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Articles from the May 12, 2021 edition


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  • Rodeo sets records for attendance

    Scott Hunter|May 12, 2021

    With a hunger for getting out built up among rodeo fans, the first one in the state since pandemic lockdown set attendance records and put Grand Coulee on the national rodeo map. Ridge Riders President George Kohout said Tuesday he'd watched The Cowboy Channel's TV segment on last weekend's Colorama Rodeo twice and "just about teared up a little bit." Friday night's attendance at the Colorama Rodeo "set a record, and Saturday night's blew that all to hell," Kohout said. That took some doing. The...

  • Tribal primary results narrow each race down to two candidates

    Jacob Wagner|May 12, 2021

    With poll and absentee votes both now certified, twenty-six candidates have been narrowed down to 14 in the primary for seven seats on the Colville Business Council, with only one incumbent knocked out of the running. There are seven out of 14 total positions up for election to the Colville Business Council, the governing body of the Colville Tribes. Primary polls opened May 8, with poll votes certified on May 10, and absentee votes were certified May 13. The top two candidates in each race will move on to the general election June 19 with...

  • Kennedy approved as new jr/sr high school principal

    Jacob Wagner|May 12, 2021

    Sara Kennedy will be Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School's new principal starting with the 2021-22 school year. Kennedy, who has worked as the school's dean of students since 2019, was approved as the new principal at the May 10 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting. After 40 minutes of the board being in executive session, and prior to the board's approval of Kennedy, Superintendent Paul Turner said, "I wholeheartedly recommend Sara Kennedy to take over the position. She's done...

  • No dam tours this year

    Jacob Wagner|May 12, 2021

    Although there will be no tours of the Grand Coulee Dam this year, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is working on a plan for the return of the Laser Light Show and for opening its visitor center. USBR Public Affairs Specialist for the Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region Erika A. Lopez told The Star that tours will not be conducted this year at Grand Coulee Dam “because of CDC–recommended COVID-19 restrictions.” “Visitors will be unable to safely maintain social distancing of six feet on the tour buses and dam elevator,” she said. Lopez also said...

  • Grant County leaders encourage vaccination to keep businesses open

    Jacob Wagner|May 12, 2021

    During a Grant County Leadership ZOOM meeting May 5, people from various organizations discussed how to market COVID-19 vaccines more effectively. Misty Aguilar, public information officer for the Grant County Health District, said that Grant County’s numbers continue to increase. “We get several cases every day,” she said. “The majority of the cases are coming from ages 19-40.” She said that if Gov. Jay Inslee hadn’t paused the phases of the state’s Covid recovery plan, Grant County would have been rolled back to a more restrictive p...

  • Running for public office?

    May 12, 2021

    Candidate Filing Week is May 17-21, and the Office of the Secretary of State is joining county election offices across Washington to accept applications for public office, including about 30 local positions in the Grand Coulee Dam area. “People who run for public office and serve as an elected official have an opportunity to help shape the future of our state, counties, and communities,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “Most of these offices up for election this year are local and have the greatest impact on people’s daily lives.” There are...

  • Dry Falls highlighted in local's new book

    Jacob Wagner|May 12, 2021

    You may learn a thing or two about local history if you pick up a copy of a new book titled "Dry Falls and Sun Lakes" from Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series, which includes early and rare photos of that area. Local man John "Jay" M. Kemble compiled the book following his 2020 publication titled "Steamboat Rock" in the same Images of America series. "I hope I am presenting several stories that tie together to create a larger whole," he said about "Dry Falls and Sun Lakes," which...

  • Coulee Dam council position open

    May 12, 2021

    A seat is open on the city council in the town of Coulee Dam following the resignation of Councilmember Fred Netzel. Netzel’s letter of resignation, which was approved by the rest of the council at their April 21 meeting, said that he reached the decision to resign after speaking with his family and doctor. Those interested in the position can contact Coulee Dam Town Hall at 633-0320 or email at cdclerk@couleedam.org. Applicants must be a resident of Coulee Dam at least 18 years of age and a registered voter. The council-appointed position w...

  • Recognizing National Police Week

    May 12, 2021

    In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Harrington recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2021. “This week is a time to honor our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary courage and dedication with which members of law enforcement act each day, putting their lives on the li...

  • A vacation that was a knockout

    Roger S. Lucas|May 12, 2021

    While our four kids were home, we always tried to take a good family vacation. One year we took a month, and in our Chevy Impala we took off for an intended trip to Houston, Texas, then over to San Diego and up the West Coast. I mention the Impala because there wasn’t a center console, and we had wide seats front and back. That put three in front and three in back with a rotation system so everyone had a chance to sit in front. We took off through Idaho and stopped at my wife’s folks’ and family. Then we were off to Utah, and started poppi...

