News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The city of Coulee Dam will get nearly $393,000 for upgrading crosswalks and adding “speed feedback” signs, flashing beacons, and more to improve the safety on routes to school. The Safe Routes to School grant is funded through the Washington State Dept. of Transportation budget, signed earlier this month by Gov. Jay Inslee. A project schedule indicates engineering will begin in October this year, with an estimated contract award date in May 2024. The project includes installing a new crosswalk, pedestrian scale crossing illumination, rec...
All eyes have been on the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks as politicians and pundits assess the impact of changing rules for who can enter the United States. But the fixation on the border can distract from a bigger problem: America’s immigration system hasn’t kept up with the times. We need an immigration policy that advances our national interest, one that reflects our needs as well as our values. It should complement and support American foreign policy. It should respond to the current realities of workforce demands and international mig...
In his last preliminary race of his high school career, Logan Marconi pushed himself to a new personal record Friday in the qualifying prelims at the state track meet in Yakima, running the 800 meters in 2 minutes, 3.81 seconds. That time in a field of 16 top competitors, just 3.04 seconds behind top qualifier Shawn Jones, of St. George's, got the senior to the starting blocks in the finals on Saturday, where he would take seventh in the state for Lake Roosevelt High School. His time in the...
A line of employees wrote letters to the school board stating serious concerns about hiring Rod Broadnax as the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s new superintendent, several of which were read at Monday night’s meeting. They’re hiring him anyway. The letters noted anonymous emails that circulated in the community, critical of Broadnax’s record, claims of professional achievement throughout his career and controversy at one community where he worked. Carrie Derr, a longtime teacher who now oversees federal and state grant programs for the dis...
Nespelem School District, which has for decades sent its students to “the dam” after eighth grade to attend high school, is looking at ways to expand its service to the community by moving toward a high school offering. The school board formally approved the move Monday night, directing Superintendent Effie Dean to continue working to set up an “emergent high school,” offering just ninth grade in the coming school year, with a “career technical education” component under discussion with the Colville Tribes. “Everybody is super excited about...
The city of Grand Coulee will hold a primary election in August to pick two of the three candidates who filed to run for mayor, which does not include the current one. Chuck Crowe, of Partello Park; Kimberly Christiansen, of Roosevelt Drive; and Mike Eylar, of Spokane Way, have filed to run for the mayor’s office, currently occupied by Mayor Paul Townsend. The primary election is set for Aug. 1. In Electric City, two council positions have picked up challengers to incumbents. Councilmember Brian Buche, in Council Position 3, will run against T...
Residents of Coulee Dam's Ferry Avenue couldn't talk city representatives into alternatives Monday night as officials explained why all of the street's 60- to 70-foot-tall shade trees are going to be cut down. A sidewalk fix four years in the making is leading to the removal of the trees that have given the neighborhood of 16 homes its distinct feel for decades. The sidewalk repair will cost about a quarter million dollars, coming from a federal grant. The added cost of removing the maples will...
Grand Coulee police held a public meeting to hear residents' ideas on what they need to focus on and also to introduce them to a new app Officer Matt Gilbert is working on for easier communication with police. The app, which he is developing, is currently for Android phones only. Features will include police related news, resources, alerts, police activity in the area, a one-tap feature for calling the dispatch center to ask for police, and more. The informal meeting was called to give people a...
You are invited to attend the re-naming ceremony May 27th, at 1 p.m. in the Tonasket Legacy Park. Highway #20 in Okanogan County will become the “Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Highway.” The ceremony will have the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Honor Guard presenting the colors, the Tribal Singers “The Citizens,” singing the honor song. Louie Wilson will be the master of ceremonies and will introduce the dignitaries in attendance. We have heard from our 4th District Congressman, Dan Newhouse, and our 7th District state represe...
A new superintendent will lead the Grand Coulee Dam School District, beginning July 1. The school board selected Rodriguez "Rod" Broadnax as the best candidate Saturday, following what board President Rich Black described as a thorough, broad-based effort to involve as many people as possible in the decision. Broadnax is currently the interim superintendent at the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System in Michigan, according to information supplied by the GCD district. Black said...
A long-awaited sidewalk fix is leading to the removal of many, if not all, of the trees on Coulee Dam's Ferry Avenue that have given the neighborhood its distinct flavor for decades, and the city set a meeting for tonight to explain the decision. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. on the corner of Grant and Ferry, where the project starts. The city notified residents along the street of tonight's meeting with doorhanger notices left at each residence on Friday, so city officials can explain and show...
Fans will have to purchase tickets online if they want to attend District 6 Tournament games, including for today's 4:30 p.m. Fastpitch softball semi-finals game between Lake Roosevelt and Brewster at Brewster. Grand Coulee Dam School District Athletic Director Nancy Kuiper shared an emailed link to a site fans can purchase tickets. "Most events are going to online digital purchasing only so please see below and inform others that are not a part of this email." The link, distributed in an email...
President Joe Biden is seeking re-election. I wish he were younger and I might favor other Democrats — Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Governor, and 2020 presidential contenders Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker come to mind. But Biden’s record is impressive and he may have the best chance of winning the presidency. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated openly, and Republicans have followed, a commitment to oppose everything Democrats proposed from the day former President Barack Obama was inaugurated, even if originally Republican...
