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Articles from the May 24, 2023 edition


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  • School staff air concerns, board decides for Broadnax anyway

    Scott Hunter|May 24, 2023

    A line of employees wrote letters to the school board stating serious concerns about hiring Rod Broadnax as the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s new superintendent, several of which were read at Monday night’s meeting. They’re hiring him anyway. The letters noted anonymous emails that circulated in the community, critical of Broadnax’s record, claims of professional achievement throughout his career and controversy at one community where he worked. Carrie Derr, a longtime teacher who now oversees federal and state grant programs for the dis...

  • Nespelem School district working on expansion into high school

    Scott Hunter|May 24, 2023

    Nespelem School District, which has for decades sent its students to “the dam” after eighth grade to attend high school, is looking at ways to expand its service to the community by moving toward a high school offering. The school board formally approved the move Monday night, directing Superintendent Effie Dean to continue working to set up an “emergent high school,” offering just ninth grade in the coming school year, with a “career technical education” component under discussion with the Colville Tribes. “Everybody is super excited about...

  • Ferry's old maples taken down

    May 24, 2023

    Contractors remove the tops of the last of the 90-year-old red maples from Coulee Dam's Ferry Avenue Friday so the broken sidewalks below them can be fixed. The two-block-long street curving through 16 houses will get all-new concrete but shadeless sidewalks for a project that will come to around $250,000, not including the tree removal, which the city said was unexpected. Basin Tree Service quoted another $57,000 for that. Sidewalk pouring started this week. - Scott Hunter p...

  • Some offices to be contested in coming elections

    Scott Hunter|May 24, 2023

    The city of Grand Coulee will hold a primary election in August to pick two of the three candidates who filed to run for mayor, which does not include the current one. Chuck Crowe, of Partello Park; Kimberly Christiansen, of Roosevelt Drive; and Mike Eylar, of Spokane Way, have filed to run for the mayor’s office, currently occupied by Mayor Paul Townsend. The primary election is set for Aug. 1. In Electric City, two council positions have picked up challengers to incumbents. Councilmember Brian Buche, in Council Position 3, will run against T...

  • Pole fire leads to outage

    May 24, 2023

    A power pole fire Monday night led to an outage as Grant PUD worked on fixing the problem. The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department had the fire out about 11:30 p.m. but reported that several residences and street lights had no power while the utility replaced the pole and restored service. There were no injuries, and the fire damage was limited to the pole and the transformer, the fire department said on its Facebook....

  • Grand Coulee Dam laser light show and public tours begin Memorial Day weekend

    May 24, 2023

    Starting Saturday, May 26, the Bureau of Reclamation will begin showing its "One River, Many Voices" laser light show and the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant public tours. The light show will run nightly at 10 p.m. through July 31. Beginning Aug. 1, the show will start at 9:30 p.m., and from Sept. 1–30, it will begin at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are not required to enjoy the light show. Public tours at the pump-generating plant will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at 10 a.m., n...

  • Re: "City to clearcut all 34 Ferry Ave. 90-year-old maples" May 17 Star

    F. Gregory Wilder|May 24, 2023

    We have an uncountable loss for our Town. Yet again, betwixt the battle our sidewalks and our trees. That said, we can now announce, on Arbor Day, April 28th, 2023, the celebration for the destruction of two blocks of beautiful mature majestic Maples… brought down by the metaphorical axe. Kiss goodbye the savored shade, gone too are the uncountable nesting birds… the frogs and the crickets, the playful squirrels – all gone now. The budding shades of green in the spring, the bright colors in the fall, the whispers through the wind – they to...

  • To the trees: thanks and sorry

    Gayle Swagerty|May 24, 2023

    Thank you to the beautiful and magenta Maple trees on Ferry in Coulee Dam who provided shade, habitat, cooling for 90 years. I am sorry you were mowed down for a sidewalk for people to walk on. Which nobody wants to walk on because it is too hot. So sorry nobody could figure out that a walkway through you would be a nice place for people and habitat to live and thrive. I’m so sorry for your loss. Gayle Swagerty...

  • Strange baseball season

    Roger Lucas|May 24, 2023

    With the basketball season coming to a close, we will be into baseball. It will be a strange season; I can’t name a single player, on any team. I remember that when I was covering baseball, I kept track of several big league players, many of them from the Boise Valley where I worked for the Idaho Statesman newspaper. Baseball was big in the valley, partially because we had a Milwaukee farm club locally. The Boise Braves were part of the Pioneer League, a class C franchise. But baseball was big for another reason. We had several players from t...

  • Build our future electricity supply around hydropower

    Don Brunell|May 24, 2023

    Although New Zealand and Washington are located a half a world apart, they have lots in common — beautiful seashores, majestic mountains, crystal clear streams and lakes, and vibrant salmon and trout fisheries. Both are struggling to rid their air sheds of CO2 and other greenhouse gases coming from the burning of carbon fuels (coal, natural gas, gasoline, and diesel) in vehicles, home heating and electric-power generation. New Zealand and Washington share a common goal to be carbon neutral by 2...

  • W James "Bubba" Egbert

    May 24, 2023

    W James "Bubba" Egbert, 49, passed away Friday May 5, 2023 while doing what he loved, riding his horse and moving cattle on his Washington ranch. Born Sunday, January 6th, 1974, in Brewster, Washington to Sherwood James "Jim" & Betty Egbert, growing up on the family ranch outside of Grand Coulee, Bubba, as a youngster, enjoyed playing in the dirt while pretending to tend to his farm and ranch. He also participated in Junior Rodeo in rough stock and roping events. Bubba was all things cowboy,...

