News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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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
A Spokane firm, Senske Lawn & Tree Care, submitted the winning bid to trim trees for the town of Coulee Dam. The firm’s bid of $75,618, was accepted by the town council at its meeting Wednesday night. The town had set aside $75,000 in this year’s budget for the tree trimming project. Senske’s bid was for 400 hours of service at $175.53 per hour. Public works director Barry Peacock told the council that he didn’t think it would take 400 hours to do the work and that this would bring the cost within the budgeted amount. The contract covers... Full story
Third Powerplant Overhaul Supervisor Brad Dudley points to components of G-24, a generator being overhauled in in Grand Coulee Dam's massive Third Powerplant. Dudley helped with a tour Monday afternoon of the dam by members of the Columbia Basin Tribes Coalition a day before they began a three-day technical workshop in Spokane to "bring together interested parties to discuss technical, cultural, social, institutional and economic issues associated with restoring adult and juvenile fish passage... Full story
OLYMPIA — Some Washington drivers could see a new fee added to their vehicle-tab transactions starting next year. Both the Senate and House agreed on a bill that would add a $5 fee for vehicle-registration renewals and purchases and a $12 fee for title transactions through public offices. Unless the bill is vetoed by the governor, a rare occurrence, it will become law. The money generated by the new fees would pay for a third 144-car ferry. Currently, private businesses that offer these services already charge an administrative fee, online a... Full story
Wed., March 19 - Dinner Shepherd’s Pie, Mixed Vegetables, Pineapple and Beet Salad, Cheesy Garlic Biscuits, Cookies. Thurs., March 20 - Dinner Sweet and Sour Meatballs Over a Bed of Rice, Squash, Pea Salad, Fruited Jello & Whipped Cream. First Day of Spring. Fri., March 21 - Breakfast Sausage Links, Eggs, Country Potatoes & Toast, Apricots, Orange Juice. Mon., March 24 - Breakfast German Sausage, Eggs, Hashbrowns and Muffins, Fruit Cocktail, Orange Juice. Tues., March 25 - Dinner Vegetable Beef Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Fruit Salad, Ice C... Full story
Revelations and rancor dominated a two-and-a-half-hour hospital commission meeting that culminated with steps taken toward the possible ouster of Coulee Medical Center's CEO and for an independent evaluation of physician pay. The meeting, held in Coulee Dam's town hall Monday night because of the anticipated size of the crowd, offered a nearly steady stream of news about internal hospital business and public disaffection of it. About 90 people attended. It started with a discussion of $180,000... Full story
OLYMPIA — Some Washington drivers could see a new fee added to their vehicle-tab transactions starting next year. Both the Senate and House agreed on a bill that would add a $5 fee for vehicle-registration renewals and purchases and a $12 fee for title transactions through public offices. Unless the bill is vetoed by the governor, a rare occurrence, it will become law. The money generated by the new fees would pay for a third 144-car ferry. Currently, private businesses that offer these services already charge an administrative fee, online a... Full story
Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson and police officer Sean Cook had another encounter, this time a brief one, at the council meeting March 4. Cook, during the visitor input time, explained that he was appearing as a private citizen and asked the mayor what was happening on a number of public records requests he had made. He also asked the mayor if he knew who had given a copy of the “Key report” to The Star newspaper. Christopherson acknowledged that he had met with a reporter from The Star newspaper, but had not given him a copy of the... Full story
An accident and resulting fire that put the John W. Keys III Pump Generating Plant at Grand Coulee Dam out of commission last fall has cost the Bureau of Reclamation $990,000 for cleanup, fire response and incident investigation alone, and will lead to a “corrective action plan” by April. An investigative team issued its report last week on the cause of the incident that left one worker severely burned in the Nov. 18, 2013 incident and facing a lengthy recovery. Actual repair costs for damaged are still unknown. But of 12 units that can pum... Full story
Following several months of investigation and meetings of the Tribal Government Committee’s Rules Committee, the Colville Business Council voted March 6 to expel Benjamin Marchand, Jr. from their ranks, a tribal press release stated. Marchand served from the Omak District. His term was set to expire in July of 2015. The action stems from an ethics complaint filed against Marchand for misuse of his tribal credit card. The complaint was filed by Jack Ferguson, a council representative from the Keller District and member of the council’s Exe... Full story
A total of 81 workers were killed during construction of Grand Coulee Dam, and there isn't a single marker to commemorate their deaths. That could change if a current effort to develop interest in a commemorative monument is successful. Researcher Susan Dechant was here Tuesday to meet with Coulee Dam Mayor Greg Wilder, and others, to see if there was interest in pursuing a monument. Dechant has been invited back to present the story to council members at their April 23 meeting, when she will... Full story