News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Just before Veterans Day, the last known survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor died at age 98. With the passing of George Hursey of Massachusetts, it closed that chapter of World War II — the world’s most deadly conflict in which over 60 million people perished. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called Dec. 7, 1941, “the date which will live in infamy.” During the surprise attack, 350 Japanese aircraft descended on Pearl Harbor and nearby Hawaiian military installations in two waves. Mor...
When this paper comes out there will be 35 shopping days until Christmas, and eight days till Thanksgiving. (Pause to let that sink in) OK, breathe. In the past at our house, we would be making lists consisting of ammo, kitchen tools and automotive tools. We could even dig a little deeper on the depth chart of possible gifts and say stuff like, Kanye West album, a recliner or a new pair of boots. But things have changed this year. We recently bought a luxury kitchen. No, not for our home. Well,...
If someone asked you if you would commit to a job that could send you to anywhere in the world, even some of its worst places, for years, and that you had to obey orders of your supervisors at all times or there could be serious repercussions, and that the pay wasn’t great, and that it would be entirely possible that you could be in serious danger, even killed, would you jump at the chance? You might, if, like the men and women depicted in our special section honoring veterans this week, you found that the job also allowed you to serve the n...
I wanted to thank the students and parents who allowed me to be a part of your lives for the last three years as the GCDJH eighth-grade girls basketball coach. It has truly been a pleasure to put that time into our youth by either working on their basketball skills or just being there as a leader. I’m seeing more and more that guidance and leadership is something that our youth need, not only as encouragement but as stability. Being told over and over that you’re not good enough is just as bad as being told over and over that you’re the best an...
When I talk to farmers in Central Washington and across the country, having access to a stable and legal workforce is often their number one concern. Each year, it becomes harder to hire domestic workers, and farm owners have become increasingly dependent on the H-2A agricultural guestworker program to grow and harvest their goods for market. This has amounted to a critical labor shortage for our agriculture industry – one of the most important sectors of our nation’s economy. Since I was elected to Congress, making reforms to our nat...
Scientists have been coring glacial ice fields for some time now. One objective is to analyze the small atmospheric gas bubbles that got trapped as the ice formed. These gas bubbles contain atmospheric gases from our ancient past. Much of the research is done to address climate change. The Antarctic has proven to be the place where past climate clues can be found and by past, I mean long, long ago. Up until recently, the oldest complete Antarctica ice core data took the research back some...
With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres expected to change hands over the next few years, military veterans have a key role to play as the nation looks for the next generation of producers. To do so, veterans will need assistance overcoming barriers, such as accessing land and the lack of assets or cash flow to purchase land, equipment, and farm inputs. Access to credit is an important component of most farming operations, especially for new and beginning producers. Farm Service Agency (FSA), a branch of...
During World War II, construction material was becoming scarce. Support buildings were needing to be erected for the finishing of Grand Coulee Dam. An idea was introduced, where the old Great Northern Railway bridge, up the Columbia River and then over the Kettle River at Marcus, could be reused to provide steel and wood beams needed for these buildings. The bridge was purchased by the government for this plan. By June of 1942, the rising water of the reservoir had backed the Kettle River up to...
There are a lot of reasons why people seek public office. Probably the best reason is when people feel the community has been good to them and they want to give something back. It usually, but not always, comes after families are raised, and there’s more time for public service. This reason probably produces the most effective elected officials. Another reason is that someone encourages someone to run because if they get a friend in office then they can work the system. This seems to be the standard reason today. You see it being played out e...
Sometimes things are very fun around this place. Since Karrie has a new job title of Grandma, the fun level has picked up dramatically. There are tears sometimes, but so it goes with a 9-month-old and a 1-plus-year-old toddler. There are fun times and stressful times but all valuable times. Have you ever watched a baby fall asleep in her highchair? It is hilarious for all except the babe in question. Opening her eyes when you try and give her a bite, very slowly and looking at you annoyed...
“I ask how and why this decision was reached,” Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said in the Senate recently. He was calling for an investigation into President Trump’s decision to pull US forces out of Syria. “Are we so weak and so inept diplomatically that Turkey forced the hand of the United States of America?” A good question, but if the Senate does launch an investigation, do you imagine Romney will get even close to posing it directly to the President? I didn’t think so. We have a presidential accountability problem that has significant...
All of Central Washington’s constituents are special, and I am proud to represent each of them in our nation’s capital. One constituent I am most proud of is General James N. Mattis, decorated four-star general and former U.S. secretary of Defense. He exemplifies the American principles of hard work, patriotism, and integrity. He can communicate and resonate with everyone — from heads of state and members of Congress to local business leaders and young students. His military and civilian service serves as an example for all, and I am honor...
You know the signs. The thunderous cough. The pounding headache. The full-body fatigue. It’s the flu. Last fall and winter, influenza sickened roughly 40 million Americans and killed 60,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year’s flu season is nearly upon us. Here are four tips to stay healthy. 1. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. People should get the flu vaccine early. Every year, this shot prevents up to 6.7 million flu cases, 87,000 hospitalizations, and 10,000 deaths. The vaccine also hel...