  • Unemployment insurance intended as a bridge between jobs

    Don C. Brunell|May 12, 2021

    When Congress established the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) in 1935, it was intended to provide temporary and partial income replacement for workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It was supposed to be a “bridge” to a new job and not “in lieu of compensation” to remain jobless. The coronavirus pandemic produced massive layoffs. The resulting economic downturn swelled the ranks of unemployed Americans by more than 14 million — from 6.2 million in February to 20.5 million in May 2020, Pew Research reported. The unemp...

  • It's a boy for Ridgley/Brewster

    May 12, 2021

    Anastashia Ridgley and Casey Brewster of Coulee Dam, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Aiden Joshua Brewster, born Friday, April 30, 2021, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington, He weighed 3 lbs., 4.6 oz., and was 15 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Levi, 7, and Seth, 3. Maternal grandmother is Pamela Whalawitsa. Paternal grandparents are Sheila Snyder Sanders and Gary Brewster....

  • Coulee Cops

    May 12, 2021

    Grand Coulee Police 5/6 - A Burdin Boulevard man had his pitbull inside his house when police asked him about a dog-at-large complaint. - A Honda Accord backed into a Chevy Equinox in the hospital parking lot. The drivers had already exchanged information prior to police arrival. A police report was written for insurance purposes. 5/8 - Police went to Kent Street to investigate a 911 call but found nothing of note when speaking to residents. - Vehicles were moved from an alleyway near E Street, which allowed a man to access the back of his...

  • Committed

    May 12, 2021

    A cowboy shows the strain as he rides a bronc Friday at the Colorama Rodeo, which broke records for attendance and revenue. See the story on the front page. - Scott Hunter photo...

  • Grand Coulee High School Alumni Association to meet

    May 12, 2021

    The spring meeting of the Grand Coulee High School Alumni Association will take place at 1:00 P. M., Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at the Senior Center on Main Street in Grand Coulee. The most important item on the agenda will be the sixth All-Class Reunion to be presented by the Association. The event will take place the second full weekend of August. Plans that include a catered lunch at North Dam Park on Saturday the 14th will be discussed at the meeting. The officers will also be selecting the recipients of this year’s scholarship a...

  • EMT training course to be offered

    May 12, 2021

    Plans are taking shape for an Emergency Medical Technician course to be held around June 7 – Aug. 30 at the Grand Coulee Fire Station. The course is approximately 160 hours of classroom and labs. It will meet two nights a week and every other Saturday. It is a big commitment but a rewarding occupation, when completed. Those interested should attend the informational meeting May 18 at 7 p.m. at Grand Coulee Fire Station at 205 Spokane Way. The course will be certified by Washington Department of Health. Upon completion, you will need to take a...

  • Legals for May 12, 2021

    May 12, 2021

    GCD School District CALL FOR BIDS The Grand Coulee Dam School District hereby calls for bids to furnish the following for the 2021-22 school year? Milk for the school breakfast/lunch program during the 2021-22 school year. Milk items on which bidders are to submit quotations per case are: 1% milk – 22 cases per week, chocolate mile - 20 cases per week. Multiple deliveries per week are expected for all Milk products. Bidding will close at 3:00 pm on May 14, 2021 Bids can be sent to: Grand Coulee Dam SD, 110 Stevens Ave., Coulee Dam, WA 99116. P...

  • This week in sports

    May 12, 2021

    Track & Field competes with division, moves onto regional events The Lake Roosevelt track and field team competed at the North Region Championships May 6 in Manson. Three divisions within the North Central Washington region competed there — the North (LR’s region), Central, and South, for a combined total of 27 schools ranging in size from 1B to 4A. “Our athletes really stepped up; competing against much larger schools didn’t seem to hold them back,” Head Coach Lori Adkins said. Athletes qualified for the North Central Washington Regional...

  • Positions up for election this year for local councils, boards

    Jacob Wagner|May 12, 2021

    Voters will decide on about 30 positions up for election in the 2021 elections for local town councils, school boards, and more. Candidate filings of intent to run for these offices are open from May 17-21. Grand Coulee Three seats on the Grand Coulee City Council are up for reelection this year, all to four-year terms. At their Jan. 19 council meeting, it was announced that three council members’ terms expire on Dec. 31 and are up for reelection in November: Council Position #1, currently held by Tammara Byers; Council Position #2, c...

  • Notice of Special Board Meeting of the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors

    May 12, 2021

    Notice of Special Board Meeting of the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors 505 Crest Drive Coulee Dam, WA 99116 5:30 p.m. The Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors will be holding a special board meeting tomorrow Thursday May 13, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. At this meeting the school board will be discussing and taking action on personnel items....

  • Notice of Special Meeting of the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors

    May 12, 2021

    Notice of Special Board Meeting of the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors 505 Crest Drive Coulee Dam, WA 99116 5:30 p.m. The Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors will be holding a special board meeting tomorrow Thursday May 13, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. At this meeting the school board will be discussing and taking action on personnel items....

  • Notice of Special Board Meeting for GCD School District

    May 12, 2021

    The Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors will be holding a special board meeting tomorrow Thursday May 13, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. At this meeting the school board will be discussing and taking action on personnel items....