News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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A program will soon be underway to encourage high school dropouts to continue their educations through a new online program approved by the school board at its last meeting, The board authorized the hiring of American Academy, a national group, to seek out students who have dropped out of school for one reason or another and encourage them to get back on track. American Academy will hire mentors for the students to stay with them as they work online on specific subjects that will earn them high school credits and lead to graduation at Lake... Full story
Electric City will appropriate $20,472 for the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 tourism promotion program, following a vote of the city council last Tuesday night. Chamber of commerce Manager Peggy Nevsimal had presented a $61,000-plus promotional plan to Electric City, Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam councils. Electric City was the first to respond with a vote to provide one-third the funds from hotel/motel taxes, which must be spent on promotion of tourism. The plan provided for ways to attract visitors from within 100 miles a... Full story
Port District 7 commissioners suffered a bit of sticker shock last Thursday when an RV project they plan for the Banks Lake Golf Course was projected to cost nearly $1.5 million. The report was part of a feasibility study by USKH Engineering and presented by civil engineer Zak Sargent, of that firm. Commissioners had projected that the RV park would provide needed revenue to help with operation expenses. Rates for parking an RV at the park ranged from $20 a night in the off season to $40 during the peak summer season. The port commission had... Full story
Area law enforcement agencies are looking for a Grand Coulee man wanted in connection with an alleged armed robbery of the Blue Moon Smoke Shop in Coulee Dam. A clerk at the shop said that Phillip Cody Ruiz, 23, entered the shop and said he wanted to purchase some cigarettes, but had left his wallet in the car. When he returned, clerk Sandra Waters was on her cellphone, and Ruiz ordered her to get off the phone and give him the money in the cash register. He ordered her not to call the cops or he would be back. Waters said that Ruiz, known to... Full story
There will soon be a quilt shop in Grand Coulee. Owner/operator Marlene Oddie, from College Place, has purchased the former ice cream shop across from the Teepee Drive-in, and will soon begin the process of getting it ready for an opening shortly after the first of the year. Oddie had been working out of her home in College Place, but finds herself in the Grand Coulee area after her husband Duncan, hired on at Grand Coulee Dam as a mechanical engineer. Oddie spent a number of years with Bank of America as a consultant and finally opened her... Full story
A 46-year-old man was arrested and taken to Grant County Jail after allegedly trying to elude police early Monday morning. The vehicle that Ernie Andrew Smith, of 57899 W. Cardinal Road, was driving was allegedly clocked at 50 mph in a 35 mph zone heading east on Alcan Road when Officer Heath Otto gave chase. Smith lost control of the vehicle and it hit concrete posts protecting a Grand Coulee water main and then continued on until it stopped at 901 King Street, Otto’s report said. Otto contacted Smith and had him spread-eagled on the ground w... Full story
A 20-year-old man was cited for possession/consumption of alcohol by a minor and for 17 counts of supplying alcohol to minors, after officers were called on a complaint of noise at a residence on 803 Division Street, Grand Coulee, about 12:30 a.m., Sunday morning. A person living nearby complained to police of excessive noise coming from a party at the home. When officers arrived, they found evidence of drinking both outside and inside the residence. Police met two teenage boys attempting to leave, and they rushed back into the house yelling,... Full story
It’s time to play “name that school.” The school board is tackling the job of naming the district’s new K-12 facility by passing the process off to Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carlson. But it’s all according to Hoyle. The board policy calls for district buildings to be named after persons who have attained national or local prominence in the field of education, arts and sciences, politics, military achievements and statesmanship; after U.S. presidents or Washington national senators or representatives or after the geographic characteristics of th... Full story
The Coulee Area Park & Recreation District’s efforts to obtain tax revenue failed at the polls by about 44 votes. The district’s final vote count gave the measure 57.42 percent favorable votes. It needed a 60-percent yes vote to pass. Voters within the district’s boundaries cast 2,076 votes, of which 1,192 were favorable, 884 unfavorable. County auditors were required to certify the election with the state on Tuesday. The district would have gained 15 cents per $1,000 of property valuation, providing money for the upkeep of North Dam Park... Full story
The Rotary Club is seeking a project from the school district so it can go after a grant to double its fund for the new K-12 school. Rotarians Jim Keene, Roy Hamilton and Bob Valen appeared before the school board Monday night and told directors that the club had an opportunity to get a grant equaling its $15,000 school building fund but needed a project in order to do so. Keene said he was grateful for all the small donations during the club’s school fund projects and it was in a position to leverage its money to twice that amount. R... Full story
Ambulance services for Medicare patients have finally been approved for payment, Fire Chief Rick Paris told Grand Coulee City Council members last week. Paris said that a third-party billing service can go back to Jan. 1, 2009, according to Medicare sources. He stated that normally Medicare doesn’t accept billings that are more than 12 months old. “I don’t know yet how many billings and how much this represents in money,” Paris said. The city has been trying to get the Medicare problem solved, and before the federal agency would accept the bil... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District board got a lesson in color combinations as architect Cameron Golightly, from Design West, reviewed the color schemes of the new K-12 school Monday night. He explained that the K-6 wing would be a bit more colorful than the 7-12 wing which will have more “grown up” colors. Golightly reviewed color schemes for flooring, wall coverings and countertops during his presentation. The color schemes reflected earth tones, similar to those being considered for the outside of the building. Board members were qui... Full story
