The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Phone scammers posing as Grant PUD

Grant PUD customers are reporting receiving calls claiming to be from the utility saying that their power be will shut off if they don’t receive an immediate payment. The scammers will even call from a local number. Those receiving these calls should hang up and block the number if possible, authorities say.

“If customers are unsure about the status of their account, they can always call us at our customer service number, which is 509-766-2505, to talk to a Customer Service Representative in our call center here in Grant County,” said Chuck Allen, public affairs supervisor for Grant PUD.

Grand Coulee garbage rates going up

Grand Coulee’s new garbage rates will increase 2.5 percent next year.

Sunrise Disposal, which performs garbage service in the area, raised its prices 1.9 percent this year, and will raise it another 1.9 percent in 2019 for cost-of-living adjustments. Grand Coulee didn’t raise their rates in 2018, and so chose to raise them 2.5 percent beginning in 2019.

The new rates raise a resident’s price to service a mini can from $22 to $22.55, the price of a 35-gallon can from $25.40 to $26.04, the price of a 65-gallon can from $27.35 to $28.03, and the price of a 95-gallon can by 87 cents to $35.57.

Commercial rates and senior rates also will go up 2.5 percent.

Restaurant in process of sale

A Coulee Dam restaurant is the process of changing ownership, a woman told the town council at last Wednesday’s meeting.

Stephanie Poyner-Guin, who has been working on the wait staff at the restaurant for some time, said she is in the process of buying the Melody Restaurant business from Juan Moreno.

The city of Coulee Dam owns the building and rents the space to Moreno.

Moreno is currently detained at a facility in Tacoma awaiting deportation, according to Guin. She said she’s been working with a lawyer on the process and hopes to negotiate a lease with the city.

City Attorney Mick Howe said she is currently being treated as a “hold-over tenant” who still is obliged to abide by the lease with Moreno.