News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Student performance at Lake Roosevelt has been going up since the start of the 2020-2021 school year, as students and teachers get used to the routine and gain from more in-person time with teachers, school leaders say. In the first quarter of school, which ended on Nov. 9, Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School, Principal Kirk Marshlain said, roughly 68% of 7th- through 12th-grade students had one or more Fs and/or no credits. On Jan. 4, that number dropped to roughly 60%, and at the end of...
Newly elected Grant County Commissioner Danny Stone spoke with the Grand Coulee City Council during their Feb. 16 meeting held via Zoom. Stone is the first county commissioner from the northern part of the county in recent memory, possibly since Fred Ludolph in the 1940s. Stone introduced himself and told the council that he was available to talk with them. "If you need something," Stone said, "I can't tell you I can always fix or help, but I can sure be a part of the discussion and be...
What does charging an electric car have to do with treating sewage? Turns out, quite a bit! The Grand Coulee City Council last week approved amending parts of their municipal code to address how to add electric vehicle charging stations within the city. The topic of electric vehicle charging stations comes with nuances in the form of types of charging stations, their electrical requirements, where the spaces are allowed, and restricting other cars from using those parking spaces. Adding more complication is that council members felt rushed to...
About 30 seniors of the Lake Roosevelt graduating class of 2021 are interested in a senior trip, a tradition for seniors, to Huntington Beach, Calif., but COVID-19 restrictions might keep them in Washington. The class has raised about $20,000 towards such a trip during their years in high school. According to a report submitted to the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors during their Feb. 22 meeting, the students would fly down to Los Angeles on May 29, busing to Huntington Beach, and spending the next couple days on beaches, at...
Popular local events that didn't happen last year are at least tentatively scheduled to happen this year. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will tentatively be hosting 10 events in 2021, including Colorama, the Festival of America, and Harvest Festival. "We are really looking forward to providing the community with some fun and excitement this summer," Executive Director Rachelle Haven told The Star in an email. "We have the opportunity with our events to try new things and create a...
A concrete block that provides a barrier at the end of the Columbia River Bridge in Coulee Dam rests on the sidewalk along Columbia Avenue to where it was dislodged by a minivan that hit it Feb. 13 on the Douglas County side of the bridge. Such "ecology blocks" typically weigh about 3,600 pounds. The impact caused the front right tire to break off completely. That was the worst of four wrecks at the end of the bridge on that snowy, slippery Saturday, said a woman who can see the action from her...
The Elmer City fire department, also known as Okanogan County Fire District #2, is interested in getting a new building built behind their old one, and in finding more volunteers. Public Works Director Jimmer Tillman told the town council Feb. 11 that the fire department, for which he has been a volunteer for about 30 years, was interested in a new storage facility for its trucks. He said the city would look into grant options for such a thing, something for which he understands there to be multiple opportunities. Tillman explained that the...
Additional relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is on its way. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law Feb. 19, that appropriates $2.2 billion in federal aide to be used for K-12 schools, public health, assistance to individuals and families, housing and business assistance. “The process of getting to a post pandemic era has just begun,” Inslee said “And we intend to come out of this pandemic stronger, in part because of this legislation.” The package distributes $365 million in emergency eviction, rental and utility assistance and $240 m...
The chairman of the Colville Business Council expressed support Thursday for finding a regional solution to restore salmon in the Columbia River and expressed appreciation for the willingness of Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) to offer a regionwide proposal. Simpson released his “Northwest in Transition” proposal earlier this month, drawing immediate fire from critics of its central tenet of breaching dams on the Snake River, including from Simpson’s colleague in the House, Rep. Dan Newhouse, who represents Washington’s 4th District in Congres...
I am writing in response to John Adkins’ series of letters to the editor, the most recent being 2/17/21. As a Lake Roosevelt teacher of nearly 17 years, I have had the opportunity to experience the changing tides of many administrators, several superintendents, and more changes in education than I can honestly remember at times. As a parent of school-aged students for the last 21 years, I have navigated three school districts ranging in size from 250 students to 9,000. I have been trying to determine what point John Adkins’ series of letters is...
When I see Kenny Hoke he always waves and makes my day. Every time this happens, I think about the state championship basketball team he was on back in the days when the rim and net were real baskets. Since Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam combined into the Grand Coulee Dam School District there has only been one Raider team that has won a state championship. That championship was in Track & Field. Raider Track & Field has won multiple team state trophies. It also has had more individual state champions and medalists over time than any other Raider...
