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

Grand Coulee Police

1/23 - A Grand Coulee Avenue dog owner is being cited for her dog running at large. The dog has been running loose multiple times, and an officer saw it take an aggressive posture and bark at him, then seem to calm down when he called it by name. The dog went back into its yard then escaped again and headed down a nearby street. The officer called the dog back into the yard.

- A woman was driving her cat to the vet when her car broke down near Snyder Hill Road in Electric City. Although Electric City is in the Coulee Dam Police Department’s jurisdiction, a Grand Coulee officer chose to help her by giving her a ride to the vet and then back to her home.

- A driver was turning her car around at North Cascades Bank unaware of a rock retaining wall used as curbing there and drove over it, high centering her vehicle. A tow truck came and got the vehicle unstuck.

- Police received a report of a man in a green jacket smoking something using tinfoil on the back steps of the former middle school. The man was gone upon police arrival but police believe it to be a certain known drug user seen wearing a green jacket earlier that day. 

1/24 - An officer took photos of an old RV on Dill Avenue that was in violation of a municipal code. The owner became upset and reported it as suspicious. An officer explained the situation and that the owner could take up the issue with the city.

1/25 - Police assisted a medical crew by using a door spreader and pry tool to open a door that had a locked deadbolt. A walker was given to a woman seated in her chair so she could move to bed.

1/26 - A woman reported that her boyfriend had pushed her and stolen her dog from a Cardinal Road residence, which is in Grant County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. The woman was mostly concerned about the chihuahua. It was unclear if the boyfriend had left on foot or in a vehicle. She told the officer he often stays at a Coulee Dam address. The information was relayed to Grant County officers, who said someone else would handle the rest of the investigation, concluding the Grand Coulee officer’s involvement.

- A resident said that a motorcycle drives by her residence and revs its engine, and a truck drove by and someone yelled something from the vehicle. She believes the actions may be in retaliation to her recent filing of a municipal complaint. Police explained they can’t prevent people from using the public roadway and that the situation didn’t constitute harassment according to state law. She requested extra patrols near her residence.

- A woman reported a dead deer behind some shrubbery and fencing. As it wasn’t creating a traffic hazard, and police didn’t have the means to remove the animal, they told her they would inform the public works department of the city about the animal on Monday.

1/27 - Someone made a noise complaint when a contractor was retrieving his excavator and trailer from a Federal Avenue residence he had been working on. He was getting the item at 1 a.m. and was playing music from his vehicle. Police spoke to the man, with whom they were familiar, who explained he was just grabbing his equipment and leaving. The homeowner was eventually contacted and grateful that police had responded to the location.

- At about 4:30 a.m. a Grand Coulee officer responded to River Drive in Coulee Dam to offer assistance in a situation in which a woman said someone was in her home. It turned out her granddaughter had brought a male over unbeknownst to the grandmother. The family was able to discuss the situation and police were no longer needed there.

- Security footage clearly showed a man police are familiar with taking a package from a Roosevelt Drive porch. The case was forwarded to the prosecutor’s office and the man will likely be charged with third-degree theft. 

Coulee Dam Police

1/23 - While crossing the bridge in Coulee Dam, an officer saw a GMC Sierra cross into the oncoming lane of travel multiple times then turn up the hill towards Grand Coulee. The vehicle seemed to be speeding and the officer tried to catch up to it, noticing that he was going about 50 miles per hour, himself, in the 30 mph zone. He also noticed black soot smoke come from the vehicle’s exhaust as it sped up. The officer turned his lights to pull the vehicle over. The vehicle pulled over near milepost 25 on SR-155 between Pole Park and the overlook just above Grand Coulee Dam. The driver was cited for driving without insurance and with a suspended license, and having an expired registration. The vehicle was towed. The driver and his passenger were given a ride to the casino.

- Someone reported hearing two loud booms and seeing smoke near the bowling alley and Mexican restaurant in the area of Aspen Street and River Drive. Police checked out the area and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. 

1/24 - Police collected details on a situation at a Tulip Street residence. A mother was dropping her child off with the child’s father and his new girlfriend. The mother was allowed in to say goodbye, but then didn’t leave, once asked, because the child was upset. Pushed out of the residence, she eventually left, but kicked the door. Police suggested getting a parenting plan in place and explained that even though it was hard to leave an upset child, she was asked to leave multiple times. She could face a malicious mischief charge for damaging the door. The case was forwarded to the Okanogan County Prosecutor’s Office for a charging decision. 

1/25 - Police received multiple calls about a large, brown dog loose on Birch Street. Police were unable to find the animal. Police also called a Colville Tribal Animal Control officer who had been in the area earlier but were unable to reach him. 

1/26 - Police clocked a vehicle driving 49 mph in the 35 zone of Coulee Boulevard in Electric City. Police had seen the vehicle driving with poor lane control before pulling it over near milepost 22 on SR-155. The driver and passenger both appeared intoxicated. The man performed field sobriety tests and later showed a blood alcohol content of about 0.13, above the 0.08 legal driving limit. He was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, and driving without a required interlock ignition device. He was taken to Grant County Jail. 

1/27 - At the request of a Grant County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, a Coulee Dam officer responded to Alcan Road in the Delano area of Grand Coulee where a man had been stacking tires. The man asked police what the rules are for creating a go-kart track. Police didn’t know the answer. The man said he knew the property owner but didn’t remember his name. He was asked to move the tires to another nearby property.

- On Stevens Avenue in Coulee Dam, a man’s ex-girlfriend was knocking on his door and refusing to leave. Police arrived and spoke to her. The man grabbed a bag of her belongings, and she attempted to go inside but an officer prevented her from doing so. She took her belongings and left. 

1/28 - A woman on Kelso Avenue reported someone stealing two pistols and about $10,000 worth of diamond jewelry from her home. A bed had been flipped over where a storage area was. The person seemed familiar with where the stuff had been kept. Police also took note of a large dog door on the back that a small person could possibly fit through. Police asked the woman to describe the missing items in as much detail as possible.