News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 5426 - 5450 of 6821
The town of Coulee Dam is receiving an $8,000 grant from the Washington State Archives to preserve public records and maintain government transparency. Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman sent a letter to Mayor Greg Wilder. The grant money includes: • $5,700 to digitize ordinances, minutes and resolutions now in the custody of the Central Regional Archives, • $1,100 to digitize ordinances, minutes and resolutions still held by the town and • $1,200 to purchase locking file cabinets to secure records. The town is currently doing an inven... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District amended its policy on accepting non-resident students at its meeting March 24. The district, anticipating a surge of new students anxious to attend the new school, now will allow administrators to refuse to admit non-resident students if it would push the total number of students over the allowable number, or if it would cause the need for additional classroom space. The district invited Nespelem School Principal and Superintendent John Adkins to attend the meeting. Adkins has earlier stated that the small... Full story
A room full of teachers and staffers addressed the Nespelem School Board last week, declaring that Principal Superintendent John Adkins is doing a very good job. Board Member Pat Morin said it was the biggest crowd he’s seen in five years. Teacher Tracy White said she has worked under eight superintendents at the school over the last 24 years. Adkins, she said, is positive with students and staff. “Since he has been here, he has made all of us better teachers,” she said. “When he’s walking up and down the hall … he’s always got a big high five... Full story
A corner was likely turned this week in the months-long hospital controversy that saw Coulee Medical Center’s healthcare providers and other employees pitted against administration. Public Hospital District 6 commissioners Friday afternoon accepted the resignation of Commissioner Greg Behrens, who had sought to quell the troubled waters around Chief Executive Officer J. Scott Graham, whose ouster was demanded by doctors and many patrons. Tuesday, commissioners of the hospital district in Brewster unanimously voted to offer Graham the top a... Full story
GRAND COULEE, Wash. - The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $697,000 contract March 10 to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to provide security and law enforcement services on Reclamation lands and at Reclamation facilities located on the east side of the Columbia River. The security and law enforcement services include the Third Powerplant, Downriver Trail and dam tour building. These services will be provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning April 1. The contract also allows the Colville Tribe to assist the... Full story
A driver who told police he was homeless and driving his father's car fell asleep and crashed through the guardrail at the south end of the causeway in Electric City last Thursday morning. Ira Wolash Wyena, 41, was not injured but a female passenger was taken to Coulee Medical Center, where she refused treatment. Wyena fell asleep at the wheel and the vehicle peeled back about 15 feet of the steel guardrail. It ended up in the ditch alongside SR 155 about 10 feet below the highway level. Parts... Full story
Summers seem too short? You could be in for a longer summer this year if the school board adopts the proposed district school calendar. Granted, the calendar for the 2014-15 school year presented at Monday night’s Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting isn’t the final one, but it gives a hint that the start of school this fall will be later than usual. The district, in an effort to move into the new education facility on the first day of school, is looking at the opening date of Sept. 15. Superintendent Dennis Carlson brought sch... Full story
A dispute on the size of accessory buildings in Electric City will soon be on the front burner for city planners. When the city’s comprehensive plan was passed, it limited the size of accessory buildings to 850 square feet. At least two Electric City residents, Mike Dennis and Mark Payne, have appeared before the planning commission and city council on numerous occasions, asking for larger accessory buildings to be allowed in the city. Upon their initial appearance before planners, the commission members seemed to OK buildings up to 30 feet h... Full story
Coulee Dam is seeking town residents to serve on three boards and fill one council seat. Mayor Gregory Wilder is asking members of the public to step up and fill three Civil Service Commission seats, five Planning Commission places, and six commission seats on the town’s Natural Resource Board (tree board). The positions, Wilder stated, have either been vacant or unfilled, and he would like to get residents more active in town government. The council position became vacant recently with the resignation of Bob Poch, who served the town for 28 y... Full story
The chief of staff at Coulee Medical Center was given a statewide award at the annual Washington Rural Health Association’s Northwest Regional Health Conference in Spokane Wednesday. Dr. Andrew Castrodale was awarded the Dr. John Anderson Memorial Award for Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner. The award is given to healthcare providers who have demonstrated a dedication to healthcare in rural communities and provided leadership and outstanding service to the community and region. For years, Castrodale has worked with a University of W... Full story
Long time on duty Grand Coulee police Chief Mel Hunt completed his 38th year with the department at 4 p.m. Monday this week. Blues coming to resort The Sunbanks Lake Resort spring Blues Festival will be held May 15-18, at the resort site in Electric City. Sunbanks Resort is a five-time winner as the “Best Blues Festival” in Washington State. Tickets are now on sale at the resort. Snyder asks for pavement Wayne Snyder appeared before the Electric City Council to ask the city to chip seal the road all the way up to his development. The city did... Full story
The school district, by action of the school board, will return to a seven-period day this fall. The district has had a six-period day for the past several years and a change to the seven-period day will allow students to receive a wider range of class options. The board had decided earlier to return to the seven-period day and a 24-credit requirement at the high school for graduation, but had an opportunity to delay it a year since the district would be moving into a new school. The board heard arguments that there would be enough adjustments... Full story
