News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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In July, Congress passed an unprecedented Working Families Tax Cut, delivering tax relief for families and small businesses while making reforms to Medicaid to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability. Two months prior, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the biennial state budget which included over $780 million in cuts to Medicaid over the next two years. In fact, the Governor held a performative press conference in Kennewick calling my position on H.R. 1 “morally bankrupt,” even though his signature on the state budget reduc...
September 13, 1959, Soviet satellite Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to make physical contact with another celestial body when it impacted the Moon. The first three attempts to reach the Moon by the Soviets occurred in 1958, all ended in launch failures. Luna 2 impacted in an area about 160 miles from where Apollo 15 landed 12 years later. The satellite carried two metallic spheres with Soviet emblems. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev presented a replica of the spherical pennant to U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. That sphere can be seen...
Sept. 1 marked five years since the devastating Labor Day Firestorm of 2020 swept through Washington State — one of the most destructive wildfire events in our state’s history. And a day I will never forget. In just 72 hours, over 600,000 acres burned. Entire communities like Malden and Pine City lost 80% of their homes and structures in just a few hours. Hundreds of homes were lost. Families displaced. Lives forever changed. And we lost a little boy’s life as his family tried to outrun the Cold Spring fire. It was a wake-up call. But it was a...
As a kid it was fun to go to the barber shop for a haircut. The barber was Jack Sheets, and the kids all liked him. He had a long, hard bench against the wall, and sometimes, usually on Saturdays, it would fill up. But you never had to worry that someone would take your place in line. Jack always remembered where you stood in the lines, and if you were local he would call you by name. The price then was 25 cents. That was back in the 1930s. Next to the barber chair was Jack’s brass spittoon, usually streaked by near misses. He would let some to...
(Warning: unfair, but hilarious, Colorado stereotypes ahead!) Well, it finally happened. My eldest and most expensive daughter truly left the nest this time. We recently schlepped her from glorious Texas to a mysterious and unaffordable land known as Colorado, where she’ll start a life of her own dodging blizzards, patrons stumbling out of brewhouses, and billowing clouds of smoke from the devil’s lettuce. But not only have we lost our first baby to semi-grown adult-ish-hood roughly a zillion miles away, getting her there was pure “H-E-double h...
September 7, 1977, President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian Chief of Government Omar Torrijos signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty. The agreement relinquished American control over the canal and transferred authority to the Panama Canal Authority. The agreement began on December 31, 1999. The creation of the canal started on May 4, 1904 when Panama granted the United States the right to build, and operate the canal, as well as control the five miles of land on either side of the water passage in exchange for annual payments....
Once again, we come to the community to thank everyone for a fantastic Summer Season at the VET Center. Our American Legion Post appreciates everybody who came by and shopped with us during our sale season. Although it seemed like a really long stretch for those of us who worked every week to gather and prepare all the treasures that we had for sale, the time flew by as we greeted many of the same people on a weekly basis. With all the community support, our sales assisted us with gaining the funds we need to help Veterans in the area. Our...
The local Wayfinder group’s backpack and school supply drive has come to a close with gratitude overflowing for the support in donations and contributions received throughout the communities of Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, Elmer City and Nespelem. Thank you to Electric City Council, Grand Coulee City Council, Jess Ford, Grand Coulee Police Department, Coulee Dam Police Department, Elmer City Council, Coulee Wall Variety Store, Wayfinder members, and residents who supported our quick efforts to assist teachers, families and s...
We are a nation of laws. As I have heard so often, “no one is above the law.” I would hope that this must include ALL illegal immigrants that have come to our country. It is hard to believe that an illegal immigrant killed three people, and he was issued a CDL license in Washington state and California. I wonder how he was able to do that given the fact he could not speak or read English. California is in the lead for the most stupid and lawless state, but Washington state is doing its best not to be left behind. How many more Americans wil...
As we recently honored John Lewis with nationwide rallies/protests on the fifth anniversary of his death July 17, and local rallies/protests July 18, we have nine good examples of the “Good Trouble” he advocated. That is, nine Spokanites who were part of the June 11 protest at Spokane’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office were charged on July 15 for their acts of non-violent civil disobedience that was the story of John Lewis’ life. Will the actions of the “Spokane-Nine” become the national model for what’s necessary to stop Presid...
Gather your tin pails, load up on junk food and head for the hills. The huckleberries are waiting for you. I must confess I have never picked near here. As a kid growing up though, our family, my uncle’s family, and my aunt’s family would head for the hills about this time of year. We generally picked within an hour’s driving time from Palouse, north and east of Potlatch. Someone in the family would scout the hills so we knew where the good picking was, usually 0n the south slope of the mountains. My cousin Ruby always came. She had arthr...
Imagine being part of “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the much-acclaimed joint U.S. Air Force and Navy air strike which obliterated Iran’s nuclear bomb-making facilities a half a world away. B-2 Stealth bombers flew directly from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri — 18-hours non-stop and undetected — to drop our unique “bunker-buster bombs” on Iran’s Fordow nuclear operations deeply embedded underground. Meanwhile, the Navy fired Tomahawk missiles from under the sea to help polish off the other two key sites — Natanz and Eshafan. That tak...
