News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Articles from the September 1, 2021 edition


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 19 of 19

  • Homes saved in quick fire response

    Scott Hunter|Sep 1, 2021

    Firefighters converged with speed and coordination on a hillside blaze just above Banks Avenue in Grand Coulee Sunday night, saving several residences just below the city water tanks. Dispatched to the wildfire at 100 Banks Avenue at 8:40 p.m., Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Dept. called for mutual aid from departments at Electric City, Coulee Dam Elmer City and Lincoln County. Before long, 38 firefighters, two EMTs, two Grand Coulee Police officers and 14 fire engines had responded. Three...

  • Club Championship this Saturday & Sunday

    Sep 1, 2021

    The Banks Lake Golf Course's Club Championship and Senior Club Championship is happening this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4-5, not beginning Friday. An advertisement in The Star indicated the wrong day of the week for a start, but the correct date. Tee time is at 9 a.m. Saturday. Entrants must have designated the course as their home club and have dues paid in full. Entry fee is $50. The 36-hole tournament follows last month's Rattler Open, which was a "great tournament" with "super turnout,"...

  • CMC adapts to surging cases, testing demand

    Scott Hunter|Sep 1, 2021

    A 1,000%-plus surge in demand for covid testing, brought on by burgeoning cases nearby and across the country, is forcing the local hospital to adapt its operations. Before the more-contagious Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus led to outbreaks of COVID-19 at various regional outdoor events, Coulee Medical Center had been testing one or two patients a day for the virus. Now they’re testing 30-40, Ramona Hicks, CMCs chief executive officer, said Friday, and a local surge of covid is testing CMC’s capacity to handle them. The hospital original...

  • August was a bad month for COVID in the Coulee

    Sep 1, 2021
    1

    Cases of COVID-19 have doubled in less than a month in the cities of Electric City and Grand Coulee. Since Aug. 4, local cases in Grant County have doubled to 98 total cases, up by 13 in the last week. Grant County Health District Tuesday reported 286 additional cases countywide since Friday, with 17 patients currently hospitalized for covid, ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s. The 14-day incidence rate in the county is at 1,143 cases per 100,000 population. Earlier this month, that...

  • Lowering speed limit unpopular idea

    Jacob Wagner|Sep 1, 2021

    The idea of lowering the speed limit from 45 to 30 miles per hour on SR-155 between Electric City and Grand Coulee is a vastly unpopular idea, a Star survey reveals, with 88% of people being against it. However, it may be necessary to lower the limit if a pathway project is to be built at all. Last week, The Star reported on the possibility of the speed limit being lowered by the Washington State Department of Transportation after a pedestrian pathway is built connecting Coulee Playland to Banks Lake Park between the highway and Banks Lake, on...

  • Updated: Powwow and stick games will now proceed for vaccinated

    Sep 1, 2021

    Reversing an earlier decision, the Colville Tribes will now allow previously canceled stick games and a powwow to go one, but only vaccinated people can attend. The Star received an email announcing the decision late Wednesday morning, after the printing this week's issue. The decision was made by 2 p.m. Tuesday. Below is the new press release: The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation has decided to let the powwow and stick games set for September proceed, provided that each event will require all participants to show proof of...

  • 30 trees to be removed along highway

    Jacob Wagner|Sep 1, 2021

    You may notice some greenery missing from the drive along SR-155 near the north end of Grand Coulee in the future. About 30 pine trees near Grand Coulee’s wastewater treatment facility on the north side of the road will be removed due to issues caused by the trees for the facility. The trees pose a risk of damage to the facility if they or their limbs fall onto equipment. Already, tree debris such as needles and cones have fallen into the facility and clogged up pipes and the like. According to Assistant Treatment Plant Operator Travis Irwin i...

  • A shot in the arm for small business advertising would boost local economies

    Bret Wesner, Chairman, NNA|Sep 1, 2021

    A little-noticed initiative by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, and six other senators would boost local jobs, accelerate sales, and improve economies. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, S. 2434, is designed to help local news media support their newsgathering missions. One provision goes far beyond offering aid to community newspapers, local news websites and other news-gatherers. It would help small businesses to dig out of the economic doldrums by supporting their advertising costs in local news outlets, which in turn will help...

  • Seems like time to leave

    Roger S. Lucas|Sep 1, 2021

    Our daughter Kim is in the thick of Louisiana storms again. Five years ago, their home in Denham Springs was flooded, with up to four feet of water in the lower floor. They had experienced 30 inches of rain in a couple day’s time. That’s about three years of rain around here. She and her husband, Bruce, had to strip wallboard and insulation from the lower floor and replace the floor, appliances and furniture. It was a three-month long project. Kim and Bruce live on the river, and with that amount of rain the river overflowed its banks and the...

  • Summer ends, what will winter bring?

