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Articles from the March 31, 2021 edition


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  • Local health authorities: Too soon, we're "getting used" to COVID

    Scott Hunter|Mar 31, 2021

    As public health authorities track cases of COVID-19, they worry that just as vaccines are rolling out faster, spring, sunshine and the yearning to breathe free could undermine progress on the fight against the virus and cause another surge of illness and death. As numbers come down, then stop dropping, they're tending to "plateau" at a level higher than earlier plateaus, Coulee Medical Center CEO Ramona Hicks told her commissioners at a meeting Monday night. She'd been on a weekly health care...

  • Grant PUD goes nuclear

    Mar 31, 2021

    Grant PUD, along with Energy Northwest and X-energy, announced they would be partnering on a nuclear power project. An April 1 press release from Grant PUD explained that the TRi Energy Partnership is “a mutual partnership to support the development and commercial demonstration of the country’s first advanced nuclear reactor.” The release says that “the partners will collaborate and share resources to evaluate their mutual goal of siting, building, and operating a Xe-100 advanced nuclear power plant at an existing Energy Northwest site north o...

  • Shorter teaching time for students makes a mockery education goals

    Cathy LaPlace|Mar 31, 2021
    1

    The school board approved a new schedule for students in high school (March 22). With this schedule, students who choose to be in school in person will now be able to be in school four days a week instead of two days. The administration is hoping that by doing so, these students will become more engaged with their work and will find a renewed motivation. Unfortunately, this decision comes at a cost: the cost of quality education. You see, because of bus constraints in this time of COVID-19, to accommodate this schedule, the administration has...

  • Local COVID-19 data stated

    Jacob Wagner|Mar 31, 2021

    The area comprising the Grand Coulee Dam School District has a 14-day COVID-19 incident rate of 263 cases per 100,000 population. The district’s website, www.gcdsd.org, includes a link to a Covid report compiling data from the five local zip codes within the district including 99123, 99133, 99155, 99124, and 99116. Updated on Friday, the report shows 11 cases within those zip codes making for the incidence rate of 283 cases per 100,000 population, as of March 26. In Grant County, the incident rate as of March 26 was 211. As of March 29, t...

  • Nespelem School phasing to in-person

    Jacob Wagner|Mar 31, 2021

    Nespelem School has been phasing students into in-person schooling. The school board approved the return to in person school at their meeting held at the end of February. Principal and Superintendent Effie Dean told The Star that Indian Health Services vaccinated the school staff in February, giving the school board the confidence to bring kids back to in-person school. Dean said the school started phasing students into in-person schooling a couple of weeks ago with kindergarten through second-grade students attending for about a full day of in...

  • Grand Coulee seeks park grant

    Jacob Wagner|Mar 31, 2021

    If awarded a grant, Grand Coulee’s Shane Proctor Park could have new playground equipment, a half-court basketball court, and more. The city of Grand Coulee applied for a $162,000 grant from the Ephrata-based Paul Lauzier Foundation to make improvements to the park located along SR-174 between the gas station and the Mexican restaurant. The grant would pay for new playground equipment and playground surface, a half-court basketball court, and to make the park compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “The last couple of years the...

  • Rodeo entertainer and his bull booked for Colorama Rodeo

    Jacob Wagner|Mar 31, 2021

    The Colorama Rodeo this year will include a show put on by Jason Dent, also known as Whistle-Nut, and his pet bull that he can ride around like a horse. Whistle-Nut is an entertainer, barrel man, clown, and stuntman "all rolled into one," he told The Star over the phone on Monday. "We're the real deal. ... They can expect to really be wowed," he said about his show that includes comedy, stunts, and personal interaction with the crowd. Ole (pronounced OH-lee), now 15 years old, was trained as a...

  • Nespelem man sentenced to two years for social media threats

    Mar 31, 2021

    A Nespelem man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month to two years in prison for threatening his already-battered ex-girlfriend over social media, US Attorney Joseph H. Harrington said. Davis Henderson Tatshama Sr., age 36, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, was sentenced March 17 after pleading guilty on December 17, 2020 to “Threats in Interstate Commerce.” In January 2020, over the course of approximately 11 hours, Tatshama sent a series of Facebook messages to his ex-girlfriend, who is als...

  • The unsung heroes of World War II

    Roger S. Lucas|Mar 31, 2021

    If you asked someone who the heroes of World War II were, you would probably get FDR, Gen. MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Gen. Patton, and so on. And they would be correct. But what about the unsung heroes? The kids across America did their part in the winning of World War II. They became a gigantic salvage yard operation in collecting aluminum, rubber and iron, and buying Savings stamps and bonds. When the country was asked to bring in salvage items to help the war effort, millions of young boys and girls really rolled up their sleeves and got...

