News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Upcoming school levies in the Grand Coulee Dam School District don't have a lot of support among those who took a Star poll. The online survey, found in last week's issue of The Star and shared online, received 59 responses, with 15 (25%) saying they support the Educational Programs & Operations Levy, 39 (66%) saying they don't, and five (9%) saying they aren't sure. Those who support or do not support that levy tended to feel the same about the Capital Levy for Safety, Technology and...
Colville Tribes member Tony Louie is among a group of local tribal members working at carving out a niche in the California film scene. Louie had his film, "HIStory," screened at the 15th Annual LA Skins Fest film festival at the famous TCL (The Creative Life) Chinese Theatres in Hollywood in November. Louie's five-minute short "led the opening night screenings and set the tone for the entire festival," a press release from Louie's team reads. The film "is a spoken word piece poetically...
In life it is very important to make progress from being fully aware of current reality and learning from the patterns involved. We should always strive to improve and find balance from our mistakes. This is not happening at the highest levels in our school district. There are excessive fiscal requests and repetitive unanimous decisions that are not logical to me. We need servant leadership, a diversity of viewpoints with equity in mind. People need to be valued and heard with genuine collaboration so progressive solutions can be found....
Raider wrestlers faced off against Okanogan Bulldogs in a duel last week before going to Tonasket for the Tigers' Apple Pie Tournament. In Coulee Dam on Jan. 12, LR hosted Okanogan in a dual meet, with the event ending in a 30-30 tie, but Okanogan technically winning because LR had more forfeits from not having wrestlers in certain weight classes. "I am super thankful we were able to have this match, especially for our senior wrestlers," Head Coach Billy Monroe said. "It ended up being an exciti...
With two school levies on the ballot for the Feb. 8 election, one teacher/parent/taxpayer weighs in, and you can too in an online survey. The two levies — the Educational Programs and Operations Levy and the Capital Levy for Safety, Technology and Facilities Improvement — would bring in an estimated combined total of $1.4 million and $1.7 million annually from 2023 through 2026. The Star reached out to a handful of teachers at Lake Roosevelt via email for comment. Pam Johnson, who teaches language arts at the high school and has been a tea... Full story
School sports restrictions have been tightened up again with the Omicron COVID-19 variant becoming prevalent in the area. The Grant County Health District detailed the restrictions in a press release for "Region 7," which includes Grant, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Adams, and Okanogan counties. The extra precautions include items like some limits on attendance at games, indoor masking requirements, eating in a designated area, and following the covid attendance rules set by a statewide school...
As a parent of students at our local schools, I plan to support the levies that are coming up on the ballot in the next few weeks. I hope you will too. Generation Z will need to solve a lot of problems over the coming decades. One of them will be how to care for an aging Generation X, and what to do with our old BMX, inline skating, and X Game-wannabe injuries. We all thought we were going to be Dan Cortese or Gabrielle Reece. And for a brief, glorious time . . . we almost were. But at what cost? I mean, there was no real concussion protocol...
A stolen Cadillac that police stopped following because of a new state law was found at the Keller Ferry Marina the next day anyway. Grand Coulee Officer Matthew Gilbert began following a suspicious vehicle about 9:35 p.m. Dec. 27. The 1999 beige Cadillac with tinted windows was traveling along SR-155 near the Grand Coulee Dam, another officer had told him. The Cadillac was going about 10 miles per hour under the speed limit. Gilbert followed the vehicle onto Federal Avenue, watching it swerve side to side in its lane. The Multi Agency...
How many people are single or married in the local area? How many have a bachelor’s degree? And what is the average income here? On Dec. 15, The Star reported 2019 population data for local zip codes from the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, with that data not yet available from the 2020 decennial census. The Zip codes 99123 (Electric City area), 99133 (Grand Coulee area), 99116 (Coulee Dam area), 99124 (Elmer City area), and 99155 (Nespelem area), showed a larger population than just the towns themselves and i...
The Senior Meals Program, based out of the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center, is in need of volunteer drivers. The Monday-through-Friday program, which delivers to Electric City, Grand Coulee, and Coulee Dam, in addition to having a branch in Coulee City, has been delivering an average of 1,200 to 1,400 meals a month to those 60 and older or disabled. There are no income restrictions for the program, which collects a suggested donation of $4 per meal for seniors, although seniors who can’t afford a donation won’t be turned down. Nutritional Dir...
Corroding concrete may cause trouble for business owners in Grand Coulee who are being asked not to use de-icer on their sidewalks, while also facing possible fines if they don’t clear ice and snow. Sidewalks on Main Street and Federal Avenue were replaced earlier this year after problems arose following the original 2015 installation. Settlement issues causing the concrete to crack were noticed in November of 2016, and a few months later spalling on surfaces was also noted. Halme Builders, who had installed the sidewalks, initially denied r...
Pumped storage hydropower projects that are in planning for the Coulee, as well as for Halverson Canyon north of Creston, may be aided by recent federal legislation. The road to bringing Columbia Basin Hydropower’s $1.4 billion Banks Lake Pumped Storage Project to fruition may have just gotten a little smoother. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by Congress in November 2021. The act authorizes almost a billion dollars for hydropower projects over five years “committing the federal government to supporting hydropower as part...
DARE logos painted on the side of the former middle school and at the Grand Coulee Police Station may be relevant again with the return of the program aimed at teaching youth to make smart decisions regarding drug use. A Grand Coulee police officer persuaded the city council last week to pay for his training. "I believe the DARE program would not only be a great educational tool, but also a great way to get involved in the community," Officer Blake Martin told the council. The program, whose...