President Trump announced on Aug. 18 that he would sign an executive order to eliminate vote by mail and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterms. The president’s announcement should be rejected for what it is: federal interference in state authority and a direct threat to every eligible American’s right to cast a ballot and have it counted. The Constitution is clear. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 gives Congress and state legislatures the authority to set the “Times, Places and Manner” of elections — not the president. For nearly two decad...
In June, I asked my grandson, Marcus, what he learned in kindergarten this year. I expected him to say that he learned to read or count to 100. Instead, he said, “I learned to be kind.” I’ve been pretty healthy most of my life so I haven’t worried about germs or viruses or “catching” anything. I’ve always washed my hands before I ate or after I used the restroom and relied on my immune system to keep me safe. I got all the vaccines that I needed to attend school or travel abroad, but I didn’t get the “extra” ones that were suggested but not r...
It’s a beauty beyond imagination. Thailand’s golden Buddha is visible for all to see. It was scrubbed and revealed for the first time in the mid-1950’s after being hidden for over 200 years. The Thais hid the golden Buddha with a coat of stucco to hide its allure so it wouldn’t be stolen. The golden statue weighs over five tons and is approachable. I saw it when I was there a half century ago. Finally, officials decided to scrub the statue of its stucco-and-crushed-glass finish, and you could stand in front of it and see the gold sparkle...
While serving as Lincoln County commissioner, I’ve seen my share of bad laws and unfunded mandates from Olympia. But I have never witnessed the kind of squeeze counties are under today. Between court orders, runaway costs, and the Legislature’s latest strings-attached “help,” rural communities like ours are being set up to fail. The Supreme Court’s Order In June, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that public defenders are carrying too many cases. This decision created new “caseloads standards” and cut the existing amount of cases per...
Thankfully, on Monday, President Trump delayed assessing higher tariffs on Chinese imports by another 90 days. China followed suit and delayed its own tariffs before the August 11 deadline expired. The new deadline is November 10, which, if not further delayed, will see import taxes of up to 145 percent on Chinese goods coming to USA. China has threatened 125 percent reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods entering its country. The extension especially helps retailers who are in the middle of Christmas purchases. Meanwhile, hopefully the respective...
I arrived in Saigon on the first of three trips and near the end of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong Tet offensive. The communists had targeted over 100 cities and hit pretty hard. Saigon was hit hard and there was still some limited fighting in the city when I arrived. I went to the Caravalle Hotel to get a room. That’s where most of the media stayed. They were full and directed me to an eight-story hotel nearby. One of the things I wanted to do was look up families of two UW students who were in the FIUTS program. We also were part of the p...
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 EL. 934. The maximum flow for 1938 was 361,680 second feet. May 28, 1938...
One of the first things I did when moving to Electric City in 1989 was to sign onto a fire crew for two seasons. The owners of the operation, OK Cascade, was the Keener family from Bothell. During the two-season stint we were involved in countless fires in Washington and Oregon. The Keeners had a meat market in downtown Bothell, run by Vern, the head of the family. People came from miles around to purchase their meat. The market featured the highest quality of cuts. The fire operation was run by John Keener, the oldest son. When John learned...
We continue to read about devastation from wildfires and strong storms. Climate scientists say we will see more as a result of climate change. To reduce air pollution that causes climate change we must reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Senator Lindsey Graham said, “CO2 emissions generated by man is creating our greenhouse gas effect that traps heat, and the planet is warming.” Our government needs to do much more to promote clean energy, such as wind, solar, and geothermal, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This includes res...
When I heard the news the authoritarian imbecile had fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics director for the crime of factual math, I dimly recalled something that George Orwell had written in a magazine essay 86 years ago. I had to look it up to confirm my memory, but there it was: “It is quite possible that we are descending into an age in which two plus two will make five when the Leader says so.” Orwell wrote that at a time when fascism and communism were riding high in Germany and the Soviet Union, a time when it was beyond impossible to...
As salmon restoration ramps up on the Columbia River above Chief Joseph Dam, it is important to establish balances between those fish already in reservoirs behind dams and salmon being introduced. Completed in 1942, Grand Coulee Dam became the largest U.S. hydropower plant. It generates enough power to supply about 2 million households with electricity for one year. Water stored in Lake Roosevelt, which is 150 miles long and as deep as 375 feet, reduced downstream flooding. Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams blocked salmon from migrating...
Although 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris lost Congressional District 4 by 59%-38%, she only lost nation-wide narrowly by 1.5%. Yet, 155 years after African Americans were enfranchised to vote, that anyone as openly racist as President Donald Trump can still be elected president is utterly appalling. Racism remains our country’s original sin (quoting Abraham Lincoln) and most enduring, cruel sin. I admit naiveté in thinking a majority of white Americans had progressed beyond considering color when Barack Obama became pr...
When I brought Village Cinema back to life, my goal wasn’t just to reopen a theater... it was to build something this town could be proud of, and something that included everyone. Now, we’re taking another step in that direction. Starting at the end of August, we’ll be launching a new wireless audio system that lets guests stream movie sound directly to their own phones with earbuds and headphones. It’s easy, discreet, and free. Just connect to our Wi-Fi, open the AudioFetch app, and you’ll hear the movie in real time. Loud and clear, ri...