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Articles from the October 16, 2024 edition


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  • Mayors ponder creation of EMS district

    Renata Rollins|Oct 16, 2024

    Like many volunteer-driven efforts, fire and ambulance services that depend on donated labor have seen participation drop in recent years. Local leaders are considering an alternative model: creating a special taxing district to fund ambulance and emergency medical services, subject to approval by voters. The discussion is not yet a formal proposal, but the Regional Board of Mayors invites interested residents to learn more at a public town hall meeting Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in the ballroom at Coulee Dam Town Hall. Grand Coulee Fire...

  • Fairy good event

    Oct 16, 2024

    A fairy gives a Star Wars character a prize during the River Artist Celebration in Coulee Dam Friday when the first night included a costume contest. The closed Mead Avenue saw a lot of costumes, hosted many vendors and heard good music bands during both days of the event. It was organized by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce working with the Northwest Native Development Fund. - Scott Hunter photo...

  • City to seek new police chief, rebuild depart.

    Renata Rollins|Oct 16, 2024

    Grand Coulee has decided to re-advertise its police chief position, signaling an intent to rebuild its own department rather than contracting out with another jurisdiction. “I am recommending here that we go ahead and set out to hire our own chief of police at this point,” Mayor Ruth Dalton told the council at its Oct. 15 meeting. “We need to kind of take care of this as soon as possible here, to get our police department back where it needs to be.” The council approved an annual salary range of $110,000 to $130,000 for the police chief j...

  • Delano shooting incident updated

    Renata Rollins|Oct 16, 2024

    Last month, two people were shot while walking along Spokane Boulevard in the Delano area, who then drove themselves to Coulee Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police reports from the Sept. 16 shooting. Though police did name a suspect, no arrest was made and an “attempt to locate” dispatch was ultimately canceled the next morning due to lack of probable cause. The case has been forwarded to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office. According to Grand Coulee Police Department reports, one victim, a 35-year-old, refus...

  • Ridge Riders rope regional award

    Renata Rollins|Oct 16, 2024

    For the first time, Grand Coulee’s own Colorama Pro Rodeo has won formal recognition amongst small rodeos in the northwest. The Mother’s Day weekend rodeo was named second runner up in the PRCA Columbia River Circuit, which includes Washington, Oregon, and north Idaho. “Not #1, but we will take it,” said Cindy Edwards, a longtime volunteer with the Ridge Riders, who put on the annual pro rodeo in Grand Coulee. “It’s a huge honor to be even runner up out of 56 events.” Edwards said she hopes the award will bring more attention to the north end o...

  • Crown Point gets facelift

    Renata Rollins|Oct 16, 2024

    What started as a classic social media venting session turned into something positive: a spruce-up day for Crown Point Vista, the Washington State Parks property overlooking the Grand Coulee Dam area. A handful of volunteers and parks staff gathered Saturday morning with the goal of painting the guardrail posts and adding a fresh coat to what some folks call the "sundial" – the concrete open air building at the edge of the overlook. "My administrative assistant said she saw on Facebook a g...

  • Coulee Dam commits to heating old theater

    Scott Hunter|Oct 16, 2024

    Fixing the heating and cooling system in Coulee Dam’s “Community Building,” where the Rio Grande Restaurant, the bowling alley and soon a reopened theater operate, just got a higher priority. The city council OK’d a plan to tap funds, if needed to patch the roof, as Larry Hernandez digs into his project to get a new HVAC system in the building. He’s been consulting with companies to get the place heated over the winter. Hernandez plans to re-open the Village Cinema, which close 11 years ago when the industry changed to require all digital p...

  • Fired up for a new generation at movies

    Larry Hernandez|Oct 16, 2024

    After being closed for 11 years, Village Cinema is making a comeback, stirring up fond memories and sparking excitement among community members. This past weekend, during the saʔtitkʷ (River) Artist Celebration, we offered special pre-renovation theater tours, and I witnessed a touching moment that speaks volumes about the community’s connection to the theater. James and Cassandra, both in their early 20s, were volunteering to help move old seat parts when they stumbled upon a nostalgic memory. As we worked, I pointed out that while there isn...

  • Trump makes perfect sense

    Becky L. Billups|Oct 16, 2024

    I read and listen to all of you Trump Haters out there and ask myself how can you possibly hate someone like him? I guess Biden/Harris has done such a marvelous job of allowing 20.000,000 illegal aliens to enter our country. Not the best of the best either. Murderers, Rapists, Gang Members, and known Terrorists. Let’s not forget our National Debt, that is something to be proud of. What about the draining of our oil reserves, the cost of food, gas, housing, out-of-control crime, and the list goes on and on? Do you look at demented Biden with p...