In just a few days, Title 42, a measure which allows border agents to automatically turn away migrants without documentation at the border, is set to expire. And when it does, border officials anticipate tens of thousands of migrants per day to come rushing across our southern border, further exacerbating our already unprecedented border crisis. This is unacceptable, and we cannot sit idly by. The numbers paint a harrowing picture. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 5 million illegal crossings of our southern border, and...
The Lady Raiders extended their winning ways into the post season, beating Liberty Bell 16-0 in Round 1 of the District 6 Fastpitch Softball Tournament in Grand Coulee Tuesday night. They’ll play in Round 2 in Brewster Friday night. If they win, they’ll play next Tuesday against either Okanogan or Oroville in a loser-out game, with the winner going to state. If they lose to Brewster, they’ll still play again May 16, to either end their season or get one more shot May 19 to head to state. The Raider baseball team lost to Tonasket there Monda...
Lake Roosevelt track and field athletes competed with others from 18 schools ranging in size from 1B to 1A in one last regular-season meet at Royal High School last Friday. “As a group we achieved eight personal-best performances on the boys’ side and four on the girls’,” said head coach Lori Adkins. John Cooley set three personal records: in the 100-meter run in 12.74 seconds; in the 110-meter...
by Scott Hunter A year ago, it was an idea shared while visiting in a garden. Last week, Plain Jane's was named "Business of the Year" for 2022 by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce. Caroline Walsh had cancer then and was going through chemotherapy. She decided to start a business that would research and bring in healthy products for the local community. Rachel Anderson was helping her with her garden the day Walsh presented the idea to her. "I was like, absolutely!" Anderson told...
Electric City has canceled tonight’s (Tuesday, May 9) city council meeting for lack of a quorum. City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal also said the city, which normally offers online access to its meetings, also has no internet service at the moment. The agenda for the meeting included several topics that would have required a vote of the council, plus several others that would have included discussion but likely would have been tabled for later research anyway, so the lack of council members able to attend would have made the meeting less than p...
Former chamber executive director Rachelle Baughman was named the organization's "Achiever of the Year" for 2022 last week after deciding to leave that job last winter and start her own business. Baughman's move set in motion a series of changes at the chamber, including rethinking about what it needs in a new era from a person in Baughman's former position. In announcing the choice at the annual awards dinner Wednesday, board member Nic Alexander said Baughman fits the word "achiever," which...
It's been an interesting year for the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, especially if you're President Natalie Dennis. Dennis and others outlined past challenges and future plans and directions last Wednesday night at the chamber's annual meeting and awards dinner. Dennis told attendees at PK's Culinary that the chamber is once again facilitating "business after hours" events where business owners can "speak with like-minded people and bounce ideas off of each other." Two have been...
In the April 19, 2023 edition of The Star, one of your readers wrote a letter asking about mental health resources in the Coulee Dam/Grand Coulee area. I am happy to reassure your reader that help is available in your area. Your reader was correct that “a person’s mental and emotional health are as important as their physical health,” especially with all the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was a very difficult time for so many reasons. There is a marked increase in the need for behavioral health services as a result, espec...
Central Washington is home to a diverse and reliable energy portfolio, and with abundant natural resources at our doorstep—from hydropower to wind energy—we are proud to play a leading role in our nation’s energy independence. If we are to ensure the United States remains at the forefront of energy production and innovation, then our federal policy must take a page out of Central Washington’s book and aggressively pursue an “all-of-the-above” energy approach. The idea of “all-of-the-above” energy is simple: we utilize all available sourc...
by Scott Hunter The Lady Raiders wrapped their regular season last week with three games against the Brewster Lady Bears, barely losing twice on the road after beating Brewster 3-0 in Grand Coulee. Their April 25 game was a “great win at home for us on senior night,” noted Coach Jaci Gross. “Juel Swager was hot at the bat. Aaliyah (Marchand had an incredible night on the mound.” Marchand, the lone senior on the team, struck out 17 batters, allowing three hits and walking just one. Eighth-grader Swager led the team in hits, going 2-3 with two si...
Raider runners, throwers and jumpers scored highly at the Tonasket Small School Meet April 25, then applied themselves at the Rieke Invitational on Friday, placing well among 15 schools. At Tonasket, where just four schools competed, Head Coach Lori Adkins said, “athletes were able to try some new events … which was really fun. In the high jump we had five jumpers total.” That dynamic added a lot to the team points on the boys’ and girls’ sides, Adkins noted. Logan Marconi took first place in the 800-meter race, setting a personal record in...
After a downturn earlier in the year, Coulee Medical Center earned its keep in a strong March. "March was a phenomenal month," said Chief Financial Officer Kelly Hughes Monday at the hospital district board meeting. "Stats were through the roof." "Inpatient days" in the hospital, she said, numbered 113, which is 53 more than in February. Patients visited the clinic 330 more times in March than in January, 274 more than in February. The Emergency Department saw 354 visits in the month, 39 more...