I am a former resident of Grand Coulee. Three brothers were born there, the first in October 1935, coinciding with the opening of the Mason City hospital. As a pre-teen in 1950, an older Indian befriended me and spent time describing local native history. When the canal first delivered water to Banks Lake, he invited me to visit a place which would “be lost forever.” He took me to the base of Steamboat Rock as the water was rising. We entered a cave with ancient paintings on the side walls. Very unforgettable moment for this youngster. A few we...
Last week, extreme weather caused power outages for much of the central United States. Bitter cold led to increased demand for electricity while also forcing significant portions of electric generation offline, leaving millions of people across the Midwest, Great Plains, and Texas in particular without electricity. Although many were quick to point to wind energy as the main cause, numerous sources of generation were impacted by the abnormally cold weather. According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, about 16 gigawatts (GW) of renew...
I started college when I was 25, and already with a family. That required that I had to work a lot to pay my way, and of course the bills. While I had several jobs, carried a full course load, I found time for personal activity. I had a 16-gauge, single-shot shotgun and at the time enjoyed hunting. I took a couple philosophy courses from a Professor Reeves, only slightly older than myself. He was one of the best professors at the school, and his classes reflected that. Since I was older, Reeves and I were close, and during our chats he...
NCW Libraries will be hosting two virtual programs that celebrate remarkable women in history and a virtual talk with bestselling author Imbolo Mbue in March. She Traveled Solo: Strong Women in the 20th Century Humanities Washington speaker, artist, and adventurer Tessa Hulls will give a free virtual talk at 4 p.m. March 2. Using historical photographs, documents and hand-drawn illustrations, Hulls shares the lives of intrepid female adventurers who lived through the turn of the 20th century. Re...
High Honors 3.5 to 4.00 Seniors Vanessa Ankney, Cameron Gaines, Kaimyn Scheib, Raven Clark, Rayann Steinert, Myka Boyd, Ashlyn Olsen, BrieAnn Whittaker, Everett Schmidt, Juniors Emma Marchand, Kaitlyn Nordine, Isaijah Derr, Ashley Baker, David Borden, Gemma Sacchi, Reniff Herndon Sophomores Kate Adolph, Brit Egbert, Elijah Rasmussen, James Downs, Penelope Antoine, Pyper Schmidt, Kawika Whalawitsa, Tanner Kiser, Camryn Carden, Enid “Emma” Bearcub, Jocelyn Zaugg, Justin Blueeyes Freshman Aaliyah Cheeney, Celeste LaPlace, Raeley Portch, Saw...
Linda K Hogan, 72, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away Saturday morning, February 13, 2021, surrounded by her husband and loving family in her Nespelem, Washington home. Linda was born Sunday, September 26, 1948, to William Wayne amd Elsie Leary-Picard in Nespelem, Washington. A member of the Confederated Tribes of The Colville, eldest daughter, Linda, left high school during her 11th year to help care for her younger siblings, however in later years Linda did con...
Notice is Hereby Given that the Board of County Commissioners of Lincoln County has set Monday, the 15th day of March, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. as the time and place for a public hearing, to consider the dissolution of the inactive Lakeview Sewer District No. 1. Said hearing will be held in the Commissioners’ Chambers located on the lower level of the Lincoln County Courthouse, 450 Logan Street, Davenport, Washington. Additional information may be obtained from the Clerk of the Board or by telephoning the Commissioners’ office 509-725-3031. All inte...
The Almira Lions Club had a very successful ORV Fun Run Saturday Feb. 20. The club's community projects will benefit from the 90 entries signed up for fund raiser at $20 each. Chili and baked potatoes were supplied to the participants. Donations also came from AgLink: Almira, Odessa Trading Co. Coulee City and Short Septic Service, Almira. - Photo courtesy Todd Bodeau...
Grand Coulee Police 2/16 - Police responded to a report of loose pigs on E Street. The owner was told about the loose pigs and corralled them into their enclosure. There is no city ordinance against having “pigs at large”, only for dogs, and so the owner wasn’t ticketed, only warned to keep the pigs on her property. 2/17 - Police received a report that a theft occurred in Coulee City and the suspects were heading towards Grand Coulee in a white Jeep. An officer waited near the causeway and pulled the vehicle over when it drove by. The drive...
Outrage over deaths of citizens in police custody sparked efforts by lawmakers to address racial equity, hiring and training, and the use of force within law enforcement. Now, nearing the halfway point in the 2021 legislative session, the steps toward major reform of police tactics have gained support from both sides, though not without controversy. “I wouldn't argue that we have complete agreement amongst all of them but we're continuing to work to bring people together and to move the bills,” said House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, in...