    Bob Valen|Sep 1, 2021

    Before we examine what scientists are expressing about our upcoming 2021-22 winter, I want to share a recap of 2021 summer weather data. Let’s take it month by month. June — six days over 100˚F, 16 days over 90, high temperature of 113.8˚F and 0.49 inches of precipitation. July — four days over 100, 14 days over 90, high temperature of 104.1 and 0.08 inches of precipitation. August — five days over 100, 10 days over 90, high temperature of 104.1 and 0.42 inches of precipitation. For the three...

  • A closer look at state mandates, emergency powers, and special sessions

    Brad Hawkins, Senator, North Central Washington|Sep 1, 2021

    As Washington state and the rest of the world continues to process through the COVID pandemic, governors throughout our nation — Republicans and Democrats — have utilized their offices and authorities in a variety of ways. In Washington state, the Emergency Powers Act (RCW 43.06.220) authorizes the governor to declare emergencies and issue orders in response to those declared emergencies. The original version of this law was enacted in 1969, at a time when likely no one would have anticipated any emergency lasting multiple years. On Feb...

  • Vaccinations improving health, employment

    Don C. Brunell|Sep 1, 2021

    It is not surprising that COVID-19 which ravaged the world was disastrous for our country’s economy. Millions died from COVID complications; offices, stores and factories closed, and people were forced to quarantine at home. The good news this Labor Day is vaccines are working and readily available. As a result, our job market has dramatically improved. People are eating out, shopping and traveling. Our economy is healing. Vaccines were developed and deployed at “warp speed” under President Donald Trump. Having Americans inoculated as quick...

  • Gail Marie Kuehne

    Sep 1, 2021

    Gail Marie Kuehne, 86, of Keller, Washington, passed away Sunday morning, August 22, 2021, in Spokane, Washington. Gail was born on October 19th, 1934, in a cabin on Iron Creek to Mary and Boxer Summerlin. She attended grade school in Keller, Republic, Inchelium and Hunters. Her 7th-grade year was spent in Wenatchee, and then she returned to the area and finished her 8th through 12th-grade years in Wilbur, Washington. On April 25, 1953, Gail married the love of her life, Henry G. Kuehne. She...

  • Late summer beauty

    Sep 1, 2021

    A late-summer stand of wild sunflowers thrives under blue skies in front of Steamboat Rock Monday. For the local weather outlook, see our forecast at right. - Gwen Hilson photo...

  • Meetings & Notices

    Sep 1, 2021

    NCB Collecting Supplies for Back to School The Grand Coulee branch of North Cascades Bank is collecting school supplies for local children in need. Cash donations are also welcome and will be used to purchase additional supplies. All items will be distributed to schools in the Grand Coulee Dam School District. Donations will be accepted at North Cascades Bank during the month of August. Questions call Jerri Smith at 633-1700. Food Bank to be Closed Care & Share Food Bank will be closed Sept. 3 for Labor Day weekend. Regular hours will be...

  • Masquers Theater membership gala set for Sept. 10

    Sep 1, 2021

    Masquers Theater will hold its Membership Gala on September 10 beginning at 7:00. This year’s theme is ‘Going to the Sock Hop”. Attendees are encouraged to wear their poodle skirts and duck tail hair. The event is open to the public. Due to State Covid 19 mandates, masks will be required. Masquers entertainers will be singing 1950’s popular songs. Memberships and Season Tickets for the 2021-22 season can be purchased that night. The Blooper award, the Hall of Fame, and the MOPET award will be given. It is great to be able to bring enterta...

  • It's a boy for Miles/Redd

    Sep 1, 2021

    Rebecca Miles and Levi Redd of Grand Coulee, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their son Garruk Allen Redd born Saturday, August 14, 2021, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. He weighed 6 lbs., 1 oz, and was 18 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Jackson Alexander, Chayla Rae, Ajan and Jerry-Lee. Maternal grandparents are Chay Heilman and the late Jerry Heilman. Paternal grandparents are Wilma Werohough and Robert Redd....

  • Legals for September 1, 2021

    Sep 1, 2021

    City of Electric City Notice of Intent to File Application There will be a public hearing on September 14, 2021 at 6:00pm to discuss the City of Electric City’s intent to file an application for federal assistance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Rural Utilities Services. The hearing will be available via zoom meeting (link published at www.electriccity.us ) or in person. Access for the hearing impaired and others can be accommodated using Washington Relay which can be reached at 1-800-833-6384 and at the below w...

  • Coulee Cops

    Sep 1, 2021

    Grand Coulee Police 8/23 - Police checked on children alone in a running car at Safeway. The oldest child was 11. Two other kids were there, one of them asleep. The oldest child said their mom had run into the store a few minutes earlier. The mother came out and said she didn’t want to wake the sleeping child and was just in the store for a moment. She left the air conditioner on, so it wouldn’t get too hot in the car. Police warned her it’s a misdemeanor to leave children under age 16 in a running car, but understood she was just looki...