News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The ground has shifted beneath community journalism, and the new landscape has a different feel. These days, good cameras in almost everyone’s pocket and the emergence of social media turns the possibilities around from what existed even a decade ago, and that is both good and bad. Last week, The Star reported on the funding found for Elmer City’s new fire engine storage facility. Part of the information for that story came from a couple sources that would have been impossible a few years ago. A group of volunteers called Okanogan County Wat...
As many struggle to make ends meet because of inflation and our state having the most expensive gas in the nation, the last thing they want is to pay a big new tax. Yet, that is exactly what Washington workers now face. A payroll tax, which went into effect on July 1, is being taken out of most employees' paychecks. This tax is currently equal to $58 annually for every $10,000 in pay. It supports a government-run long-term care program called WA Cares, created by majority Democrats in the...
Last week I came across a number of old letters written to me from my three older brothers who served in various theaters of war during World War II. They were written in the 1940s, some nearly 80 years ago. The question I am facing is, do I toss them or hang on to them? So, I settled in for a trip down memory lane and decided to re-read them. My three brothers were Richard, who was drafted and served in the army; David, who was drafted and served in the air force; and Robert, who volunteered in the navy when he was 17. I have several letters f...
1 years ago Challenger Greg Wilder garnered 67% of the primary vote ending Tuesday night to place himself solidly in the general election race against Coulee Dam mayor Quincy Snow. The school board we’ll meet tonight in an informal setting with members getting a look at how the districts energy grant was spent and then given a walkthrough of the new K through 12 school site. The San Poil, the new Keller ferry will be christened in a special ceremony August 14th at the south shore terminal. The $12-million, 20 car ferry was built in pieces b...
For the past decade, the media has been obsessed with the idea of a growing divide between rural and urban areas, often portraying it as a deep chaasm separating the nation’s citizens. A recent example of this coverage took it a step further. Not only are we portrayed as divided, but there are now suggestions that we should make it official through a divorce. Case in point: the Greater Idaho Movement, an effort by its supporters in eastern (rural) Oregon to secede from Oregon and join Idaho. The grounds for the divorce? The rural-urban politica...
No better example exists of congressional Republican degeneration than comparison of Liz Cheney with Harriet Hageman, who trounced Cheney in the 2022 Wyoming Republican Primary by more than 30 points. Cheney occupied the third-highest position in House Republican leadership before being ostracized by Republicans for becoming the rare congressional Republican to stand up to former President Donald Trump. Cheney should be the No. 1 Hero of anyone who wants to save our badly threatened democracy, whatever one’s political stripes. In contrast, H...
Ten years ago The Grand Coulee Dam School District Board passed it’s budget Monday night after a public hearing on the matter. No one showed up to question the $9.5 million budget. The Colville tribes has announced plans to construct a casino on property purchased four years ago along SR97 South of the Rodeo Trail Road near Omak. Tribal officials had announced that the cost will be a $24 million project for the 58 square foot facility. The building that had housed the headquarters of the Colville tribes for decades burned down early Monday n...
Everyone knows Scott. In fact, he might be the best known man in our coulee towns. He owns The Star newspaper, and you might say he is The Star newspaper. You would have to have Gwen Hilson to take a bow. She has worked there for over 35 years and knows as much about individuals in town as anyone. Most people know Scott from covering serious and joyous events over a lot of years. He gets called out from sleep when anything serious happens, camera in hand. You want to know about things, just wait until Wednesday and you can read about it in The...
We are all different. If we were not, it would be impossible to recognize people we know, including our close friends and relatives. Sometimes we don’t like people who are different, whose beliefs differ from ours, or whose behavior we find objectionable. But we can tolerate people we don’t especially like, and we need to encourage tolerance. Nine countries have nuclear weapons, and additional countries are striving to acquire nuclear arsenals. We humans have the technical skills to destroy ourselves. Whether we have the political skills to...
I recently returned to Palouse to say goodbye to my final classmate. Bob Olson and I were born in 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression. We entered the first grade together in 1936, midway through some very hard times. In fact, 15 of our graduation class of 24 in 1948 entered the first grade together. Bob had requested that there not be a funeral service, so his younger brother Arvid chose a graveside event for those who would come. So Bob had been a friend for 87 years. That’s a long friendship. We were casual friends for many of t...
Heat-related deaths are one of the deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the United States. WHAT IS HEAT- RELATED ILLNESS? Heat-related illness, also called hyperthermia, is a condition resulting from exposure to extreme heat where the body becomes unable to prop- erly cool, resulting in a rapid rise in body temperature. The evaporation of sweat is the normal way to remove body heat, but, when the humidity is high, sweat does not evaporate as quickly. This, in turn, prevents the body from releasing heat quickly. Prompt treatment of...
While pondering the pathetic fates of three Trump legal eagles – Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Lin Wood – I’m reminded of a line from an old Jackson Browne song: “The strangled cries of lawyers in love“ Plus, this old cliche: “When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.“ It’s been satisfying to see those guys suffer the consequences of fronting for a crime boss. Lawyers with even a smidgen of integrity know full well there are lines they should not cross, even when the client is a fascist lowlife. But this toxic trio was apparently...