Editor’s note: A story in the Oct. 9 Star told of a missing 14-year-old boy and his grandmother’s efforts to bring him home. This letter is her message to him. 10/14/2019 Javante, To prevent you from being preyed upon by pseudo family or friends, I’m doing the hardest thing in the world, as tears run down my cheek, and that is publicly announcing that I will surrender custody over to both of your biological parents to let the three of you determine where you will live, and solidify it through court. Come back and we will call your paren...
Washington’s 4th Congressional District is home to two sovereign tribes, the Yakama Nation in the south and the Colville Tribes in the north. I am proud to represent these strong Native communities in Congress, but there is a crisis affecting not only the Yakama and the Colville but tribes across the nation: missing and murdered indigenous women. Indigenous women throughout the country face a murder rate ten times higher than the national average, and I have seen firsthand how these injustices affect local communities. There are currently o...
Here is my second profile of a senior at Lake Roosevelt High School this year. If I was to look at this year’s seniors and pick one that has grown up the most over the years I have known him, I would pick today’s subject. Jonathan Cante is one of those kids that is just plain likable on all levels. So here’s Jonny… We sat in my office at Lake Roosevelt, and it was a quick conversation that was packed full of focus and confidence. I started by asking about the senior year and the answer came qu...
George and Caty Northrup weren't the only family in the canyon at the turn of the 20th century. Scheibner brothers Charles and Fred had moved into the canyon a couple years earlier and were already known for their produce, in particular, luscious strawberries. In 1901, with the backing of the farming community around Steamboat Rock, the brothers petitioned the county for a bond to create a road up the south talus slope wall. The main purpose for the new road was to move fresh produce up to the...
John Christopher (J.C.) Keller was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 16, 1858, and came west in 1882. He conducted the post office and a general store at Hesseltine, northwest of Wilbur and when the railroad was built to Davenport, Keller moved to Almira and opened a mercantile store. In 1897, anticipation of the opening of the Colville Reservation south half to mineral entry, prompted him to buy the cable ferry across the Columbia to the San Poil, which then became known as the Keller Ferry....
With food drives coming up for the holidays, I thought it might be a good time to let all of our generous citizens know what we are in need of. We use a lot of canned green beans, canned fruit, and mac and cheese. Anything you would like for your dinner, your neighbors would probably also like; please use your good judgment. Please send us regular-sized foods, not oversized; it serves more people. Please watch the best-by date on things you take out of your cupboard; we threw away some things last year that were five years old and older, and we...
Thank you, Sheriff Tom Jones, Prosecutor Garth Dano, Grant County commissioners and the various city councils for proposing and supporting Proposition 1. The 3/10 of 1% is the fairest method to fund badly needed additional law enforcement and justice throughout Grant County. Everyone who utilizes law and justice services has the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to its funding. Not only do all residents of the county contribute, but more importantly so will all tourists, concert goers and visitors who utilize and tax our already...
On Sunday, September 22, 2019, a friend was at a birthday party at a bar about 8 to 9 p.m. Two cars were playing bumper tag. One car pulled off; the other slammed its brakes on, and my friend had to go around him. He therefore followed her home and called the police. She got in trouble, but the person who had caused two of these incidents never got a ticket or slap on the hand. Beware! The person waits until late night and targets a person. Our mayor [should] look in on the way his officers do stuff. Margie Townsend Electric...
As I was growing up in the 1980s and 90s, if you read a newspaper you could take it as fact. The same could be said about the local and national news on television. No matter what paper you read or what channel you preferred your news, it was literally the same news, just different reporters reporting it. Fast forward to today’s sources. It is different on every channel and in every paper. Everyone has a different view of what happened, or it does not appear at all. What happened? We used to s...
Every once in awhile a person should visit his or her roots. I did so a couple of weeks ago, returning to Palouse, Idaho, where I was born and raised. It was the annual Palouse Days celebration, which occurs on the second weekend of September. It provides an opportunity to see old friends, and to visit familiar surroundings. What is it with Palouse you ask? Well, I still consider it home. It doesn’t provide me the opportunity to see old classmates. Most of them are gone now. We graduated a class of 24 back in 1948. I only know of three, i...
The Oregonian characterized the 2019 wildfire season as the “season that wasn’t!” That’s good news for West Coast states; however, it doesn’t mean we are permanently “out of the woods!” Worldwide, wildfires are down, as well. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there were 6,000 fewer wildfires this year compared with 2018, and about 4.4 million acres were burned compared with roughly 10 million acres in 2017. The previous two years featured bad fire seasons in Washington, O...
Not a day goes by that we don’t see them — if we’re looking. In the trees, on the ground and, of course, in the sky. They are at their most majestic when in flight. Soaring through the lower atmosphere with a blue sky as background, a wonderful sight. The bigger ones catch our attention most it seems. We try to identify them — hawk, vulture, falcon or the bald eagle. Some of us feed them at our feeding stations. Some of us hunt certain types of birds and look forward to the bounty of our hun...