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 fire that started along the highway along Banks Lake Thursday evening quickly turned into a threat to a local landmark canyon and to farms above the coulee wall. The Northrup Fire that scorched the canyon its named for started about 5 p.m. July 22 at milepost 18 on SR-155. Logan Braaten caught an image of the fresh fire on the coulee wall side of the highway and posted it on Facebook. Local firefighters responded quickly, but the intensity of the fire's approach during initial attack took at l... Full story
Loud gunfire that woke and frightened Coulee Dam residents Thursday night was part of a “routine military training,” a US Army spokesman said. The repeating racket that started about 10:30 sounded to some former military men like 50-caliber automatic weapons. Flashes from multiple gun barrels could be seen on the hillside above the Third Powerhouse on the east side of Grand Coulee Dam. And one caller reported seeing flames at the top of the north end of the powerhouse. The weapons fire, which continued until after midnight, woke at least one...
If you are one of many with questions you’d like answered before deciding whether to get vaccinated against the SARS Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, take note: you may get your questions answered at an upcoming forum on the topic hosted by Coulee Medical Center on Zoom. Dr. Jennifer Knox, a family practice physician at CMC, will present information and discuss with anyone attending what’s true and known about the disease and the vaccines being used to fight its spread worldwide. Knox met the hospital’s staff Monday to present the same... Full story
The Northrup Fire that started Thursday along highway 155 is now 65% contained after burning an estimated 252 acres, an update from the fire management team in charge said Saturday night. An update from Incident Commander Leonard Johnson of the Southeast Washington Type 3 Interagency Incident Management Team 2, which assumed command of the fire at 8 p.m. July 23, said all areas previously at a Level 2 evacuation (get ready to leave) have been stepped down to a Level 1 (be aware), including the... Full story
The fire that started along SR-155 Thursday afternoon has burned about 300 acres, prompted evacuation notices and still threatening structures and standing wheat. It was moving down into Northrup Canyon last night as four Fireboss airplanes, three helicopters and a jet tanker attacked it from the air, and more resources were arriving as firefighters headed up to canyon on foot about dusk. An hour later, authorities were knocking on doors in the North Shore Acres community near Jones Bay, telling... Full story
Productive arguments are those in which the two opposing participants actually listen to each other in order to learn what the other is saying, thereby enhancing the ability to refute it. But the trick is that the act of listening requires understanding the other viewpoint. When that happens in most situations, stances get modified, even if only slightly. Humans are not omnipotent, and quite often someone else has at least one better point. But today’s listeners only listen pre-emptively, plotting their next strike against the enemy argument. I...
Here is this morning's update on the Chuweah Creek Fire from the incident commander, along with an updated map. Cooler weather is helping for now, and acreage estimates have been changed with better mapping. CHUWEAH CREEK FIRE UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commander: Bobby Shindelar July 17, 2021 8:00 AM Operations Today: Firefighters continue to make good progress on the Chuweah Creek Fire, which was started by lightning on July 12 and is burning east of Nespelem.... Full story
If you've been displaced by the recent fires, personal hygiene and other supplies are available for you at Jess Ford Auto in Grand Coulee. Garrett Jess said a non-profit from Coeur D'Alene called Manna contacted him to see if Jess Ford could house the supplies and let people pick them up there. Those supplies include water, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, combs, socks, shifts and feminine hygiene supplies. They can be picked up at Jess Ford, 522 Midway Ave. in Grand Coulee from noon to 5:30 p.m.... Full story
A truck carrying a too-high load once again hit the tops of the cross beams on the Columbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam Monday night, the second time in probably 10 years that’s happened. The incident highlights recent calls for a new bridge. Although structurally it’s sound, the bridge classified as “structurally obsolete.” Modern road builders want roads that are at least 40 feet wide. The roadway on the bridge is 20 feet wide. That specification is not a luxury; times have changed. Trucks are not larger versions of the narrow cars I imagine...
Five fires sparked by lightening Monday night have consumed more than 10,000 acres on the Colville Reservation, forcing evacuations around Nespelem, killing livestock, and burning seven homes so far, three of which had been occupied. The Chuweah Creek/Joe Moses fires near Nespelem have burned about 10,000 acres, a Mt. Tolman Fire Center release this afternoon said. It is 0% contained and burning in tall grass, sage brush and timber, driven by wind. Level 3 evacuations are still in place for resi... Full story
In a special meeting Thursday afternoon Grant County’s leaders declined to ban the sale or use of fireworks in the county, after fire officials across the county had urged them to do so. A motion by Commissioner Danny Stone, of Hartline, to ban the sale of fireworks did not receive a second motion from either Commissioner Cindy Carter or Commissioner Rob Jones, and so did not move on for a vote. “My position was, I felt like our fire marshal had made a good case,” Stone said later. County Fire Marshal Nathaniel Poplawski had urged the commi... Full story
Grant County Commissioners will meet in a special session Thursday to consider banning the use and/or sale of fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county. The expected 10-minute session will start at 3:20 p.m. July 1. County Fire Marshal Nathan Poplawski recommended in a letter to commissioners temporarily banning the sale and use of fireworks under the current extreme conditions, invoking Grant County Code 6.04.030 which allows such a move. Poplawski said that he didn't make the recommendation lightly, and that all but two of the fire...