"Miss Coulee", the first big passenger boat to go into service on the lake behind Grand Coulee Dam. - July 8, 1940...
Recently, while in Coulee Dam visiting family, I had the opportunity to visit the Colville Tribal Museum. Having grown up in the area, this is something I have wanted to do for some time. I was not disappointed. Upon entering, we were welcomed by a very friendly and knowledgeable lady. The exhibits were nicely arranged allowing easy access for everyone. The old photography and stories were interesting, and the artifacts were beautiful. Any questions we had were answered. The museum is a beautiful addition to the area and is something of which...
While taking a walk recently I had the opportunity to visit with my neighbor, Brad McConnell. Brad has lived next to me for nearly five years and this is the most extensive visit we’ve had. As we were talking about travel, he shared his experience in the Statue of Liberty. That’s right, “in” the statue. The Statue of Liberty is probably the most familiar patriotic symbol we have in this country. It is located on Liberty Island with New York City as a backdrop. Brad spent the better part of a day at the statue. A good part of the time, he was...
Native communities are disproportionally impacted by the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIW). Having engaged with the tribes and law enforcement officers throughout Central Washington; it’s clear they need more resources, assistance, and qualified personnel to safeguard our communities. In response, I introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act to enhance hiring, improve retention, and bolster the effectiveness of tribal law enforcement officers, ultimately leading to safer communities for all. Tribes a...
Several years ago, the Grand Coulee Dam School District decided to fence off its “bus barn” near the baseball field in Coulee Dam due to repeated thefts happening at night. Earlier this month, as city officials gathered at the Delano Transfer Station to learn about their new equipment, a good sized $50,000 wood chipper obtained with a grant, transfer station manager Randy Gumm wondered aloud about the advisability of keeping it there; he’s had a lot of problems with theft. Other city officials from Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, and Elmer City...
Wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects offer a significant opportunity to revitalize rural communities and diversify the local economy. Increased tax revenue from renewable energy projects enables school districts, cities, and other entities to address local emergency services and infrastructure improvement needs while reducing the local tax burden. Additionally, farmers and landowners can earn additional income through land-lease payments from project developers, and new job opportunities arise during the development, construction,...
Mel Johnson is an oil painter I first met while living in Bothell. I used a framer in Lake Forest Park to frame pictures I liked. Knowing I was a reporter, he said that I ought to do a story about Johnson. He had a couple of Johnson’s paintings hanging in his gallery. They looked interesting so I called Mel and set up a time I could go over to his place and talk with him. That’s when I came to say “experience him,” rather than just meet him. It may seem cruel to say he was strange. But he was strange. It appeared that his paintings reveale...
Sometimes, there’s a gap between what is right and what is legal. Government is good at falling into those. Locally, the four mayors who comprise the Regional Board of Mayors are asking their councils to consider a problem: an Electric City employee at the transfer station whose wages are funded by the RBOM had his long-term wage agreement altered several years ago without his knowledge or consent and is now asking to be made whole on the “longevity pay” increases he didn’t get. Most council members in Elmer City, Grand Coulee and Coulee...
I understand the old “why should I have to if they don’t have to.” I’m talking about the police officers assigned to the USBR. I wouldn’t think they need protection inside the project grounds. Security is for the perimeter. Anyone driving by the blue light house in Coulee Dam must notice that the Grand Coulee police cars don’t seem to leave the house. So why would the officers not assigned to the dam have to leave their house? We have eight officers employed by Grand Coulee. You would think the town would be flooded with officers. But they gi...
The federal debt ceiling crisis was averted but tax cheats benefited. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contained $79 billion for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); $45 billion of it was to audit individuals or businesses making over $400,000 dollars annually, to catch those not paying their taxes. Funding cuts for many years rendered the IRS largely unable to audit the wealthy. Currently, the amount in taxes owed but not paid totals nearly $7 trillion over a decade; three-fifths is held by the top 10% of taxpayers, more than one-quarter by...
When we used to return to Southern Idaho to visit my wife’s family, we were usually treated to something special by her brother, Robert Compton. He is still known affectionately as “Uncle Bob.” This particular time we got in his car and headed to Jarbidge, Nevada. We headed down Highway 93 to Rogerson, Idaho, where we turned west on a very questionable road. The road xsxsign said 28 miles to Jarbidge. Jarbidge lies in Elko County, very close to the Idaho line. The road follows a canyon with high mountains around. Soon my brother-in-law turne...
That shaking you feel is not an earthquake. It is our country’s founders rolling in their graves. Here in Florida, on the front burner of the next presidential election, politics is all about how we use the bathroom. At Mar-A-Lago our nation’s secrets are protected by a sign, Top Secret, correction, make that “occupied.” Meanwhile, the Florida governor, who wants to be in charge of all those secrets, has signed a flood of legislation that threatens to block the plumbing. It is now a crime to use the wrong bathroom in Florida. And, accordi...
To supporters of the four Lower Snake River Dams, the latest news that President Biden continues to pursue dam breaching is not shocking, but surprising, considering the growing shortfall in electricity predicted in the western states and his desire to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Biden’s March 21 announcement started another “Whac-A-Model” game to determine the dams’ future. The news was reported in a Wall Street Journal commentary by Faith Bottum titled “Biden’s Fishy Plan to Bre...