News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 6146 - 6170 of 6918
Due to our projector bulb manufacturer no longer making the type of bulb our projector needs, and the one they sent us being a bad bulb, The Village Cinema will be down for the remainder of April, and possibly May. We are currently waiting for our fundraiser site to be up and running, but until then, we are allowing any donations toward a digital projector. Our down payment HAS TO BE $5,000. As soon as we have that, we can get a BRAND NEW DIGITAL PROJECTOR into our theater. If you are wanting to donate, please contact Don Redfield on Facebook,... Full story
Two women proposing a licensed day care center on Grand Coulee’s Main Street found out why it is said “You can’t beat city hall,” but they’re not stopping their effort to start a daycare. Andrea Marconi and Angela Feeley, who told council members that they wanted to start a “much needed” licensed day care center in the building at 227 Main Street, currently occupied by Button It graphic design, ran into a zoning problem and could only get a promise that the city would look into it. Under city zoning, a daycare center is not among allowed uses f... Full story
The school board Monday night awarded its K-12 new school project to Walker Construction of Spokane. Walker’s bid of $22,765,200 bid was accepted over a second bid of $23,253,600, by Graham Construction, after all of the alternates were considered. Only the two firms bid on the project. A decision to extend the bidding process may have cost the district the ability to start school in the new buildings in the fall of 2014. Superintendent Dennis Carlson said this week that with a 530-day c... Full story
Thirty-three candidates have filed for seven Colville Business Council positions up for election this year. In the Nespelem District Position 1 race, challenging incumbent Brian Nissen are Randy Laramie, Joaquin Marchand, Ricky Gabriel, Deb Louie and Myland Williams. Challenging incumbent Andrew C. Joseph, Jr., for Nespelem District Position 2, are John St. Pierre, Charlene BearCub, Enid T. Wippel and Jonnie Bray. Filing for Keller District Position 1, and challenging incumbent Darlene Zacherle are Sylvia Peasley, John Stensgar, Leroy Jerred,... Full story
The Colville Business Council has voted to spend $40 million to build a new administration building on the Colville Indian Agency campus near Nespelem. The vote was taken March 7, with half the 14 tribal council members present as the resolution passed on a 6-1 vote. The resolution called for the council to borrow the $40 million from the tribes’ “50 percent sustainable fund” of what is called the Qwam Qwmpt Plan for uses of the funds remaining after distributing half of a $193 million federal settlement to tribal members. CBC members votin... Full story
A dinner and auction to raise money for a family who recently lost their home to fire was a big success at the Eagles club on Saturday. Heather Downs said the event brought in $3,000 in cash for Warner, Nevada and Brianna Whybark. “It was amazing,” Downs said. “We had people dropping $100 for a plate of spaghetti.” The Eagles dinner hall was completely full about 10 minutes after they opened for the event at 4 p.m. Downs said the Eagles Aerie was very supportive, helping in many ways, not the... Full story
Science and math teacher Ralph Rise, of Lake Roosevelt High School, was recently selected as the recipient of the 2012-13 Science Champions: Science Education Advocate Award, presented by Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Reform (LASER), a program led by Pacific Science Center, Battelle and Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNNL). Science Champions demonstrate passion for advancing science education in innovative ways. Each year, with support from The Boeing Company, Washington State LASER recognizes five individuals, teams o... Full story
A group of citizens met Friday afternoon to discuss a planning a day-long picnic for Coulee Dam and Elmer City residents to get together, probably sometime in June. And one person announced she would run for a town council seat this year. “I think it’s been a long time since there’s been an air of ‘Let’s get together and figure it out,’” commented Glo Carroll, at whose Coulee Dam home the meeting was held. “We want to foster an air of people just talking to each other.” The picnic could serve as an informal candidates forum for town council... Full story
The Grand Coulee City Council Tuesday night awarded a contract to repair sheet rock damage at the city’s fire station. The council awarded the bid to DWK Fowler Construction for $7,391.15. The repair work is for the 35-foot by 90-foot meeting room at the fire station on Spokane Way. Fire Chief Rick Paris said the work will begin early in April. Paris said the damage was due to a roof leak several years ago when a heavy snowpack on the roof caused a leak. Paris told council members that he only received one bid on the project... Full story
The tributes to former Gov. Booth Gardner, who died March 15 at the age of 76, remind us of a better time. Throughout his political career, Booth was known for his respectful demeanor, good humor and dedication to consensus. That is in stark contrast to today’s reality. Now, partisan rancor is the norm in a high-stakes blood sport where the only goal is political advantage, and people with opposing views are assailed as enemies. This scorched earth mentality has become so pervasive, people a... Full story
Washington state has one of the highest teen unemployment rates in the nation at 17 percent. It has a staggering 37 percent unemployment rate for African-American youth. Anyone out there who has teenagers understands how difficult it is for them to find work. I have seen my own children go through the frustration of trying to earn money for college, be independent or have some spending money. Unfortunately, current laws and the economy have made it extremely difficult for our youth to get a job to accomplish any of those things. This session I... Full story
In what they say is the first such offering in the state of Washington, the Colville Casinos will soon offer gaming apps and a website that makes a range of free gaming readily available to casino customers even after they’ve left the building. Bally Technologies on Tuesday announced its deal with Colville Tribal Federal Corporation to provide its iGaming and mobile solution to the Colville’s three casinos. The Coulee Dam, Manson and Okanogan Bingo casinos will be able to offer online pla...
