News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Revelations and rancor dominated a two-and-a-half-hour hospital commission meeting that culminated with steps taken toward the possible ouster of Coulee Medical Center's CEO and for an independent evaluation of physician pay. The meeting, held in Coulee Dam's town hall Monday night because of the anticipated size of the crowd, offered a nearly steady stream of news about internal hospital business and public disaffection of it. About 90 people attended. It started with a discussion of $180,000... Full story
Here is an interesting video that highlights a technology that will soon begin to impact our community, our lives: 3D Printing. Someday, you'll "print" the sweater you plan to wear the next day. Or, finding that you need a new part to repair your kitchen sink, you'll download a recipe for it and print it out. This could have enormous implications for rural communities. Currently, 3D printing is used by hobbyists to make trinkets and small objects, but the people in the video below are beginning... Full story
OLYMPIA — Some Washington drivers could see a new fee added to their vehicle-tab transactions starting next year. Both the Senate and House agreed on a bill that would add a $5 fee for vehicle-registration renewals and purchases and a $12 fee for title transactions through public offices. Unless the bill is vetoed by the governor, a rare occurrence, it will become law. The money generated by the new fees would pay for a third 144-car ferry. Currently, private businesses that offer these services already charge an administrative fee, online a... Full story
Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson and police officer Sean Cook had another encounter, this time a brief one, at the council meeting March 4. Cook, during the visitor input time, explained that he was appearing as a private citizen and asked the mayor what was happening on a number of public records requests he had made. He also asked the mayor if he knew who had given a copy of the “Key report” to The Star newspaper. Christopherson acknowledged that he had met with a reporter from The Star newspaper, but had not given him a copy of the... Full story
An accident and resulting fire that put the John W. Keys III Pump Generating Plant at Grand Coulee Dam out of commission last fall has cost the Bureau of Reclamation $990,000 for cleanup, fire response and incident investigation alone, and will lead to a “corrective action plan” by April. An investigative team issued its report last week on the cause of the incident that left one worker severely burned in the Nov. 18, 2013 incident and facing a lengthy recovery. Actual repair costs for damaged are still unknown. But of 12 units that can pum... Full story
Following several months of investigation and meetings of the Tribal Government Committee’s Rules Committee, the Colville Business Council voted March 6 to expel Benjamin Marchand, Jr. from their ranks, a tribal press release stated. Marchand served from the Omak District. His term was set to expire in July of 2015. The action stems from an ethics complaint filed against Marchand for misuse of his tribal credit card. The complaint was filed by Jack Ferguson, a council representative from the Keller District and member of the council’s Exe... Full story
A total of 81 workers were killed during construction of Grand Coulee Dam, and there isn't a single marker to commemorate their deaths. That could change if a current effort to develop interest in a commemorative monument is successful. Researcher Susan Dechant was here Tuesday to meet with Coulee Dam Mayor Greg Wilder, and others, to see if there was interest in pursuing a monument. Dechant has been invited back to present the story to council members at their April 23 meeting, when she will... Full story
Grand Coulee has a new police officer. Christopher McClanahan, 32, was sworn in during ceremonies at city hall last Wednesday morning. McClanahan, from Elmer City, for the past two years has been in the security department with the Bureau of Reclamation at Grand Coulee Dam. Prior to coming to this area, McClanahan worked in security at Bonneville Dam and has a total of 14 years in various security assignments. The new officer scored the highest of a number of applicants screened and tested by... Full story
Port commission spot is open Port District 7 is still looking for its third commissioner. The Port District has advertised to encourage anyone interested to submit a letter or come to the commissioner’s monthly meeting, at 5 p.m. the final Thursday of the month, March 27, at the office at the airport. The person selected will replace former chairman Orville Scharbach, who recently resigned. Rupe honored for service to city Electric City honored former council member Bob Rupe with a plaque for his service to the city. Rupe was councilman from 1... Full story
Construction of the new Nez Perce Tribe Long House that was destroyed by fire the day after Christmas, 2012, could begin as early as late summer, a spokesman said Tuesday. Albert Andrews Redstar said that a group has been working with the Long House architect and the final drawings could be done by mid-June. The Nez Perce are looking at a $3.2 million price tag on the near 6,000 square-foot building. Shortly after fire destroyed the former structure, it was revealed that the building had been insured for $350,000. Redstar said that the Nez... Full story
Grand Coulee’s zoning commission is trying to unlock some restrictions in an effort to work with groups that have come before the council asking for help. Last April, two women, Andrea Marconi and Angela Feeley, went before the council with an interest in putting in a daycare center on the city’s Main Street, only to run into zoning issues. Later last year a senior citizen representative, Larry Curtis, came before the council to ask if the seniors could put in a bus garage to house two transit buses. It was his third appearance before the cou... Full story
On March 22, the Elmer City Firemen will be holding their annual Ham and Pancake Feed at the Coulee Dam City Hall from 4 to 8 p.m. This brought to mind an article published in The Star in the early 1970s concerning the origins of the Elmer City Fire Department. In 1945, John Michaud was Elmer City’s first fire chief. Their fundraising consisted of going door to door requesting donations. For a monetary donation, each person received a ticket to a ham and pancake dinner cooked by the members of the fire department. The department finally saved e... Full story
