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Articles from the March 5, 2025 edition


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  • Reclamation starts admin leaves early

    Scott Hunter|Mar 5, 2025

    Bureau of Reclamation employees at Grand Coulee Dam who had accepted the “fork in the road” offer of deferred retirement, expecting to stop working on March 7, instead got a memo Monday morning telling them to clear out by the end of the day, March 3. No reason was given for the rush, but the emailed instructions from Boise, the Columbia Pacific Northwest Region headquarters, had an air of resignation about it: “Big change in the DRP rules as of 10:37am this morning,” the email began, explaining that all Deferred Resignation Program participant...

  • Trump demands plans for large-scale layoffs of more federal employees

    Jennifer Shutt, Washington State Standard|Mar 5, 2025

    The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered all federal departments and agencies to submit reorganization plans outlining how they would implement large-scale layoffs before March 13. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought and Office of Personnel Management Acting Director Charles Ezell wrote in a seven-page memo the reason for the expected layoffs is that the “federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt.” “At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public,” they wrote. “Instead, tax dolla...

  • Protest march set for Saturday

    Scott Hunter|Mar 5, 2025

    People with concerns and picket signs can gather on Grand Coulee's Midway Avenue (SR-155) from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 8. The march will take place on the same day as a nationally advertised march for women, but it will be the fourth in a series of local, loosely organized events for expressing solidarity with others concerned about the recent changes in the federal government, including layoffs, forced resignations and coming RIFs, abolishing entire agencies established by Congress, and... Full story

  • Long way down

    Mar 5, 2025

    Martin Falls near Steamboat Rock cascades in all its glory on Friday, Feb. 28, one of several along the Grand Coulee wall. - Scott Hunter photo...

  • Two murderers sentenced to life in prison

    Mar 5, 2025

    A federal judge last week sentenced two men to life in prison for their six-week multistate crime spree that included murdering two Keller residents in 2022. Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on Feb. 26, Zachary L. Holt, 24, and Dezmonique D. Tenzsley (a/k/a “Privilege”), 36, were sentenced on 17 counts including Felony Murder in Indian Country, Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer, Assault of a Federal Officer, Attempted Robbery in Indian Country, Robbery Affecting Commerce, as well as several firearm off...

  • What's lost in all the nonsense

    Dan Langdon|Mar 5, 2025

    Everyone can agree that the country should reign in the debt. But then why is the Trump Administration pushing a budget that extends tax cuts for the extremely wealthy and raises the debt ceiling to four trillion dollars? Lost in all the nonsense circulating about supposed “waste, fraud and abuse” is the fact that the Trump Administration fired many of the Inspectors General (the people responsible for investigating actual waste, fraud, and abuse). All of these seemingly random cuts potentially have disastrous consequences for our com...

  • Too liberal coverage may prompt cancellation

    Mar 5, 2025

    Your constant relentless pursuit and defense of the liberal, leftist view, without any balance to the right is disturbing. Makes me rethink weather to renew my subscription in June. Maybe, did ya think that not all your readers voted for Kamala? Ken Noggles...

  • Bad Form

    John Adkins|Mar 5, 2025

    I appreciate the British saying “bad form” when something is inappropriate and not right. The GCDSD upper brass and some others are showing bad form. Congrats to them for recently barely passing their replacement levy, but to assume with their response that all yes voters believe in them is a stretch. There are many yes voters, even in my family, who voted yes, but for kids, not them. 517 voted no for this ballot measure. To be clear, most of us wanted to support the measure at a much lower, reasonable rate. Next time you take a picture of one...

  • On lacking the spine of Zelensky

    Norm Luther|Mar 5, 2025

    My message to our US Representative Michael Baumgartner, based on my email to him: Have you no nation-wide condemnation and world apology for how Donald Trump and JD Vance humiliated Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 28? And your subsequent call for Zelenskyy’s resignation makes no sense given your statement that Russia clearly started the war and has been the aggressor — on second thought, it makes great sense considering your already evident cowardice in standing up to Trump, Vance, and Elon Musk. You certainly lack the spi...

  • I would rather fly in a small plane

    Roger S. Lucas|Mar 5, 2025

    I have flown several thousand miles in commercial jets, but small planes are my preference. My first small plane ride was here in Grand Coulee and my last was also from here. In the mid 1950’s I was a lumber grader in the planing mill above the dam. I worked for a man named Kirkpatrick. Only the old timers will likely remember either. I worked with a guy who claimed to be an Alaska bush pilot, and he had his own plane here. He told stories of landing in berry patches that stained the underside of his plane. When he invited me to go flying w...

  • This week in history

    Mar 5, 2025

    March 10, 1804, France officially transferred its claim to the Louisiana Territory to the United States. President Thomas Jefferson had purchased the territory about a year earlier for the price of $15 million. The official ceremony took place in Saint Louis, Missouri. The Unites States was not making a real estate purchase. It was buying the exclusive Right of Preemption, to purchase or forcibly take lands from numerous indigenous governments who occupied the land. The reality of Louisiana Territory Purchase was 222 land relinquishments from...

