News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 626 - 650 of 6969
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and Gov. Jay Inslee say they are backing a package of new laws aimed at protecting workers, pedestrians and commuters. New bills would include reducing the blood alcohol concentration limit for operating a vehicle when driving, imposing more restrictions on high-risk drivers, and requiring a skills course for young and older drivers. Amber Weilert, a mother from Parkland, described how her son was struck and killed in a crosswalk while riding his bicycle. “I am here to be Michael’s voice to support him and...
This morning’s Spokesman Review tells a sad story of a fatally strangled 16-year-old girl in the Seattle area. I am quoting important information included in the article: “Strangulation deaths, which disproportionately affect women, are generally uncommon and have decreased dramatically since passage of the federal Violence Against Women Act in 1994. … State law was changed in 2007 to recognize strangulation as one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence.” Our important House Representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, voted AGAINST RENEWIN...
Last year, over 100,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose, largely driven by the rampant spread of illicit fentanyl. In Washington state, drug overdoses have been increasing at shocking rates in the past few years, and communities across Central Washington have been devastated by the fentanyl crisis, which is now the leading cause of death for people ages 18-45. The hard truth is, no corner of our communities has been left untouched by this growing crisis. We need to classify all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I...
The Raider boys get to keep this regular-season, top-of-the-league boasting rights after winning at home against Tonasket last night, securing a first-round by in the District 6 tournament that starts Saturday. The win came after they had suffered a seven-point loss in Okanogan Jan. 24, the second in league loss the whole season, but emerged the top seed into the District 6 post season last night in Coulee Dam. Coming off a 22-point win against Manson Jan. 20, the Raiders met stiffer resistance...
Two points are so inefficient. So, Aaliyah Marchand increased her scoring efficiency by 50 percent per basket, hitting all seven from beyond the three-point line to lead the Lady Raiders in scoring against Okanogan last week with 21 - to match her jersey number. One of the team's most physical players under the basket, she got nothing 'neath the net, which may have been the Bulldogs' plan, but no matter. The Lady Raiders' only senior showed her versatility, proving the point with long-range miss...
The Grand Coulee Dam School District will help fund a lawsuit against the state intended to have a far-reaching effect on funding school facilities and programs. School board members voted unanimously Monday to chip in $5,000 to to the Wahkiakum School District in the endeavor. Wahkiakum Superintendent Brent Freeman attended the meeting and filled the board in on progress on the suit, which will be heard by the state Supreme Court. The suit claims the state is not meeting its constitutional...
Homelessness is still a big issue throughout Washington, and while the state has spent millions, the governor wants to invest more. In a press conference Jan. 19, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee said while certain encampments have been cleared as a result of past funding efforts, there are still not enough places to house the homeless. “Many of these people have chemical addiction problems that have to be treated if they’re going to succeed. Many of these people have mental health problems that have to be treated,” Inslee said. “Wher...
Consumers will be able to purchase more low-THC liquid-infused products in a single purchase if a bill in the Legislature wins approval. “HB 1249 is necessary to ensure that the evolution of consumer preference, and access to an increasing variety of these products, reflects those preferences and is aligned with the law,” said Douglas Henderson, Painted Rooster Cannabis Company CEO. Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, introduced the bill. He said he recently became aware of new products in the market, including a low-THC infused beverage made and sol...
While on the newspaper staff at the Idaho Free Press, they always gave me the assignment to cover the local rodeos. The two big ones were the Caldwell Night Rodeo and the Snake River Stampede. They both lasted the better part of a week, and the rest of the staff shied away from getting involved. I was the youngest reporter, so it always fell to me. The Snake River Stampede was the worst of the two. It involved covering a parade through the streets in downtown Nampa each of the days of the event. I had to write a parade story four different...
After the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took major heat last week from considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves, the Biden Administration quickly reversed course, saying they would not support such a ban. However, this doesn’t mean the future of gas-powered appliances is completely safe — that the CPSC would make such a shocking push in the first place should not be taken lightly. While it’s unlikely you’ll find government agents knocking on your door asking for you to hand...
After beating Brewster by nine points at home and dominating Manson 78-12 last week, the Lady Raiders stood at second in the league Tuesday night before meeting Okanogan at the home of the Lady Bulldogs, the Central Washington 2B League leaders. The Okanogan girls, with a 7-0 win-loss record in league and 16-0 overall, may have felt secure going into that game against Lake Roosevelt (5-2, 11-6), with ample reason. Okanogan won 91 – 48. LR started out strong, scoring 34 in the first half, but couldn’t execute in the second, Coach Melissa Meza sa...
The Raider boys beat Brewster in a bruiser of a basketball game Jan. 17 in Coulee Dam, 61-60, then went to Manson to trample the Trojans 63-41 on Friday. The Raiders, with a 7-0 league win-loss record, 15-2 overall, ranked first in the Central Washington 2B league and second in the state as of Tuesday night, according to WIAA’s site. They trailed only Brewster (5-2, 13-4) statewide. The RPI rankings used by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association factor in the difficulty of a team’s schedule during the season, making it pos...