I came away from my first hospital board meeting last night, March 10, 2014, with some unsettling questions. Actually, I had a hard time falling asleep as I tried to make sense of all I had heard, seen, and experienced. My first question. The hospital administrator responded to a question about bonus payments to providers. He said, “It is based on provider performance.” I thought how in the world do you determine that! I later discovered it is based on some generic survey questions that are assigned a numerical value. That’s all well and good... Full story
Having been a recent patient at our community hospital and having been a nurse’s aide for several years I would like to present my observations of patient care. In January I was hospitalized for four days. During that time I observed nurses and doctors attempting to give the best care possible, and they were great. What I did not see were the chores usually done by nursing assistants. For example, no towels or soap in the bathroom until after two days I asked for them. No clean gown or bed linen for four days and no Kleenex until I asked the c... Full story
I fully agree with Carl Russell. These gas prices in the Coulee area are completely out of sorts. Wilbur is 46 cents A GALLON cheaper as of yesterday (March 8). How is that possible ? It's a Conoco station also & … I realize it's in a different county and different OWNER, but !! The other thing I wonder about is, I thought the only time prices could be raised or lowered is when you got another load of gas in … because you have already paid for that load at that certain price. The owner knows he has a monopoly on gas, which is so wrong ... Man... Full story
Thank you for accepting this letter; our Colville Tribal Tribune has been censoring us for a solid year now, so we have no other choice but to write through other sources. Our tribal leaders across the reservation are ethically and criminally challenged. We members know that, but like maybe a battered wife making excuses for her husband or boyfriend sexually assaulting children, some of our members are making excuses for these criminals on the Colville Business Council. Thanks to the Christian missionaries and state and federal policies trying... Full story
This past week was a busy one. So here is a recap of the week in a glimpse. The week started with a “Man Date.” Jeremy Hanson and I traveled to watch the Raider Boys B-Ball play in the Regional Tournament. The boys were in it the whole game but a couple missed shots here and a turnover there, along with an opponent’s hot bench caused us to just fall short. The Raiders once again played with a huge heart and the few fans that made the journey left with great expectations for next year. Chall... Full story
Ten Years Ago School Board Directors indicated they would hold off on approval of a plan administrators proposed to bring test scores up, at least until they have more information. This was after the board fielded questions for two and a half hours at an open forum meeting with concerned citizens. A man suspected of a drive by shooting in Omak was arrested by Tribal Police Friday. The 20 year old suspect was witnessed with three juveniles that drove by the home of Colleen Waters and Ronald Louie and fired three to four bullets into the home.... Full story
Phyllis Irene Williams, 81, born December 15, 1932, into the Miles City, Mont., home of Walter and Ingrid Wight, died Friday, March 7, 2014, at her Grand Coulee, Wash., home. Phyllis married Leland A. Williams September 6, 1951, and was a voracious reader who loved her work as librarian and business manager for the Nespelem School District and Grand Coulee Library, as well as serving as City Clerk at Nespelem City Hall. A skilled quilter - Phyllis was well known for her ability in sewing and... Full story
Gary Crosby, 71, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 2, 2014, with family at his side. He was born in Seattle on September 11, 1942, to Ervin and Pearl Crosby. He graduated from Edmonds High in 1961, and went to work in retail. In 1966 he joined the Elevator Constructors Local 19, during his years in the elevator trade he had worked for Western, Alaska Pacific, U.S. Elevator, and Schindler. From 1987 to 1992 he had his own company BJ Elevator in Grand Coulee, where he had the... Full story
Colton Jackson shows the buttercups he found Friday, the first reported to The Star this year. Jackson, 10, found them on the hillside below the water tank in Electric City. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Ronnie Bell and Jason Pakootas of Nespelem are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Kendall Ember-Rose Pakootas, born Sunday, March 9, 2014, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 6 lbs., 9 oz., and was 18 inches in length at birth. Sibling includes Chantelle Marie Pakootas, age 4. Maternal grandparents are Linda Yallup (Cleparty) and the late Mark Bell. Paternal grandparents are Milo Pakootas and the late Jeanetta Manley. Great-grandparents include Isabelle Cleparty, Gilbert Cleparty, Preston Bell, Sydney Pakootas, Jim... Full story
U.S. Air Force Airman Joshua S. Fountain has graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Fountain is the son of... Full story
Chamber to Meet The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet Thursday, March 13, at noon at La Presa. On the agenda is a festival planning session for the upcoming summer season. Eagles #2577 Meetings The Auxiliary’s next scheduled meeting is set for March 18, at 6 p.m. The Auxiliary meets the first and third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. during the winter months. The Eagles #2577 Aerie meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. The next meeting is March 25, at 7 p.m. OES Meeting The Order of Eastern Star will meet T... Full story
As winter ends, gardeners, get out that ladder and spruce up the shrubs and trees in your landscape. Ladders can be very useful to help you get into position to make appropriate cuts, which will improve your trees and shrubs. They can take the wear off your shoulders by allowing you to be at the height of the cut rather than constantly reaching up for that high branch. The downside of ladders is you can fall. So here some pointers to insure your safety while using your ladder. First of all, always use a tripod ladder to prune trees and shrubs.... Full story