  • Steven D. Abel (Del)

    May 24, 2023

    Steven D. Abel (Del), was born February 1, 1933 to homesteader parents, on the West half of the Colville Reservation. He was delivered by his father, as it was the middle of one of the biggest blizzards of the century, and nobody else could get there. He passed away May 12, 2023 in Samaritan Hospital, Moses Lake, Washington after a lengthy battle with a number of age related illnesses. Del was quick to help out where he could whenever a friend was in need. A jack of all trades, he worked as a...

  • Flags going up and ceremony planned

    May 24, 2023

    Flags will be going up at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 27, at Spring Canyon. Come out and join the community members setting up. The Memorial Day ceremony will be held Monday, May 29, beginning at 11 a.m. Flags being dedicated include: Josephine B. Ayers, Fred R. Long, Elmer O. Rinard, Gerald “Jerry ” Beierman, Theodore J. Dittmer Jr., Lester Byron Harper, BMCM Larry F. Haydon, Victor C. Heuvel Sr., Thomas Hoffman, Robert F. Lehto, William (Bill) Myers, Sid Roberson, John E. Townsend and Thomas L .Walters. For those wishing to place flowers on gra...

  • It's a girl for the Brewsters

    May 24, 2023

    Anna and Casey Brewster of Coulee Dam, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Breanna Marie Michelle Brewster, born Monday, May 8, 2023, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington. She weighed 6 lbs., 11 oz., and was 18 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Levi Ferguson, Seth Ferguson and Aiden Brewster. Maternal grandmother is Pamela Whalawitsa of Spokane, Washington. Paternal grandparents are Gary and Beth Brewster of Old Hickory, Tenn., Tim and Sheila Sanders of Henderson, Tenn. Great-grandfather is...

  • Byrd/Hopper have a boy

    May 24, 2023

    Samantha Byrd and Colin Hopper of Grand Coulee, Washington ,are proud to announce the birth of their son Holden Austin Hopper, born Monday, May 8, 2023, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. He weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz., and was 20.5 inches in length at birth. Siblings include puppy dogs Jack and Beau. Maternal grandparents are Catherine Nichols and Adam Nichols. Great-grand[aremts are Stephanie and Mark Graves and Kelly Hopper....

  • Coulee cops

    May 24, 2023

    Grand Coulee Police 5/15 - A man was banned from the Rural Resources office on Midway Avenue after being rude to staff there. - Police spoke to a Butler Square woman who told police that her ex-husband had taken important documents from a folder, including a Social Security card, a passport, and more. Police were unable to contact him. Police told the woman about her options in the situation. 5/16 - Police checked on a car blocking Martin Road. The driver’s side window was down and police looked inside and saw various tools and smelled a f...

  • LR competes at UW Knowledge Bowl

    May 24, 2023

    Nine Lake Roosevelt students journeyed to Seattle last weekend to compete in a Knowledge Bowl tournament at the University of Washington. UW's "Quiz Bowl" team invited high school Knowledge Bowl teams from across the state to a tournament, where students answered tough questions having to do with everything from Irish poetry to Argentine dictators, said advisor and language arts teacher Pam Johnson. LR's team included senior Jacob Marchand, sophomore Peyton Robison, and eighth-graders Arianna...

  • Eight Raiders compete at T&F district meet

    May 24, 2023

    Eight Lake Roosevelt athletes qualified and competed in the 2B District 6 Championship Track and Field meet in Oroville last Wednesday. Logan Marconi placed second in the 800-meter run and is moving on to the state track and field championships in Yakima this week. He will run a preliminary race on Friday, May 26 at 2 p.m. Finals in that event will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Zaepfel Stadium at Eisenhower High School in Yakima, the new location for the state meet. “It (Logan’s 800m run) was one of the most exciting races of the meet, almost ide...

  • Traxler named to SNHU Pres.List

    May 24, 2023

    Shawn Traxler of Coulee Dam has been named to Southern New Hampshire University’s Winter 2023 President’s List, the school said. The winter terms run from January to May. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.7 and above for the reporting term are named to the President’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer....

  • National Safe Boating Week Started May 19

    May 24, 2023

    OLYMPIA – May 16, 2023 – Recreational boating is a popular pastime in Washington. In fact, nearly 225,000 vessels were registered in 2023. When you include Washington residents who own at least one canoe, kayak, rowboat, or stand-up paddle board, boats and boaters are everywhere! That’s why every May, the Washington State Parks Recreational Boating Safety Programpromotes the National Safe Boating Week campaign to remind people about the importance of safe boating. Boating is not without risk. The chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest can b...

  • Legals

    May 24, 2023

    CALL FOR BIDS town of elmer city FIRE STATION IMPROVEMENTS ENGINEER’S ESTIMATE $1,000,000 TO $1,200,000 Sealed Proposals will be received by the undersigned at the Town of Elmer City, 505 Seaton Avenue, Elmer City, Washington 99124, up to 2:00 p.m.; local time on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, for furnishing the necessary labor, materials, equipment, tools, and guarantees thereof to construct Fire Station Improvements. The work includes construction of a new 2,420 square foot CMU Block Fire Station building including a sloped metal roof, three e...