News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Schools are looking at how to successfully implement changes that will be put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new Star survey seeks the opinions of local parents, students, and staff members. Last week The Star reported on changes schools are facing for the 2020-21 school year after guidelines were released by the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Those guidelines include rules such as those requiring all students and staff to wear face coverings and maintain a distance from one another. Those rules ha... Full story
A wind-driven brush fire threatened homes on the northern end of east Coulee Dam Tuesday night. Fire fighters from every nearby agency were on scene defending homes and working to try to prevent its spread on the hillside above town, and nearly two hours later were still working. No homes were lost as of this writing at 8:47 p.m. At about 7 p.m., the wind direction pushed the fire alongside the treed neighborhood that sits against the brushy edge of town, but not directly into houses and an... Full story
Kids got out of the house this past weekend to take part in the 2020 Koulee Kids Fest. "Koulee Kids Fest went FANTASTIC!" wrote Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rachelle Haven in an email to The Star. "The turn-out was amazing, more than we ever expected." The festival included children going to local businesses to get take-home activity kits or take part in an activity. Coulee Wall Variety Store had close to 250 kids attend their "fishing pond" activity, Haven said,...
State authorities made wearing face coverings in public mandatory across the state Tuesday, following an outbreak in Yakima County they said threatened to overwhelm the health care system there. The order came the same afternoon that the 12 Tribes Coulee Dam Casino re-opened after shuttering the business at 7 p.m. five days earlier when a worker there tested positive for COVID-19. The state mandate, issued Tuesday afternoon from Sec. of Health John Weisman and Gov. Jay Inslee, takes effect Friday. “As necessary economic activity increases a... Full story
The Fourth of July fast approaching, but don’t plan on setting off fireworks from North Dam again this year; it’s still unavailable as a launching location. The chamber of commerce’s Festival of America event, typically held below the Grand Coulee Dam, with fireworks launched from it, also will not be held this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lighting of personal fireworks from North Dam, a popular spot for years, will not be available, as it was not last year. “Last year on July 4, fireworks were not allowed on top of North Dam bec... Full story
Dean is new principal at Nespelem School New Superintendent/Principal Effie Dean engaged the Nespelem School District Board of Directors in a broad discussion of coming issues Monday night, including a $4 million budget to be prepared with a 20-percent hedge against possible cuts in the 2020-21 school year; the state’s decision to definitely open schools this fall and include distance learning; upcoming bargaining sessions with labor unions; and a well that’s not pumping enough water. Dean will call people this week to set up a task force to wo...
Election results are in for the Colville Business Council general elections in which seven of the 14 positions for the governing body of the Colville Tribes were up for election. Three incumbents were reelected to their seats, while four new members were elected as well. Those elected will serve terms running from 2020-2022, and will be sworn in July 9th, when the Council will elect officers and appoint committee chairs. Absentee votes were counted on Thursday and added to the poll results for the final vote counts. In the Nespelem District Pos...
Anyone in the market for a Jeep? The Electric City council voted on June 9 to put the city’s 2018 Jeep Renegade Sports edition, which has only around 5,000 miles on it, up for bid. The city bought the Jeep just last year when the city had a completely different council, mayor, and city clerk. The minimum bid for the Jeep is $17,000. The council was in agreement that although the trade-in value for the vehicle was around $13,000, trade-in values are lower than the actual value, and that the vehicle’s low mileage made it worth more. The cou...
A woman walks her dog in the Visitor Center park at Grand Coulee Dam, dwarfed by the dam spilling water over its top behind her Monday. The spill is fun to watch and creates a constant roar. - Scott Hunter photo...
The Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, which includes Spring Canyon, is increasing recreational access and services, such as camping and vault restrooms, beginning July 1. The National Park Service, which manages the LRNRA, says it’s following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities in this increase of services. “Approximately 61% of our visitors come from Spokane, King, and Snohomish counties (410,000 people),” a June 22 press release states. “Whil... Full story
As we all wish everything could return to normal, some things just shouldn’t. The crisis we’re dealing with makes a habit of forcing us to embrace change, and some of those are for the better. One in particular could have the effect of making governments more open, more democratic. And it’s easier and cheaper than other alternatives. When local governments (and even state and national agencies) make their meeting available via a video streaming or conferencing service such as Zoom, anyone with an interest can get involved, or just liste... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam isn’t what it used to be. I first saw Grand Coulee Dam in 1948. The dam was just 6 years old. Construction started in 1933 and was completed in 1942. Several seniors along with me had taken a couple days off from school with the excuse that we were going to Spokane to visit the “Freedom Train” that was touring the country. It contained, for everyone to see, several of the country’s original documents. We had arranged to be away so we could visit the train with the understanding that we would write a report about it. We had no i...
