We're all in this together
We're all in this together
Three hospital leaders trekked to the other Washington last week to make the case at Congress for support of Coulee Medical Center. "During our meetings with Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Rep. Dan Newhouse we discussed CMC's workforce housing needs, overdose prevention efforts and recent success in increasing breast cancer screening, as well as the significance of federal Medicaid funding to maintaining accessible healthcare services in our region," Chief Executive Office Kelly...
When Sam Peterson got the call, it was already too late. The National Park Service was offering to give him his job back, but he'd taken a job in Oregon and three days earlier signed a lease on an apartment. He needed to follow through on the commitment. "We have bills," Peterson said, "and a dog." Peterson, 26, had just started as a federal employee in June 2024 and was still in probationary status in February when the Trump administration started its Valentine's Day Massacre of federal...
Dozens of local students attend schools out of the Grand Coulee Dam School District, according to numbers compiled for the school board at their request. Director Alex Tufts had asked earlier this year that the district develop an exit interview as a matter of course to track reasons for students choosing to leave. The district has averaged 645 students across all grades this year, but is currently down by 22 students from the beginning of the school year. Director Rich Black asked at the March 24 meeting what reasons are for the migration....
The Washington state House passed its budget just after midnight on Tuesday, setting the stage for negotiations with the Senate and the governor on a spending blueprint to address a looming multi-billion dollar shortfall. The House approved the two-year $77.8 billion operating budget on a 54-44 vote in which five Democrats joined all Republicans in opposition. The decision followed a roughly six-hour debate in which majority Democrats rejected more than two dozen Republican amendments to curb taxes and fees, boost special education funding,...
A woman walking along SR-155 was struck by a car Wednesday night and later died at a Spokane hospital. Michelle Boord, 55, had been walking north along the shoulder of the road but moved into the roadway at milepost 22, about a half mile south of Electric City, according to the Washington State Patrol. She was struck by a northbound GMC Sierra just before 8 p.m., driven by a 73-year-old Grand Coulee woman. Alcohol was not involved in the accident, a WSP press memo indicates, and no charges were filed. Boord, who was living with relatives...
April 5 & 6, 1916, civic leaders, conservationists, and several government officials provided testimony before Congress in favor of the establishment of the National Park Service. Congress was debating the management of the growing system of national parks, that, up to this point, were being protected by the U.S. Army. Appropriations were sought to create a bureau of national parks and resorts, under the “supervision of a competent commissioner, with a suitable force of superintendents, supervising engineers, landscape architects,...
Our nation offers places for us to observer, read about and digest information on a wide collection of topics and people. The places that offer this are our museums and libraries. As a nation, we are keenly aware those places of knowledge are a hallmark, indeed a symbol of free societies. Is our nation willing to continue its support of its museums and libraries? The United States, has tens of thousands of museums, right up to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. The same applies to the...
Rep. Michael Baumgartner is, figuratively speaking, “all-over-the-map” about Ukraine — but effectively supporting Russia. He agrees that Russia clearly started the war and was/is the aggressor, and he’s assured Thrive International Ukrainian refugees that he opposes their deportation. But he completely undercuts that by his Ritzville Town Hall statement, “I don’t think [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy is doing a great job,” and by his outlandish calls for Zelenskyy to resign after President Donald Trump humiliated...
Everybody has favorite places. Some are lucky enough to live in them. For me, I have been lucky enough to live near some of them. I guess a favorite place is a place that captures your imagination and at the same time makes you feel good. I know of places I’ve been that didn’t do that. My travel agent in Kirkland called me one day while we were living in Bothell and said he had come across a special trip. Well, it turned out to be the Cayman Islands, where the water is clear and the sun bears down on you from midday on. We went for a week...
Washingtonians recall Ralph Munro’s distinctive political advertisements, which featured 30 seconds of bagpipe music followed by a brief tagline stating, “This interlude brought to you by the Munro campaign.” As usual and refreshing as they were, they worked! They spared voters from the unmerciful candidate pounding dished out by sparing politicians and their band of campaign hacks. Munro was elected as our state’s longest-serving secretary of state in 1980 and retired after five four-year terms in 2000. While he often ran unopposed,...
Area AA Meetings In Electric City, the New Hope group holds its meetings Monday through Friday evenings at 6pm at the Vets Center. There is also a noon meeting every Wednesday. These meetings are open and non-smoking. For more information, contact Paul 631-4551 or Phyllis 631-1187. In Nespelem, the group Bound and Determined holds its meetings Monday evening at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Church. Contact Myrna at 634-4921. Food Bank Open Care & Share Food Bank regular hours are Fridays 1-3 p.m. Questions call Pastor Shawn at...
NCW Libraries is now offering free online access to Mango Languages, an award-winning language learning platform that provides an engaging and intuitive way to master new languages. Through Mango Languages, NCW Libraries card holders can access courses covering more than 70 foreign languages as well as English as a second language. Mango offers specialty courses like Medical Spanish and more than a dozen endangered and indigenous languages. Folks can also explore Mango’s fun course options including pirate (Ahoy, matey!) and Shakespearean...
Grand Coulee Police 3/10 - A Grand Coulee officer assisted Coulee Dam police on 4th Street in Electric City where people were arguing about property lines. Those involved were told it was a civil matter. 3/13 - While investigating a possible DUI, police located the suspect vehicle at Safeway and found the driver was neither intoxicated nor impaired. - An officer spoke to a woman at Safeway who had questions related to harassment because someone made a Facebook post blaming her for their son’s death. Police answered her questions and...
There is a $50 charge for obituaries published in the Star. This includes a photo and up to 500 words. Reminders for Celebrations of Life and Death Notices are $25. Articles must be either e-mailed, faxed or dropped off at the Star office. They will not be accepted over the phone. The deadline to submit an article is Monday by 5 p.m. For more information, call 509.633.1350 or visit our website at...
The Lake Roosevelt Raider baseball team lost twice to the Okanogan Bulldogs Saturday in Okanogan. At the mound, observed photographer Al Camp, James Kensler did a great job but got little support in runs. After a few innings, Okanogan was only up 4-0 in a game that ended 10-0. The second loss was worse at 26-1. On the Raiders' schedule is home game with Liberty Bell next Tuesday, April 8, at 4:30 p.m. A listed home game against Waterville-Mansfield last Friday was canceled, but that team will...
Notice of April Special Election Okanogan County, State of Washington Tuesday, April 22, 2025 A Special Election will be held in the below mentioned districts for the purpose of submitting to the voters for their approval or rejection the following. Okanogan School District No. 105, Proposition No. 1, General Obligation Bond The registration deadline for online registrations, mail-in registrations and transfers is April 14, 2025. Any qualified elector who is not registered to vote in the State of Washington may register to vote in person at...