Few stories are as heartwrenching as those about a family losing a home to fire. The only thing worse is the death of a relatively young person, especially a child. But one fact found and appreciated somewhat mitigated the tragedy of last week’s house fire, even to some extent for the victims, but certainly for me as I tried to unravel what had happened. As I stood the next morning in front of the rubble, hoping to find someone to ask about the fire and get a photo, I was handed a bag of clothes. Was I going to try to find the Whybark family t... Full story
Elmer City Mayor Mary Jo Carey stated that the disagreement between Coulee Dam and Elmer City on the proposed wastewater treatment plant was like a “family feud.” Carey made that statement last Wednesday night at the end of the Coulee Dam Town Council meeting. She added that both towns want the same thing and it was time for them to wind down the rhetoric and work together. The two towns have been locked in a disagreement about the best way to address the aging wastewater treatment plant that treats sewage for both towns. The meeting sta... Full story
The hull of Washington state’s newest and smallest ferry, the Sanpoil, arrived in Grand Coulee last Wednesday, and Foss Maritime officials said it is due to launch sometime in late June or July. The 116-foot hull made its five-day overland trip from Rainier, Ore., to its assembly point at Crescent Bay, without incident, officials stated. But it was a bit hairy when the truck assembly cleared a tunnel by a couple of feet and just made it under one bridge by several inches. The 300,000-pound h... Full story
Electric City is looking to get rid of some of its “butt ugly trees.” The moonglow junipers that the city put in several years ago, at a cost of about $60,000, has current city council members steaming. Some 190 junipers were planted on either side of SR-155 as it makes its way through Electric City, wiping out parking spaces and eventually growing so tall and bushy that they obstruct the view of motorists entering the highway from the side streets. An item on the internet states that the trees can grow up to 20 feet high and 15 feet wide. Coun... Full story
Interest in filings for the seven Colville Business Council openings has been brisk, election officials stated Monday. As of Monday, 23 interested parties had picked up applications at the election office at the Colville Indian Agency campus. The seven positions and those who occupy them are: Luana Boyd Rawley, Inchelium Position 1; Richard A. Swan, Jr., Inchelium Position 2; Darlene Zacherle, Keller Position 1; Brian Nissen, Nespelem District Position 1; Andy Joseph, Jr., Nespelem Position 2; Ernestina Brook, Omak Position 1 and Ben E.... Full story
Tax revenue from tourists who stay in hotels is a critical resource for Washington state’s cities and towns, which often rely on that income to promote and expand events that attract visitors, according to those who testified on bills introduced this legislative session in Olympia. The proposals relate to the state’s hotel and motel tax, also known as the lodging tax. Individual counties and cities may choose to levy a fee of up to 2 percent on charges to customers by hotels and motels. Lodging-tax proceeds are used in most cases for tou... Full story
If residents on the farm acreage in Electric City pushed the dog allowance to the maximum, some could have 22 dogs, Mayor Jerry Sands told members of the council at their last meeting. Councilmember Brad Parrish had asked if the “chicken rule” of six chickens per resident applied to them; Sands said no. Because the farm area is zoned differently, those residents are allowed up to 15 chickens per 5,000 square feet. When he answered a council question on dogs being on the roadway challenging people as they walked by, Sands explained that the sam... Full story
Important issues regarding a Waste Water Treatment Facility to serve both communities are being discussed at the town’s town council meetings and will affect every household in our communities. So PLEASE, young and old, come help. Your participation in the decision-making process will insure we all can be beneficiaries of the best solution regarding our Waste Water Treatment Facility. In Coulee Dam the town council meetings are held at the Coulee Dam Town Hall the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 6 p.m. Gayle Swa... Full story
As everyone knows, the proposed new waste water treatment plant is being discussed at Coulee Dam Council meetings. There are a few people who religiously attend this meeting and do all they can to keep a run-away Town Council in check. Their behavior at recent meetings can only lead us to believe that they only agreed to a three-month hiatus on the forward motion of the project to appease the people who signed the petition to stop it. At the last meeting, Councilmember Karl Hjorten (up for re-election this year) made a motion that we once... Full story
Business groups with an axe to grind against the Obama Administration, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business, like to push the idea that “uncertainty” over government actions is the monkey on the economy’s back. As small business owners who work in the housing sector, we don’t buy that analysis. The source of our continuing economic problems is not some vague cloud of “uncertainty.” It is, quite the opposite, the very real certainty that if we don’t do more — and soon — to hit the reset button... Full story
A family shocked by the loss of their home to fire Thursday night is also amazed at the instant support pouring in from the community. Fifteen years ago, Warner Whybark built their home on a hillside overlooking Banks Lake in the North Shores development. Last week, they escaped after a neighbor called to tell them to get out of the house. In under 45 minutes, everything was gone. Shortly after 10 p.m., local fire departments got the call, but there was little they could do by the time they arrived. Both the house and the garage were “fully i... Full story
So you always wanted to hold public office. Here’s your opportunity, as a host of city council, school board, hospital and port district offices will be up for grabs this year. Four mayor positions are up for election this year. Those mayorships currently held by mayors Jerry Sands of Electric City, Quincy Snow of Coulee Dam, Mary Jo Carey of Elmer City and Michael Blake of Nespelem are all up this year, all four-year terms. Council openings in Electric City and their terms include seats currently held by Bob Rupe (4 years), John Nordine (... Full story
An explosion at Grand Coulee Dam Saturday morning damaged the right powerhouse when a line and equipment connecting a generator and transformer exploded. No one was injured. A “buss,” essentially a pipe and related equipment housing a large electrical line, exploded, reportedly causing considerable damage even to the building’s concrete. Acrid smoke was so thick that firefighters responding could not initially enter the building, and the Bureau of Reclamation will not likely allow perso... Full story