News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 5874 - 5898 of 6735
The general contractor building the new school complex is hauling some 22,000 cubic yards of sand from the Bureau of Reclamation’s giant sandpile for fill on the K-12 school project to bring the building site to grade, officials stated this week. The arrangement with the bureau will mean that it will save the school district some $22,000, Superintendent Dennis Carlson said Tuesday. Walker Construction had made arrangements with the bureau to secure the sand at $1 per cubic yard, however, bureau officials suggested they would waive the fee as l... Full story
A full moon backs up brand new laser equipment that served up the first laser show of the season Saturday night, as people watch the delivery of crisp, colorful images on Grand Coulee Dam. The show has been limping along on obsolete equipment the last couple years, but the new installation just completed by Lumalaser, of Oregon, is ready to debut a completely new show in August. The current program will run nightly until then. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
In Elmer City, Jessie Tillman filed his intention to run for position 5, the town council seat currently held by Larry Holford. Donna and Jeff DeWinkler are running unopposed for their seats, and Gail Morin’s seat, position 2, will be vacant at the end of her term. Morin has filed for mayor opposing incumbent Mayor Mary Jo Carey, who filed her intention to seek another four-year term.... Full story
Dozens of local elected positions are among more than 3,000 in the state for which people interested in serving the public filed intentions to seek or keep office last week. Incumbents in Electric City fared best in primary election filings with no incumbents challenged. Mayor Gerald “Jerry” Sands will go after his second term, and council members John Nordine II, Bradley Parrish and Lonna Bussert all are unopposed. In Coulee Dam, three are running for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Quincy Snow is being challenged by F. Gregory Wilder and Shawn Der... Full story
The Sanpoil Ferry is taking shape. The pilot house is on and for the most part the structure nears completion in the big tent at Crescent Bay. Workers said there is still a lot to do before late July when the 116-foot replacement ferry is launched for testing. The aluminum vessel is being constructed by Foss Maritime, and it is the largest vessel that firm has built to date. The ferry replaces the Martha S, which has been in service since 1948, and connects motorists crossing Lake Roosevelt... Full story
Newspaper office closed for holiday The Star newspaper office will be closed Monday, May 27, due to the Memorial Day holiday. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, May 28, at 9 a.m. Articles for the May 29 issue of The Star should be in the office by Friday, May 24, by 5 p.m. Army group looking for members The Second (Indianhead) Division Association is searching for anyone who ever served in the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division at any time. For information about the association and its annual reunion in Columbus, Georgia, from Sept. 17-21, 2... Full story
The annual Memorial Day Isle of Flags ceremony to honor deceased veterans will be held at Spring Canyon Cemetery Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m., American Legion post officials said this week. The ceremony will be preceded by a Veteran’s Day Breakfast at the Vet Center in Electric City Monday from 6:30 to 11 a.m. Cost for the breakfast is $3 for children 6-12, and $6 for adults. Fourteen new flags will be dedicated during this year’s ceremony. The flags will represent: James George Birdwell, Jerry A. Bise, Wayne F. Clark, Dexter H. Edwards, Jr.... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee continues to make headway in its billings and collections in both its municipal court and ambulance programs, City Clerk Carol Boyce told the city council at its most recent meeting. Court billings had fallen three-and-a-half years behind, from August 2009 to December 2012, Boyce told the council, but now they are caught up and the time allotted to make the billings is sharply curtailed. The payment on the court billings totalled $78,125, of which just under half, $37,552, goes to the city and the remainder to the... Full story
A candidate for the Colville Business Council has filed a formal grievance against the tribal election committee, saying she was denied a recount required as automatic by tribal law, she said. Charlene BearCub, who ran for the position 2 seat in the Nespelem District, was edged out in the May 18 primary by two votes. She said the tribal election code requires an automatic recount if the difference between candidates is three votes or less. “I verbally requested a recount, TWICE, due to the confusion and the ballot counts not matching,” Bea... Full story
Hey, aren’t those wild turkeys cute? That depends upon whom you ask. One person who has changed her mind on turkeys is Helen Jordan in Grand Coulee’s East Heights. “When I came here five years ago and first saw the wild turkeys, I was so excited,” she said. Not now! How would you like it if 42 turkeys took over your lawn, patio, and driveway? That’s how many she has seen in a single occasion. For one thing, it trains you to step lightly and tip toe around your property. Recently, Helen, who is g... Full story
A Lumalaser worker installs part of the new equipment that will display the new laser show beginning Aug. 8. The equipment will be able to fire up the old show until then, beginning on Memorial Day weekend. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors voted last week to extend the garbage collection contract with Sunrise Disposal for five years. The issue now has to be ratified by the four municipal councils before it can take effect. The current contract extends to Dec. 31, 2014, and if approved by the councils, it will extend to Dec. 31, 2019. The contract got early attention because the current agreement specifies that extension would be considered before the end of May, 2013. The early extension, the mayors were told, was to allow time at the end of the... Full story
Two meetings are planned on the Colville Indian Reservation to bring the public up to date on the wolf population in the area. A meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 28, at the Nespelem Community Center, and a second meeting will be held June 4, at 6 p.m., at the Inchelium Center. The meetings will be hosted by the Colville Confederated Tribes Wildlife Department with Carter Niemeyer as the special guest speaker. Currently, tribal officials say, there are two wolf packs on the reservation. Packs generally number from five to 10 animals,... Full story