  • NCW Libraries hosts Humanities Washington Program on Homelessness 

    Mar 5, 2025

    NCW Libraries will host the virtual Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau program “Homelessness and the Meaning of Home” on March 19 at 6 p.m. The loss of a home, whether through financial difficulties, divorce, illness, or natural disasters like wildfires, is a widespread and growing problem that can happen to anyone. Often thought of as only an urban problem, homelessness also occurs in suburban and rural areas throughout Washington State. What are the historical roots of homelessness, and what lessons can we learn from them? What are the com...

  • Coulee Cops

    Mar 5, 2025

    Coulee Dam Police 2/24-2/26 - Numerous reports were filed without further information describing the situations including: a traffic offense on Camas Street; a “suspicious death” in Electric City; a “suspicious or wanted” case at or near the movie theater; a citizen assist on Jackson Avenue in Electric City; a citizen assist on Tulip Street; a disturbance on Mead Way; a family fight on Center Street in Grand Coulee; and a family fight at the Grand Coulee Dam. 2/26 - An 18-year-old man reported that he fell for a trick on social media app Sna...

  • Meetings

    Mar 5, 2025

    Fire District to Meet Grant County Fire District #14 will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, March 10, 2025, at 6:00pm at the Electric City Fire Station. Area AA Meetings In Electric City, the New Hope group holds its meetings Monday through Friday evenings at 6pm at the Vets Center. There is also a noon meeting every Wednesday. These meetings are open and non-smoking. For more information, contact Paul 631-4551 or Phyllis 631-1187....

  • James "Jack" Talmadge Haydock

    Mar 5, 2025

    James "Jack" Talmadge Haydock, born September 18, 1924, in Everett, Washington, passed away peacefully on February 27, 2025, in Monroe, Washington, at the age of 100. A true character with a steering wheel in his hands from the start, Jack lived a century packed with grit, laughter, and tales that could fill a book. A proud World War II veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy from May 1943 to March 1946 aboard the USS San Juan, surviving 9 major campaigns in the Pacific Theater: the Gilbert... Full story

  • Edward Raymond Fields

    Mar 5, 2025

    Edward Raymond Fields, beloved brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2024, at the age of 72 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Surrounded by his loving children, Ed left this world after a brave battle with cancer. Born on October 3, 1952, in Spokane, Washington, Ed was the son of Betty and William Eugene "Gene" Fields. He grew up in the Grand Coulee area with his siblings Gene, Robert, and Sara. From an early age, Ed was known for his... Full story

  • Raiders fall in first round, but play today

    Scott Hunter|Mar 5, 2025

    Lake Roosevelt on Tuesday sent off the Raider boys' basketball team to the state tournament at the Spokane Arena. "We knew we're going to be tough this year," Coach Ed Wolfe told the assemble student body. "Here we are. We put in a lot of work from summertime till now. We believed in ourselves from the very start." Scheduled to play Tri-Cities Prep in game 11 of the state tournament, they'll meet the Jaguars at 12:15 in Wednesday's "Round of 12" in a loser-out contest to see who goes on to the...

  • LR chess team takes third at state

    Mar 5, 2025

    Lake Roosevelt Jr/Sr High School's Raider Chess team finished third in the 2B division at this year›s Washington State High School Chess Championship last weekend in Stanwood. More than 350 individuals on 48 teams competed at all levels, playing six two-hour rounds over two days. Orcas Island won the 2B title. Lakeside (Seattle) was the overall champion. Raiders competing were senior Zane Chaffee; sophomores Caches Parrish, Chance Perdue, and Cody Ewers; freshman Rylie McKee, and junior Ethan C...

  • $2000 college scholarship available

    Mar 5, 2025

    The Okanogan County School Retirees’ Association is offering a $2,000 college scholarship for an Okanogan County high school graduate. To be eligible,applicants must be at least a college junior working towards initial certification in an educational field and plan to work in public schools. The application deadline is May 1. Applications are available at wwsra-units.org/okanogancounty. For more information, contact Sibyl Wehmeyer at sibylwehmeyer@yahoo.com...

  • Legals

    Mar 5, 2025

    NOTICE INVITING BIDS OWNER: Grant County Port District #7 P.O. Box 616, Grand Coulee, WA 99133 Separate Sealed BIDS for the: Grand Coulee Dam Airport – Electric City, Washington Install AVGAS Fuel Tank FAA AIP 3-53-0025-019-2025 will be received by the Owner at the Office of the Airport Manager at the Grand Coulee Dam Airport, Ludolph Road, Electric City, Washington 99123 until 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, and then at said location and time, publicly opened and read aloud. Bids submitted by mail should be sent to: Grant County Port D...

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