Twice last weekend people wanting to fish through the ice of Banks Lake found out it was thinner than they'd figured. On Saturday afternoon and amphibious motor vehicle designed for ice fishing headed out on the ice from Coulee Playland with three men inside. When they tried to drive the four-wheeled vehicle over the off-shore log boom, the vehicle, a Wilcraft amphibious ice fishing vehicle, high centered on the logs and it broke through the ice at both ends, leaving it unmovable. But it was bui...
Coulee Dam officials had hoped they’d get some of the funding in the form of free grants for work to replace an aging sewage lift station on the west side of the Columbia River, but learned last week the funding agency intended to only offer a loan for the near million-dollar project. Clerk Stefani Bowden said she’d gotten a call right before Wednesday’s city council meeting. “I was a little disappointed to see this news today,” she told the council about 20 minutes later. The lift station has been on the back burner for years while the city...
Elmer City utility customers will pay about $13 a month more for water and sewer service beginning in March, but garbage rates will remain the same. The town council passed a new utility rate ordinance last Thursday to set the increase in motion. The increases include a $5 jump for water and $8 for sewer, plus some increases for fees such as for being late paying the bill, or ordering a start or end to a service. Mayor Jesse Tilman said the bump puts the town more on par with other area towns. “Years ago, when I first came on council, we w...
Sporting officials and umpires are in short supply locally, and the association that schedules those workers is looking for interested people to fill the roles that keep sports going. "The shortage of umpires for high school baseball and softball in the Central Columbia Basin may cause disruptions in local games this season," stated Bruce Shields, the assigning secretary for the Central Columbia Basin Umpires Association (CCBUA). The group assigns umpires for seven high schools and five middle...
Four dogs sat in a House hearing room and two more watched the room over Zoom as a legislative committee discussed rules dog handlers must follow in courthouses for dogs to assist people who are providing testimony, including youth with disabilities. "I can't say how amazing these dogs are when something bad has happened to your kids, my kids. Really, they're our kids. All these kids belong to us," said Ellen O'Neill-Stephens, founder of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation. "To be able to provide...
I know the subject of childcare has been brought up before, and we do have a daycare center and several in home sitters available. They all seem busy showing the need is there. I believe that there is an area of great need not being met, and that is evening and weekend care. Think about how many area businesses pay minimum wage, part-time, with a lot of nights and weekends. The need is there, BUT will anyone fill it? Carol Schoning...
While at the Statesman in Boise, I often covered Idaho Vandal football games. My boss, Jim Brown, was a large contributor to Idaho’s football program. Vandal coach Skip Stahley came by the newspaper on a number of occasions, probably to keep the support going. I was scheduled to fly to Logan, Utah to cover the Vandal-Utah State game at Logan, Utah, a flight of about an hour. Also scheduled the same day, but later in the day, a pro exhibition football game in Salt Lake City. I had a close friend at the Salt Lake Tribune, Dick Martin. I had w...
How about some encouraging news for our state? It even made the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Although Boeing didn’t outsell or make more airplane deliveries than its rival, Airbus, in 2022, it made substantial gains after three years of costly setbacks. Some may exaggeratingly compare the company’s problems since the onset of the coronavirus to the “Boeing Bust” (1968-72) when Congress ended funding for the SST (Supersonic Transport). That cancellation hit Seattle hard. It trigger...
According to the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted, the answer is very simple: our relationships. “The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying and overall healthier lives,” according to the book “The Good Life,” which recounts lessons from the Harvard study. “Relationships in all their forms — friendships, romantic partnerships, families, coworkers, tennis partners, book club members, Bible study groups — all contribute to...
The Lake Roosevelt Raiders currently top their league, facing two top competitors and five other schools in the Central Washington 2B League. After their Friday night home-court win against the Oroville Hornets, the Raiders' win-loss record in the league stands at 5-0, and overall at 13-2. The Hornets lost 88-37 Friday, putting them at the other end of the league list at 0-5. The Raiders fed the Tigers (1-4) a similar meal in Tonasket Jan. 10, winning 84-44. "We're getting better every single...
The Lady Raiders breezed past Oroville Friday in a decisive home-court victory, 66-20. Aaliyah Marchand did the most damage to the visitors, adding 21 points for Lake Roosevelt, 15 of those coming from outside the three-point line. And Marchand's last-second near-half-court shot to hit 66 on the scoreboard might have been the biggest excitement of the game. Carly Neddo put in 16 points for LR, followed closely by Cylia St. Pierre's 14. The girls were third in the Central Washington 2B League as...
A slide of rocks and mud covered Peter Dan Road about a half mile from SR-155 Tuesday morning, forcing a detour until mid-afternoon and recalling a massive effort to keep the hillside from sloughing off. Okanogan County Emergency Management texted an alert at 6:40 a.m. to its subscribers, letting them know of the road closure as people got ready to go to work or school. Peter Dan runs between Elmer City and Keller, plus the Buffalo Lake area. The road remained closed until about 2:15 p.m. The sl...
Looking at something from a different angle can reveal much that hadn’t been noticed before. That principle may have been evident at a school board meeting Monday night. School leaders made plans Monday to systematically consider student opinion in coming meetings, the result of advocacy on the school board by two new student representatives. Appointed as ex-officio representatives in October 2022, Juniors Layla Flett and Celeste LaPlace have been discussing with other Grand Coulee Dam School District board members ways to get student c...