Jozlyn St. John, 11, of Grand Coulee competes Saturday in the keg toss competition on the final day of operations at Loup Loup Ski Bowl, west of Okanogan. St. John won the girls' division by tossing a pony keg 26 feet, 5.5 inches. Other competitors from Grand Coulee area included Bryn Chaffee, 10, and Ellie Hansen, 12. - Roger Harnack, Omak Chronicle photo... Full story
The school board got its first look at a plan for administrators for the new school complex. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told the board that the new school will need two principals, a vice principal/dean of students and a part-time athletic director. Principal Lisa Lakin will administer grades K-6, including pre-school. The district is currently advertising for a combined junior high-senior high principal. Current high school principal Brandon Byers has indicated that he has already applied to continue his... Full story
Supporters of The Ridge Riders gather for the group's annual banquet and auction at the American Legion Post in Electric City Saturday night. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
The Grand Coulee council voted to fund three water projects at its meeting March 18. The three projects were awarded to Pipkin Construction of Wenatchee on a low bid of $422,539.64, and will be funded from the city’s water reserve fund. The projects are: (1) Replace water main along SR-155 from SR-174 to Main Street and along Main Street from SR-155 to Spokane Way. Pipkin’s bid on this leg of the project was $204,267.65; (2) Replacement of water main along Van Tyne Avenue from Kimball Street to St. Henry’s Catholic Church. Pipkin’s bid on this... Full story
A 10-passenger airplane lost power Thursday morning and had to make an emergency landing at the airport near Electric City. The turbine-powered Quest Kodiak left Paine Field near Seattle on a flight plan for Sandpoint, Idaho. Somewhere near Lake Roosevelt's Swawilla Basin, the pilot experienced engine failure, turned back to the airport here and made a dead-stick landing. The plane had been flying at 13,000 feet and made a gliding return to the airport. It later was taken to a nearby hangar... Full story
Public Hospital District 6 commissioners will gather in a special meeting Friday at 3 p.m. to consider the tendered resignation of Commissioner Greg Behrens. Commission President Jerry Kennedy confirmed that Behrens had given his letter of resignation March 20. Determining the process to appoint a new commissioner is the second order of business on the agenda, followed by a closed session to consider legal and personnel matters. Behrens has been on one side of a split in the commission in recent months over a controversy between administration... Full story
Guillermo Guzman, who served as a Spanish teacher at Lake Roosevelt High School until April, 2013, was given a final separation payment by school board action last week. Guzman was arrested in 2013 by the Border Patrol and Coulee Dam police on a variety of allegations, including the use of someone else’s Social Security Number, not being a citizen and working without a valid work permit. Guzman holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Washington. Guzman had been on paid administrative leave since he was arrested, and agree... Full story
Sometime soon, Grand Coulee police officers will be wearing cameras that record video and audio to record your conversation when you are stopped for a violation. The new equipment is in the trial stage now with only one officer, Dan Holland, equipped with the device while the department develops practices and procedures on how the program will work. The camera is about three inches by two inches and clips onto the officer's uniform at an angle that allows video and sound. The process allows... Full story
The local chamber of commerce will offer three runs and a walk on Colorama Saturday, all featuring a route over the Grand Coulee Dam. The Run The Dam will take place the Saturday of Colorama weekend, May 10. It will feature 5-kilometer, 10K and half marathon runs, plus a “Walk the Dam — Build a Gym” fundraiser for the local school district. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber is promoting the run as part of the Colorama Festival. Formerly known as The Over the Dam Run and last year as That Dam Run, the new event will be managed by chamber membe... Full story
The Christmas decorations are still up in Grand Coulee. Public works director Dennis Francis advised the city council Tuesday night that relying on volunteers to help take them down hasn’t been a viable option. Francis explained that the city doesn’t have the manpower to put the decorations up and take them down. He noted that the city has to borrow a bucket truck, and this year had to spend over $1,200 in replacement bulbs. The displays were purchased a number of years ago by local businesses through efforts of the Business Association in Cou... Full story
Voters in the Colville Tribes’ Omak District Sunday voted in a longtime member to fill a vacancy on the Colville Business Council, seating him next to his son, whom they had voted in for another vacancy March 1. Mel Tonasket, a one-time chair of the CBC, garnered 79 of 172 votes, according to a tribal press release issued Tuesday. His son, Richard Tonasket was chosen earlier for the first of two seats recently vacated as one member resigned and the council expelled another. The elder Tonasket is to be sworn into office today (March 19), r... Full story
Four town vehicles to be sold The town council of Coulee Dam voted Wednesday night to declare surplus four vehicles. Those include a 2003 Crown Victoria, a 2006 Chevrolet Impala, a 1992 Cadillac Eldorado (all from the police department) and a 1991 Ford ambulance from the fire department. Proceeds from the sale will go into the general fund until the town works on its next budget, and then decide where the funds will be placed. The sale will be handled through “PropertyRoom.com.” Hantavirus a spring risk With spring comes spring cleaning, and... Full story
The town of Coulee Dam is advertising for a new councilperson. Veteran Councilmember Bob Poch announced that he is quitting the council after a 28-year stint and it was time to hang it up. He was recently elected to another four-year term last November. Poch was honored at last Wednesday’s council meeting for his long service to the town. Mayor Greg Wilder thanked Poch for his contributions to community life and said the town would begin advertising for a person interested in serving immediately. “Poch’s long-term service is symbolic of a ded... Full story