunter Republican congressional candidate Jerrod Sessler came to Grand Coulee Saturday amid outrage regarding statements he had made in Moses Lake about the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Arriving at the Voltage Coffee House Saturday, Sessler was met with extreme disapproval from the small crowd that gathered. Sessler's opening statements were an attempt to explain himself and his comments. "Most of what I have seen has been totally misconstrued in...
The National Night Out street party in Coulee Dam scheduled for Aug. 4 has been postponed. The Coulee Dam Police Department's annual participation in the nationally promoted community get-together, always scheduled for the first Tuesday in August, was coming up at a poor time to hold a celebration, the city said in a broadcast text message and in an email to The Star. "We feel it would be unsafe to have people out in these smoky conditions," explained City Clerk Stefani Bowden in an email... Full story
More than 1,000 personnel are assigned to the fight against the Kaiser Canyon Fire on the Colville Reservation, officials said Tuesday morning, 12 days after its start from lightning July 16. Fire took out more homes in Nespelem, too, on Friday, although an information release said that fire was not considered part of the larger conflagration and was named the HUD fire. Tuesday morning the fire's size was said to be 126,402.2 acres, considered 16% contained. Then later in the day, a new flareup...
Tim Lynch was honored by the American Legion Department of Washington as Humanitarian of the year at their annual convention July 18. Last year Lynch was out walking when he noticed heavy black smoke pouring from an attached garage. It appeared the fire was entering the house. He called 911. He knocked on the front door. As he was still on the phone, an air conditioning unit was pushed out of a window. He grabbed a toddler that was passed through the opening. A second person, a young teen, came...
Nespelem School District’s new superintendent, Linda McKay, has spent much of her first month on the job managing wildfire fallout instead of easing into the role. In a report to the school board July 27, McKay said her first 27 days were “a month unlike any other,” shaped by the Kaiser Canyon fire, evacuations and smoke damage to the school. McKay has been at the LR shelter or otherwise involved in fire response on roughly 12 of the last 15 days, working closely with tribal emergency management officials Brian Quill and Andrea Carden. At one p...
Summer is the perfect time to discover something new. Join the Summer Library Program, attend free family events, explore books and movies, and find programs happening across North Central Washington. Celebrate 250 Years of American History Explore America’s history through books, films, and conversations that invite curiosity, reflection, and learning. This month’s programs and collections highlight both inspiring achievements and the complex stories that have shaped our nation. There’s Still Time to Join Summer Reading There’s still plenty...
Homes were lost in minutes, animals raced for refuge, people fled ahead of flames as the Kaiser Canyon Fire grew relentlessly this week from a few acres on the morning of July 16 to more than 68,000 Tuesday. Firefighters and volunteers managed to save Nespelem proper. Several people credited the Palmer family with working tirelessly on bulldozers to create fire breaks around outlying homes that could have burned without that protection. On Monday, a drive through the area, still closed off on th...
The Grand Coulee Dam School District board will meet in a special online meeting via Zoom Thursday, July 30, at noon for the purpose of passing the 2026-27 school year budget, discussed Monday night in a public hearing. Approval of Budget Resolution 26-27/01 is the only thing on the agenda, along with public comment after that approval. No other items can be discussed. The Zoom link can be found at the bottom of the district's homepage at gcdsd.org, or here: https://gcdsd.zoo... Full story
Electric City's new Ray Halsey Memorial Park opened this week with applause, laughter and memories of the longtime mayor who "always wanted a park for the people." The park, years in the making, was celebrated as a model of volunteerism and partnership between the city, local nonprofits and businesses. Speakers praised the committee that planned and built the project, the city's public works crew that rushed to finish details, and the late Mayor Ray Halsey, whose legacy now bears the park's name...
Neighbors frustrated by growing disorder on Dill Avenue pressed Grand Coulee City Council members Tuesday night to crack down on what they described as dangerous and unsanitary conditions on two nearby properties. Resident Mike Coffee, who lives on Dill Avenue, told the council he has dealt with repeated thefts, suspected illegal power hookups, and human waste being dumped on the ground outside a neighboring trailer. Coffee said one man living in the trailer was caught on his security cameras cutting wires from the front of his boat. Coffee...
Washington State Standard July 21, 2026 A Washington judge has ordered the state to pay roughly $120 million to thousands of public school teachers for withholding interest on pension contributions they made more than two decades ago. But those more than 26,000 teachers will need to wait for payments, as the state is now appealing the decision. Washington’s Department of Retirement Systems concedes it’s liable in some form, but disagrees on the magnitude of the penalty. The agency declined to... Full story
Electric City will begin shopping around for possible providers of police services, voting Tuesday night to send out a request for proposals to nearby agencies, including other cities’ departments and county sheriff’s offices. The RFP seeks a comprehensive, turnkey law enforcement package. The selected agency would be responsible for: 24/7 response to all 911 calls originating in Electric City Routine patrols by vehicle and on foot, including park patrols, business checks, residential vacation checks and traffic enforcement Criminal inv...
Elmer City is working on handling a parking problem in town by enforcing an ordinance that says cars not in compliance can be towed after seven days, with notice. Town Clerk Kelly Ross said she would have a revised ordinance ready for the council to consider next month that aligns with current reality. The current ordinance was passed in 1950, and assigns the job of tagging non-compliant parked rigs to the town marshal, which the town hasn’t had for decades. The 1950 ordinance, number 28, states the offender can be made to pay the cost of a...
Dance competitions at the the 2026 Nespelem July Celebration Powwow....
July 14, 2026 High school seniors in Washington would need to complete student aid paperwork to graduate, under a proposal Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Monday. If students didn't want to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, they could sign an agreement to opt out. Ferguson will press for lawmakers to approve the requirement during the next legislative session, which begins in January. Around half of Washington families qualify for higher education financial aid, according to...