A big effort to support a young man with cancer garnered a large amount of support last weekend, including a pulled-pork barbecue and a softball tournament, both taking place in high heat conditions. People turned out anyway. Mike Shear's pulled pork sold out Saturday, and the softball tournament at North Dam Park included 10 teams with members from as far away as Spokane and Hermiston, Ore. Two more teams had to drop out, said organizer April Smith, but no matter. "It filled up in less than 24... Full story
The MS Sanpoil, which ferries traffic across Lake Roosevelt on SR 21, is out of service until further notice, the state Dept of Transportation said tonight. The notice came less than an hour after an earlier notice advised the ferry would be down until 9 p.m. tonight due to mechanical problems. DOT did not specify what the mechanical problem was.... Full story
Following poll votes last Saturday, unofficial election results for the Colville Business Council came in showing a squeaker in the Keller District, a challenger ahead of the current CBC president and two Finleys leading in Inchelium’s districts. Absentee votes will be certified Thursday, June 24 and could make a difference in results. In the Nespelem District, Allison Boyd-Ball was leading 64-50 over CBC Chairman Rodney Cawston for Position 1, but Jarred Erickson had a healthy lead over Randy Friedlander, 74-44. For Keller’s Position 1, inc...
A fire broke out along SR 174 on the hill in the canyon between Grand Coulee and Wilbur about 4:30 p.m. The road was closed and traffic continued to back up until at least 6 p.m. while firefighters fought the blaze. A large helicopter equipped with an attached bladder and a hose for loading it repeatedly dropped loads of water on the fire, high on the steep, rocky hillside. Another aircraft, a fixed-wing plane reportedly joined the fight about 7 p.m. At one point a Level 1 Evacuation notice had...
With a historic vote finalized Monday night, the 80-year-old credit union that originated in Coulee Dam will merge with one 23 times its size based in Spokane. After 1,045 votes cast either by paper ballot sent in or online through a third-party election firm, 84% of those voting found the benefits of joining with STCU outweighed the loss of the name Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union. At a member meeting on the front patio of the Coulee Dam headquarters, CDFCU CEO Collene Manley urged people to...
Remember when weather forecasters were right only about 30 percent of the time, or so it seemed? Let’s hope those days come back this week. With a mean look ahead, the weather experts are warning of highs reaching in the hundreds, with a 112-degree high possible next week, and the days between now and at least next Tuesday scorchers. That kind of heat must be taken seriously, and we have advice from health experts on page 5 on what to watch for and how to deal with it. Unfortunately, in this case, weather forecasters seem to be getting a w...
The Lady Raiders won their final basketball game of a brief season on Friday when they defeated Manson in a home game, 63-22. The strong finish to the season resulted in an overall 5-1 win-loss record for the Lady Raiders. The Raider boys missed their Friday night game, which had to be canceled after a player tested positive for the coronavirus. Games scheduled for Saturday for both the boys' and girls' basketball teams had to be canceled anyway due to a lack of referees. Two from the Yakima...
The Raider boys' basketball games scheduled for the home court tonight (June 18), and tomorrow are canceled due to a team member testing positive for COVID-19, a statement posted on the LRRaiders website says. The LR girls' game for Friday is still on, but Saturday's girls' game is also now canceled due to a lack of officials for the game, AD Tim Rasmussen said. Friday afternoon.... Full story
In its 80th year, Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union is in the process of merging with a larger credit union, a process that has been repeated across the country many times over the last couple years. A special members’ meeting is set for next Monday evening at CDFCU’s Coulee Dam headquarters. Members are already voting online and by mail — 955 times as of Monday, CEO Colleen Manley said. Voting for CDFCU’s 11,788 eligible members has been open since the end of April. The boards of directors of both CDFCU and Spokane Teachers Credit Union already...
At least three areas in the surrounding countryside are used locally as shooting ranges, possibly all illegally. That may offer an opportunity to improve. Last week, a firefighter friend in Ephrata noted he and his fellow firefighters had been listening to their scanners expecting to be called by Electric City to help fight the Osborn Bay fire. He was surprised to learn it had started from the spark of a ricochet in an outdoor, unofficial, make-do shooting area. “Around here, we shoot at the (real) shooting range,” he said. Washington Fla...
That headline is from a sign my wife put above the door to our kitchen in opposition to anyone who has other ideas. This country in its absolute worst state is extremely blessed. At its best, it’s an unstoppable wonder. To keep our momentum up as a nation, we need to include everybody. This is not selfless idealism; it’s a practical consideration highlighted this week by an autistic young woman I had the pleasure to interview. The experience was somewhat difficult for her since her conditions limit her abilities somewhat during personal int...
A congressman and a state legislator met with several local leaders last week to hear about local needs and ambitions, leaving with a list of to-dos. Congressman Dan Newhouse and Washington State Rep. Mike Steele met with the group at the Grand Coulee Dam School District office in Coulee Dam May 28 to briefed on an introductory course in how the federal and state governments have fallen short in support of the unusual area, where four or five counties come together, with an Indian reservation,...
Grant County health officials are asking people to still wear a mask, even if you’re vaccinated, because too few have gotten vaccinations. The recommendations came Tuesday evening with a list of reasons for the decision. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its recommended safety measures, most notably not requiring masks when outdoors unless in very crowded areas and requiring no masks for fully vaccinated persons, even indoors. But Grant County is lagging the nation in vaccine uptake, with only 35.8% of i... Full story