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

When Wade Jess took over the local Ford dealership from Carlson Motors, he thought mechanic Dick Mangis might be "the first to go," because of a sly smirk he'd detected at an initial employee meeting.

But Jess was 26 then, "and I'm an idiot kid," he said, noting the irony that he now looks back on Mangis' years of "dedication" and "loyalty" as an employee who even rode out winter storms at the...