Lake Roosevelt High School is sending its robotics team to two competitions in December. The six-student team is made up of Tim Loch, Jordan Charles, Corbin Wilder, Joshua Wilder, Devan Black and Brady Black and coached by Jeremiah Seekins. The school board gave its approval for the trips Monday night, learning that the cost associated with the travel was being borne by a grant from the 21st Century group. The first trip, this Saturday, Dec. 1, will take the team to Ellensburg for the First... Full story
Port District 7’s plan to put in an RV park at Banks Lake Golf Course has been viewed favorably by both Electric City’s planning commission and city council. The plan, if everything goes forward, is to put in a 48-pad RV park where the driving range is and along the first fairway at the course. Port district officials, who are now running the golf course, went before the planning commission Nov. 6, and to the city council last Tuesday night. In both instances, the port district was encouraged to move forward with its plan. All of the steps wil... Full story
Sewer ratepayers in Coulee Dam and Elmer City won the day last Wednesday night when many of the major parties in the wastewater treatment plant were on hand and agreed to work together. The scene was Coulee Dam’s council meeting with a presentation by Gray & Osborne, the town’s engineering firm, which was reporting on its progress on the design phase of the project. Engineer Jeff Stevens made a short presentation and then stated, “We need direction from the council on where we go from here.” Local resident Greg Wilder had preceded Stevens and l... Full story
Grand Coulee’s Shane Proctor will defend his world championship bull riding title Dec. 6-15, at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. This year’s rodeo will feature 10 nights of the best of the best as bull riders and others compete for some $6 million in prize money. Competitors will face off in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, women’s barrel racing and bull riding. Proctor got off to a slower start this year after breaking his arm in the final night of competition last year.... Full story
The Ridge Riders picked up top honors during the 2012 Professional Western Rodeo Association Convention Nov. 10 in Ellensburg. The local group was named top rodeo committee in the state for the Non-Fair Rodeo category for its Colorama Rodeo. The honor was bestowed on the Ridge Riders by Pro-West’s board of directors. On hand in Ellensburg to accept the honor were Vice President Monty Fields and his wife Marsha. The Ridge Riders has been part of the Pro-West organization since the early 1970s a... Full story
Coulee Dam could end up with new, low-energy street lights. Public works director Barry Peacock told the council last Wednesday that representatives from the state’s Transportation Improvement Board were in town and looking at the town’s current street lights. He said that Coulee Dam was one of seven small municipalities in the state being considered for a grant for low-energy street lights. Peacock said there was two level of grants, one for 100 percent of lights and one for 50 percent of lights. “We should know by the end of the year,... Full story
The chamber of commerce made a pitch for hotel/motel tax money at Coulee Dam’s Council meeting last Wednesday night. Manager Peggy Nevsimal walked council members through a comprehensive $61,000 plan on how the chamber was going to use the promotional funds to attract both nearby visitors and those from the west side of the mountains. She pointed out to the council that Electric City was going to take in from lodging establishments some $65,000 a year; Grand Coulee, about $40,000; and Coulee Dam about $30,000. The tax, collected on rooms and c... Full story
The project to build a new K-12 school complex is on target to go out for bid in February, 2013, Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carlson said this week. A number of things are happening simultaneously as final drawings are being prepared. A consultant was in the district this week taking inventory of the things in present schools that will be able to be moved to the new school complex. At the same time, the district is getting prepared to send representatives to California to view and discuss new furniture needs with... Full story
Employees at Electric City got a little more than was suggested by city officials, but not much, as the council approved a 1.6-percent cost-of-living increase for 2013. The council voted 4-1 for the 1.6-percent rate. Councilmember John Nordine voted no, favoring a higher rate. The agenda showed a 1.3-percent increase, but council members shot that down and had a difficult time finding the balance that would provide enough votes to pass. The subject had come up at an earlier council meeting when the discussion got heated as employees objected... Full story
Elmer City had stated that it wanted a seat at the table. Last Wednesday night, its town council met with Coulee Dam’s council, and it got a seat at the table, but significant questions remain. At issue is a $4.92 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade now under design. Foremost in Elmer City’s mind was whether it was a partner in Coulee Dam’s wastewater treatment plant, or merely a customer. While that wasn’t answered directly, Elmer City was advised that anytime in the future that Coulee... Full story
Police arrested a Grand Coulee man Saturday after he allegedly broke free from an arresting officer and was later found in a Hill Avenue apartment. Officer Gary Moore had first contacted Lorenzo Stewart, 46, of 411 Partello Park, when he saw him walking on Spokane Way. Moore stated in his report that he had read of a warrant out for Stewart and confronted him. Upon checking, Moore found that Stewart was actually wanted on two warrants and there was a request to pick him up. While Moore was attempting to put cuffs on him, Stewart broke free and... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Vintners/Brewers/Auction event Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Vets Center in Electric City. Chamber Manager Peggy Nevsimal said that only 49 tickets remain for the event. The hall will hold 180 for the popular event and 131 tickets have already been sold. The event includes wine sampling, and sampling of popular Washington microbrews, and both a silent and live auction. Among featured producers will be some top Washington wineries, including L’Ecole No. 41, Otis Ken-yon and Patit C... Full story
The Coulee Area Park & Recreation District’s effort to get public funding was looking like it would fail as of Tuesday afternoon. By Friday, the combined yes votes from the district boundaries in the four counties showed that it had 1,036 yes votes and 779 no votes for a 57.08 favorable return. But the measure needed 60 percent yes votes to pass. The outcome was not certain Tuesday, as Okanogan County election officials stated that there were still about 4,000 ballots to count. One official stated that he didn’t know how many of the bal... Full story