Electric City Councilmember Cheryl Hoffman will represent the north part of Grant County on the Grant County Health District Board during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Electric City council approved her appointment, along with Hartline Mayor Andrew Alsbrook as an alternate, at their Dec. 14 council meeting when Mayor Diane Kohout said she will send a letter appointing them as new representatives. To qualify, the representative should be an elected official or person who resides in Grand Coulee, Electric City, Hartline, or Coule...
Major work on hydroelectric generating units has been completed on "one of the most coveted clean energy assets in the world" at the Grand Coulee Dam. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, along with the Bonneville Power Administration, announced Monday that "the major overhaul of hydroelectric power generating units 22, 23 and 24" inside the third power plant, now known as the Nathaniel "Nat" Washington Power Plant, at the Grand Coulee Dam, had been completed. USBR Public Affairs Specialist Erika A....
Ever wonder how your utility rates compare to those in nearby towns? There are some variations in residential water, sewer, and garbage rates between Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, and Elmer City, with rates going up here or there for this or that in 2022. In 2021, the average water rate between the four towns is $44.67 a month for water, $57.38 for sewer, and $30.23 for the average 65 gallon garbage can. The biggest discrepancy in water bills is between Elmer City, where water runs $36.68 a month, compared to Coulee Dam where it is...
Cheers. This is a festive time of year and I want to cheer on a few who make our community wonderful. First, I want to thank our Raider Cheerleaders. Almost two dozen students turned out and they are rockin’ our athletic events. I would love to have a cup of coffee with the head coach who’s been at the helm for almost four decades. Our local athletic director was voted Athletic Director of the Year and deserves it based on the challenges of the last two years. We are lucky to have him as a leader of two systems and a coach in our school dis...
The Lake Roosevelt Raiders basketball team defeated both Oroville and Liberty Bell this past week to continue their undefeated status, now with a win-loss record of 6-0. The Raiders defeated the Hornets in Oroville Dec. 14 by 20 points, 67-47. The Raiders led 34-22 at the half before closing out the game, scoring 37 more in the second half to the Hornet's 25. Chase Marchand led the Raiders with 20 points, followed by Brandon Pino with 18 and Alonzo Adams with 17. Defensively, Chase Clark pulled...
The Lake Roosevelt Lady Raiders remain undefeated after extremely solid wins against Oroville and Liberty Bell last week. The Lady Raiders more than quadrupled their Oroville opponents score there Dec. 14, winning 88-19. Point leaders for LR include Audrey Hansen with 15 points, Zalissa Finley and Cylia St. Pierre with 13 apiece, and Sawyer Steffens with 12. The Lady Raiders went 17 for 29 from the free-throw line. LR players pulled down an incredible 58 rebounds in the game, including 36...
Raider wrestlers had a busy week, with both a mix & match event and tournament in Oroville, and the Tri-State Tournament in Idaho. The Raiders participated in a mix & match in Oroville on Dec. 15. Then seven Raiders competed at the Tri-State Tournament at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene Dec. 17-18. There, Roger Cate placed fifth at 106 pounds, and Colton Jackson placed eighth at 120. Julian Lopez, Francis Louie, Teyton Flores, Landon Krohn, and Sergia Galicia did not place. Also on Dec. 18, Raiders competed at the North Okanogan Holiday I...
The populations of Electric City, Grand Coulee, and Nespelem have gone down, while the populations of Coulee Dam and Elmer City have gone up. According to 2020 census data, the population of Electric City is 956, down from 968 in 2010. The count in Grand Coulee is 972, down from 988. And the number of people living in Nespelem stands at 180, down from 236. The population of Elmer City, on the other hand, bumped up to 239 from 238; and the population of Coulee Dam rose to 1,211, up from 1,098. That pegs the total residents within the proper boun...
I try to avoid questionable sources of information, but I came across some gossip on Elf Net that I am obliged to pass along to you. It seems that Santa will be delivering by robot this year, and some really bad grinch is attempting to hack the system. Then, there is the possibility that the robot could get stuck in your chimney. If you don’t get what you wished for, check the Santa clause in your contract. And don’t forget to lay out some batteries for the robot. The Merry in Merry Christmas, at least for adults, is about family and fri...
Call in the cleanup crew because the Lady Raiders completely demolished Omak, Tonasket, and Kittitas this past week. Lake Roosevelt beat Omak Dec. 7 on the Pioneer home court with a final score of 68-49. Cylia St. Pierre and Aaliyah Marchand led LR with 14 points each. Shyanne Marchand pulled down six rebounds in the game. In Coulee Dam on Dec. 10, LR defeated the Tonasket Lady Tigers 57-41. St. Pierre led LR with 16 points, including four free throws. LR hit 12 of 17 from the free-throw line...
The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce raised $10,000 last Saturday in their annual Vintners & Brewers Auction. "This year's Vintners & Brewers Auction went well!" said Rachelle Haven, executive director for the chamber. "Thanks to our generous community, we raised $10,000! We couldn't be more grateful to our donors and community members for all their support in this event. Without them, we wouldn't be able to continue our efforts in year-round festivals. We so look forward to getting...
After much ado, the city of Grand Coulee has agreed to raise rates 33% at the Delano Regional Transfer Station to keep that facility from losing money, which makes the raise look likely. The transfer station, which is shared by Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, and Elmer City, had been on track to lose roughly $150,000 a year as detailed in last week’s Star article titled “Transfer station needs to raise rates to stay out of the red.” The loss in money results mostly from a 71% increase in rates at the county landfill in Ephrata where...