An Electric City resident has requested approval to build an oversize accessory building Mike Dennis, who lives at 118 Lincoln Avenue, was told by the city council last week to make his request to the city’s planning commission. Dennis was told that perhaps the planning commission would change its rules on the size of building permitted on different size lots to accommodate him. Dennis furnished council members with the size of his lot, 16,000 square feet; the size of his house, 2,668 square feet; and of his proposed accessory shed, 1,656 squar... Full story
by Roger S. Lucas A runaway truck early Monday morning almost made Jack’s 4-Corners Union 76 & Mini Mart a drive-in as it crashed its way through the southwest corner of the building. The driver, Clifford Scott Taylor of Mountain Home, Idaho, told police that he had parked his semi tractor-trailer near the car wash and went to the station to purchase some breakfast and a drink; as he was paying his bill, the truck crashed through the building. Taylor said he parked the truck in neutral with t... Full story
Center School could get a little crowded next fall. The district will have three first grades and three kindergarten classes as well as providing preschool for 3- to 5-year-olds, according to Superintendent Dennis Carlson. The district received word that Grant County Head Start ceased operating here as of April 26, more than three weeks earlier than planned, due to a 5.27-percent cut in federal funds due to the sequester. Sally Gundry, executive director of Grant County Family Services, the agency in charge of the local Head Start, said the... Full story
Colorama huge hit Despite the fact that new Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Manager Peggy Nevsimal broke a collarbone Friday night, which kept her from seeing the fruits of most of her work on the event, reviews have been largely positive. President Jesse Utz said Tuesday that he had just been told it was “the best Colorama ever.” And other board members say they’ve gotten similar unsolicited comments. The biggest addition, and probably the largest amount of added work, had to do with the revival of The Beer Tent, a low-key, three... Full story
Candidates for upcoming elections are filing for positions on school boards, city councils, hospital boards and some junior taxing districts this week. In early filings, three have filed for positions in Hospital District 6. These include two incumbents, Kristen Hare and Jerry L. Kennedy. Betty Brueske has filed for a six-year short and full term on the local commission, which has one vacancy. John Nordine II, has filed for a four-year term on the Electric City council, a position he now holds. In Elmer City, Gail Morin, who is currently on... Full story
A request from the town of Elmer City to get out of its wastewater plant joint operating agreement with Coulee Dam was turned down by that town council last Wednesday night. In a letter to Coulee Dam officials, Elmer City Mayor Mary Jo Carey requested that the present joint agreement, some 37 years into its 50-year term, be dissolved. She has maintained that action by Coulee Dam reveals that the joint operation agreement no longer controls the relationship between the two towns. The Coulee Dam council quickly rejected the proposal. Elmer City... Full story
Two Colville Business Council incumbents lost out in their bids for another term in the primary election certified last week. Losing in the primary were Brian Nissen, in position 1 in the Nespelem District and Darlene Zacherlie in the position 1 race in the Keller District. Nissen came in third in the vote tally with 112 votes, trailing Deb Louie (155) and Ricky Gabriel (117). Louie and Gabriel will face off in the June 15 general election. Others in that race and their votes were Randy Laramie (43), Joaquin Marchand (89) and Tum-chis-li-wit... Full story
Bull rider Erik Bala of Ellensburg gets ready to dismount just as photographer Biffle French makes a big mistake at at the end of the last ride of the last event of the 57th Colorama Rodeo Saturday night. Fans got extra excitement after Bala, the eighth and last bull rider and the only one to hang on eight seconds, rode all the way across the arena — just before the bull escaped as French opened the gate to the warmup arena. The 1,600-pound bull crashed through the gate and rumbled behind the f... Full story
Lake Roosevelt High School counselor Sue Hayes is one of this year’s senior class’s biggest boosters. Hayes spent 20-30 minutes with each senior available for an exit interview and was so impressed she made a report to the school board about this year’s top class. Students emphasized over and over that when they had trouble achieving the goals set for themselves, it was their own fault. Making right choices and getting support from family, school staff and friends made all the difference, their replies noted. One important factor, seniors state... Full story
Every May over Memorial Dayweekend, the citizens of the oldest town in Grant County put on their boots and dust off their hats for an action-packed weekend with Coulee City’s “Last Stand Rodeo.” The May 24-26 event historically has drawn some of the best talent in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It starts Friday night under the lights with a Bullarama at 7, pitting cowboys against beasts that weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Also on Friday there is the added wild and woolly action of Mutton Bustin’ for children ages 3 to 8 years old... Full story
The Village Cinema in Coulee Dam is history. Its fate was settled last Wednesday night by mutual consent of the town council and the cinema operator, Lynette Zierden and her family. She asked for relief from her lease with the town and explained that she would make arrangements to pay off any debt owed the town of Coulee Dam. The town council quickly OK’d the request, recognizing that it was a sign of the times. The need to convert the theater’s present film projection equipment to digital was more than Zierden could afford. The theater was... Full story
A drive to raise $95,000 to replace Village Cinema’s projection equipment with new digital technology has failed, and the theater’s owners hope to end their lease early, unable to continue with a broken, obsolete projector. A report on Kickstarter, an online fund raising site, reported at the end of the drive, May 4, that only $2,688 had been pledged, less than 2 percent of what was needed to make a transition to digital equipment required by new industry standards next year. Owner Lynette Zierden said they just made the last payment to the... Full story