As we look around during this time, we can see a lot of negativity. It can be heavy and burdensome to carry on with our lives when it appears the turmoil of the world is ripping apart society. It can be hard to go into your day without an attack or bout of uncertainty that can lead to depression or panic like clouds surrounding us. So when a spark of positivity shines bright, it is important grasp it and blow it into a flame. Last Saturday I found myself sitting under the awning at North Dam...
In early June, the financial website WalletHub released its rankings of “Best and Worse State Economies” and Washington led the field of 51 as best by a healthy margin. WalletHub economists viewed the states from three key dimensions---economic activity, economic health and innovation potential. Then the analysts from Dartmouth and Carthage colleges and the University of Texas-Austin looked at 28 key indicators of economic performance and strength when comparing all 50 states and the Dis...
In 1946, a state park at Crown Point was proposed to attract tourists to the Northwest and Grand Coulee Dam. That initial park design showed a 320- by 220-foot state relief model and exhibition building, along with a 500-foot aluminum tower equipped with an elevator and topped with a rotating searchlight; estimated to cost $2 million. Work to build a road to Crown Point began in 1950 and the park property obtained from the government shortly thereafter. That initial design would subsequently be...
Sharon Lee McFall, 72, of Electric City, Washington, was surrounded by family members and caregivers as she passed on to rejoin her beloved "Ted" Friday evening, June 12, 2020. Sharon was born Tuesday, May 25, 1948, in Corvallis, Oregon to Kenneth and Ruth McDowell. In 1966 she graduated High School in Norwalk, California and then went on to Cerritos College, of Norwalk. Possessing a gift for numbers, early on Sharon worked briefly as a Sales Audit Clerk for a food products firm and then for... Full story
Rob and Richard Skordas will be hosting a Celebration of Life for our dad, Tom. Please join us Saturday, July 11 from 2:00 p.m. to closing time at the Coulee Playland Resort in Electric City. We invite you to share a story and raise a glass in his memory. This will be an outdoor event so bring a chair and your favorite toasting beverage. We look forward to seeing you there. Please share this invite with folks who knew Tom and Kathy.... Full story
Town of Coulee Dam Notice of Public Hearing NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held, via teleconference, to consider the Six-Year Comprehensive Street Program (TIP) for 2021 – 2026. The Public Hearing will be held at the regular council meeting of Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at which time the public may give written or oral testimony. The telephone number and call-in instructions will be available 24 hours prior to the meeting. To obtain the call-in information for this meeting, please contact Coulee Dam Town Hall a... Full story
Grand Coulee 6/15 - Police checked on the well being of a Mead Avenue man on behalf of neighbors who hadn’t seen him in several days. Police found the man to be in good health. - A Grand Coulee woman went to the police station and said a man had hit her. The man said that she and her boyfriend were drinking and asked if he wanted to watch them have sex. The man said he declined that offer and at one point the woman poured his beer on him. The man’s hair and shirt smelled like beer, the police report says. 6/16 - A man at the Continental Hei...
North Central Regional Library is gearing up for its annual Summer Library Program. The library’s primary goal for this program is to encourage pleasure reading among all ages across North Central Washington. This year, NCRL has shifted plans for the program to an entirely virtual platform to engage all ages of patrons with fun, enriching online programs and opportunities. “Our Summer Reading Program has become such an integral part of what we do to support children, families and schools in our communities that we had to continue to find a cre...
No Grant County Fire Dist. 14 Meeting The Grant County Fire District 14 will not be holding its June 22 meeting due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Food Bank Hours The food bank will be open on the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 2 - 4 p.m. This will be in effect until the Stay Home order is lifted. This will be drive through style to maintain social distance. For those wanting to donate to the local food bank send checks to: Care & Share Food Bank, PO Box 671, Grand Coulee, WA 99133....
The partial shutdown of Colville Tribal government currently in effect has been extended until midnight on July 12, 2020 by Resolution of the Colville Business Council. "All other COVID-19 related restrictions are also extended to midnight on July 12, 2020," a June 25 press release says. "These include the prohibition of public gatherings or camping in groups of ten or more people, the stay at home order for residents of the Colville Reservation, the prohibition on non-essential business activity on the Colville Reservation, and the closure of... Full story