News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 2200 - 2224 of 3733
Recently, two girls at Lake Roosevelt High School sat in the cafeteria during lunch. They had been having a really good discussion as they munched on their chow of choice when one of them looked up at the other eaters in the room. They were amazed and their eyes were opened to a very common phenomenon that is sweeping our country. Every other student at every table was looking at the screen of their device. No talking was taking place. All zoomed in to whatever event was happening on the screen at the moment. The two girls pointed this out to... Full story
Recently, Washington state’s largest environmental, wildlife and natural resources agencies recognized 43 large forest landowners for their “exemplary efforts” to upgrade forest roads and stream crossings which improved salmon habitat and water quality. After investing more than $300 million collectively, these landowners rebuilt 25,000 miles of forest roads, replaced over 6,000 in-stream barriers to migrating fish, and opened in excess of 3,500 miles of previously blocked spawning habitat. The recognition is milestone in collaboration and a re... Full story
View of the base for the stator of generator L-6, taken from No. 1 crane in the left powerhouse.-May 12, 1943 photo... Full story
Students who witnessed a mock crash scene last Friday may not realize it, but they were given an important advantage that we hope they don’t squander. As horrific as the actors and organizers of the mock accident scene made it, the impact of any such impression naturally fades over time. But at least the students of Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School were subjected to the event organized by Colville Tribal Police in the first place. Now comes the tricky part. The mock crash depicted the scene of a two-car collision with multiple deaths a... Full story
The Center for Rural Affairs has fought on behalf of rural communities for nearly 45 years. We are heartened by U.S. Department of Agriculture Sec. Perdue’s expressions of support for rural communities during his early days in office. However, we are concerned about his current path. On May 11, Purdue proposed eliminating the position of Undersecretary for Rural Development and moving oversight of Rural Development agencies to the Deputy Secretary, USDA’s second-in-command. If this change is made, we lose the most significant rural adv... Full story
Did you know that May is National Foster Parent Appreciation Month? There are nearly 9,000 children currently in foster care in Washington state. Children enter foster care at no fault of their own. Most children in foster care have endured some form of abuse/neglect which made conditions unsafe to remain in their home. Thankfully, there are caring adults who choose to become foster parents. Foster parents are willing to open their hearts and homes to the children in foster care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Foster parents provide the safety,... Full story
“America needs more welders and fewer philosophers,” proclaimed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio during the 2016 presidential campaign. He hit the nail on the head without disrespecting philosophers. Industry News reported in 1988 that there were 570,000 welders, compared to the 360,000 in 2012. Considering the manufacturing and construction sectors have boomed in recent years, the growing shortage of welders is troublesome. Even worse, the American Welding Society estimates a 290,000 job deficit by 2020. This shortage is primarily due to the lar... Full story
In a world where turmoil, drama and entertainment seem to grab the front page, top stories and flood our cyber space, I was reminded over the weekend that miracles still surround us. A blooming flower, an egg hatching, planets in orbit and other “natural” occurrences happen every second, but there are other things if we are willing to see. Karrie and I have been, most Saturdays, going to Spokane early in the morning, driving to be there by 9 and experience some great things. We became a part of Healing Rooms International and were honored to... Full story
The 1938 high water of the Columbia River tops the upstream spillway blocks and floods the blockouts left for the outlet works gate installations at Elevation 934. The maximum flow for 1938 was 361,680 second feet. – May 28, 1938 photo... Full story
This coming weekend is typically one that is packed full for many local folks, in a good way. This year it promises much the same, weather holding. With Mother’s Day, the Colorama festivities, the big rodeo, and the old-home week atmosphere at local gathering places, there’s no excuse for boredom. The chamber of commerce never stops working at improving Colorama, a multi-faceted, complex enterprise, the successful completion of which will leave many revelers pleasantly exhausted, but not more so than its organizers. The Colorama Rodeo, the con... Full story
In spite of all the economic factors pointing in the opposite direction, our Okanogan PUD is pushing ahead with the electrification of Enloe Dam. This decision has no basis in reality and defies common sense. The estimated construction cost of $42.5 million dollars is only just a guess. The commissioners admit they have no idea what the actual cost will be. Whether $45 million, $60 million or even higher, this powerhouse will never pay off the borrowing required to build it. The annual losses of $2 million dollars projected by the PUD make this... Full story
There was nothing pretentious about Mike Lowry. What you saw is what you got! Lowry was one of Washington’s most colorful governors. He served one term from 1993 to 1997. He died on May 1 at age 78. There was nothing subtle about Mike Lowry. He was not afraid to mix it up publicly nor put his political future on the line when he believed in a cause. For example, in 1993 Lowry pushed legislation dramatically reforming our state’s healthcare laws. He and his Democrat colleagues jammed a bill through the legislature requiring all employers to pro... Full story