  • Biochar project could lead to big benefits for North Central Washington

    Sen. Brad Hawkins|Mar 31, 2021

    Catastrophic wildfires have had a devastating impact on our region. Wildfires can ravage vast sections of our state, displacing families, putting firefighters at risk, and leaving long-term economic recovery challenges. One of the key elements to minimizing our risk of wildfire is to engage in responsible forest management practices and to greatly reduce the small diameter trees, organic waste, and logging slash throughout our timberlands. Throughout my years in the Washington State Legislature, I have been an active supporter of efforts to...

  • WHO Is Pulling the Strings?

    Congressman Dan Newhouse|Mar 31, 2021

    A year into living with the ramifications of a global pandemic, it is clearer now than ever before how important science is to our decision-making – and how quickly it can get tossed to the side in lieu of more politically expedient “truths.” When other countries join the fray to undermine our nation’s stability, annoyance quickly gives way to alarm. China is leading the latest attack against America with one goal in mind: to undermine our nation’s food supply. Alarming, to say the least. China is asking the World Health Organization (WHO) to d...

  • Robert Anthony "Bob" Milliken

    Mar 31, 2021

    Robert Anthony Milliken "Bob", father, friend, and educator, passed away on Friday, March 19, 2021. He was born on New Year's Day, January 1, 1945, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Washington, to Bob and Josephine Milliken. Bob grew up in Coulee Dam, Washington. Instilled with a strong work ethic, he had various jobs that included newspaper boy and mowing lawns. He loved music and became a DJ on the weekends for KFDR, the local radio station. He played trumpet in the high school band and per...

  • Queen looking forward to 2021 Colorama

    Mar 31, 2021

    Dalley Katich, 17, of Wilbur, will reign over the Colorama PRCA Rodeo this May. The high school junior has been in rodeo since age 3 and participates in barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway roping. Besides rodeo, Katich also participates in 4H and FFA. She shows steers, sheep, goats and horses. She has always played basketball and was a cheerleader her sophomore year. She is an honor student, as well. Katich has had many mentors that have shaped her life this far and says she "is very...

  • Coulee Cops

    Mar 31, 2021

    Grand Coulee Police 3/22 - A woman reportedly stepped into traffic near the Electric City Post Office and slapped a vehicle as it passed. Police had numerous complaints about her. An officer told her if she didn’t stop she would be arrested for disorderly conduct. After speaking with the woman, the officer found she was homeless and told her about other communities that may have more services for someone in her situation. 3/23 - A man on Williams Street reported a 100-watt solar panel stolen off his back porch. He said it was charging a car bat...

  • Meetings & Notices

    Mar 31, 2021

    Food Bank Easter Food Care and Share Food Bank will be handing out Easter food on Friday, April 2, beginning an hour earlier from 1-4 p.m. AA Meetings for GCD and Nespelem Area Confused in the Coulee AA meetings are held on Mondays and Fridays at 6 p.m. at the Vets Center in Electric City. Call Paul at 633-3377 days or 633-3345 evenings. New Hope Group meetings are held Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the Vets Center. These are open and non-smoking. A new Alcoholics Anonymous group is meeting each Saturday at noon at the Grand Coulee Community Church,...

  • Legals for March 31, 2021

    Mar 31, 2021

    Town of Nespelem STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS REQUEST The Town of Nespelem is requesting Statement of Qualifications and performance information from qualified firms interested in providing professional engineering consulting services for the 2021-2024 calendar years in conjunction with city sponsored project with the potential funding in part through the Sate of Washington Community Development Block Grant Program with Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, USDA-Rural Development and Environmental...

  • The week in Raider sports

    Mar 31, 2021

    Bulldogs run over Raiders on football field The Lake Roosevelt Raiders suffered a loss in Coulee Dam on Saturday when the Okanogan Bulldogs defeated them 27-7, the Raiders' first loss of the season after winning their first three games. The Okanogan running game proved to be too tough for the Raiders to overcome. After going three and out to start the game, the Raiders punted to the Bulldogs, who scored on the first play of their drive, a touchdown run that spanned more than half the length of...

  • Barrel racing events scheduled

    Mar 31, 2021

    The Ridge Riders have scheduled two barrel-racing events in the next few weeks. They will be held April 24-25 and on May 9 at the Ridge Riders Rodeo Grounds. For more information, contact Jen at 509.770.3942 or Shay 509.429.2428. These will be open barrel racing events....