I have vivid memories of our local festival. The week-long wait as a child drove all the kids crazy. Watching day by day as carnival rides showed up and slowly erected themselves into something magical and astounding. Seeing trucks pulling horse trailers arriving to Coulee Country, ending their long journey in Delano, where we would all go to see the cowboys and cowgirls ride the beasts. Then there were the bands, floats and princesses from around the state that would crowd our little streets and delight us on a Saturday morning. That is when... Full story
An old round up of horses in the coulee before these grounds were flooded to form Banks Lake - Cleatis Lacy photo... Full story
Man, you’d think we’d just come out of a long winter and every part of the community was now straining with fresh green shoots of progress at the first rays of sunshine. The buds are everywhere: a rebuild at Coulee Dam’s town hall, plans for patching in Electric City, a needed new crosswalk in Grand Coulee, a new building for mosquito district equipment, kids performing in a musical and a junior rodeo. And those are only the buds we had room for this week. News is fun when it’s full of good stuff. We’ll have more next week, having to do with o... Full story
More than 60 engaged county residents attended the April 23 Community Outreach Meeting in Okanogan to hear Commissioner Chris Branch speak about Okanogan County. For almost an hour the commissioner spoke about current and future issues before the county, and the importance of being involved in good governance. He also answered audience questions. Afterward, attendees brainstormed ways to be informed that included attending commissioner meetings, researching county issues, increasing voter registration, encouraging citizen participation in... Full story
One bright spot in an otherwise troubling political scenario is the significant change in Okanogan County governance made by our two new county commissioners, Branch and Hover, during their first four months in office. Now that they are elected, they need citizen participation and support. Improvements and involvement opportunities include: On Thursdays at 8 a.m. on KOMW, Branch and Hover address important county issues. A Methow broadcast may soon be available. Citizen comment opportunities are scheduled most Tuesday afternoons, and the commis... Full story
I have significant differences with Donald Trump’s political stances, but I want him to enjoy a successful presidency. It’s good for neither the country nor the world when a U.S. president struggles or fails. Yet I also believe that constructive criticism can help a president grow more capable. It’s in this spirit that I want to take a hard look at the Trump presidency so far. President Trump’s personal and stylistic approaches may have served him in business and on the campaign trail, but are problematic in office. He has an unfortu... Full story
Every once in a while a student comes along that you wish would never leave. That’s how I feel about “Iron” Angelo Clark. Over the past few years, I have watched this young man go from the average place for students, just getting by, and propel himself to the elite status as a leader within the school. He has matured into a leader on the field, in the classroom and wherever he goes. He has an old soul, and I got to sit down with this outstanding senior at Lake Roosevelt for a chat. “This has been the best year ever.” That is how Angelo st... Full story
The pumping plant will be supplied with two 100-ton bridge cranes to handle future installations. Here a beam is being lowered by the 100-ton bridge crane. - May 3, 1950 photo... Full story
An article in last week’s Star, written on an event that occurred at deadline, accurately reported the event on which we had limited information available — except for one word. “Vandalism” was the wrong choice in the headline of “Daylight vandalism” over the photo caption that relayed our reporter’s eyewitness account of a pickup truck crashing through the fence at the Lake Roosevelt High School athletic field, then spinning in circles, throwing up turf and damaging the grounds before taking off up the road and getting stopped by a police o... Full story
Washington, along with every state in the nation, utilizes a gas tax to provide a major source of funding for roads and bridges. It has been a reliable workhorse for decades, but its future sustainability is uncertain as vehicles become more fuel-efficient and alternative fuel sources emerge. We all want to lower our costs of owning a car and many of us want to leave less of a mark on the environment. As gas consumption goes down – for all the right reasons – gas tax revenues also go down, whi... Full story
First off, a lady very instrumental to my faith passed away last week. Pat Piccolo, whom I consider one of the kindest ladies I have ever had the privilege of being around, was not only instrumental in a lot of people’s lives, but was there when I first gave my life to the Lord. I was working for her husband, Vic, and on many occasions we would return home to her having a warm meal waiting for us. Homemade spaghetti, made with elk burger, will forever be engrained on my taste palate. Along with a huge heart, compassion for those struggling and... Full story
Site of Government Camp - delta at mouth of Fiddle Creek. - April 3, 1934.... Full story
The local PTA is looking for support to continue filling in an important gap in the curricula offered by local school districts. Each year the group funds or sponsors a variety of worthwhile events, the latest being the science fair at Lake Roosevelt Schools. Next up, it will bring the Missoula Children’s Theater to town so local students can get a taste of a subject not offered here — drama. In a world focused on what is viewed as practical — science, math, engineering — it’s important to remember that those critical disciplines focus on... Full story