  • Silent conservatives shouldn't be

    James Tweed|Oct 16, 2024

    This is not about Donald Trump. It’s not even about the sad souls seduced by him. The insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power were primarily guilty of being gullible. They fell for the fraud. They did not do the defrauding. Many have been held accountable for their actions. Most of the ones who fooled them have not. Yet. I refer to Republican Party leaders who cashed in their moral courage to ride a demagogue’s coattails to power. They learned from their adored leader how to spew out coded calls to...

  • The truth about immigrants

    Norm Luther|Oct 16, 2024

    On one of my recent volunteer activities with Spokane Public Schools, I was happy to hear first-hand a school employee’s personal immigration story very similar to many I’ve heard in my 88 years but more recently drowned out by cruel lies about immigrants. She recounted how her father, who immigrated with her mother from Mexico, followed the seasonal agricultural crops throughout the Pacific Northwest in order to obtain full-time work with long hours. But he insisted that she stay in one place throughout her childhood to get a good edu...

  • Lucky with locals

    Roger S. Lucas|Oct 16, 2024

    I marvel at how lucky I’ve been with neighbors and other local people. In the fall, about every three days, Howard and Denise Anderson deliver a couple of containers filled with the prettiest dahlias imaginable. They have been doing this for years. I think this is the reason I like fall better than any other time of the year. The Andersons plant in the back of their house where they get just the right kind of sunshine. Add to that the special care they give the dahlias. Years ago, when I could tend a garden, I tried my hand at raising dahlias....

  • This Week in History

    Oct 16, 2024

    October 19, 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000 to General Washington at Yorktown. Cornwallis had marched his army to the port of Yorktown, Virginia that summer expecting to meet British ships sent from New York. There were no ships. About 17,000 American and French troops led by General Washington and French General Rochambeau, surrounded the British occupied Yorktown. Off the coast, French Admiral de Grasse naval fleet-controlled access to the Chesapeake Bay and the York River. Cornwallis’s surrender effectively e...

  • Star Party planned for Spring Canyon Oct. 25

    Oct 16, 2024

    You can explore the stars, planets, and the Milky Way Galaxy, all from Spring Canyon next week, when park rangers will offer a "constellation tour" followed by telescope viewing, the NPS announced recently. Pending good weather conditions on Oct. 25, plan to meet at the Upper Boat Launch Parking Lot at Spring Canyon, five minutes outside of Grand Coulee. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. to allow for maximum darkness. Keep in mind, it will be late at night, so use caution getting to and from...

  • Campfire ban lifted at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

    Oct 16, 2024

    Effective 12:01 am Friday, Oct. 18, campfires throughout Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area will be allowed again in established fire rings in campgrounds and day-use areas and on lakeshores below the high-water mark, the National Park Service announced Tuesday. Charcoal grills will also be allowed. Regulations require that beach campfires be less than 3 feet in diameter and at least 10 feet from the nearest beach logs, structure, or vegetation. “In addition, do not use or create rock rings for beach fires or dig pits for fires,” a rel...

  • Coulee Cops

    Oct 16, 2024

    Coulee Dam Police 10/6 - A state parks ranger requested an officer respond to SR-155 in the Electric City area where a woman in a disabled vehicle had claimed to have escaped from someone holding her against her will. She didn’t wish to provide any further details. Police stood by while she put gas in her vehicle and was able to drive off. - Police collected evidence of a man violating a no-contact court order with a woman. The evidence included letters left on the doorstep of a contact of the woman and a social media message. The letters ackno...

  • Raider sports roundup

    Oct 16, 2024

    Soccer The LR soccer team scored two wins in a row last week, including their first shutout. That was at home on Thursday, Oct. 10, when they won against Manson 5-0. "Goalies Taylor Thomas and Cora Nicholson share credit for LR's first shutout of the season," said Coach Solveig Chaffee. Shae Crollard scored three goals, "giving her a team-leading 14 on the season," Chaffee noted. "Nautika Brown and Halle Picard contributed one goal each. Kenzie Brown had an assist and Phenyx Marchand had three...

  • Legals

    Oct 16, 2024

    NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT Okanogan County Code Amendment 2023-1, Chapter 17A Zoning 2nd comment period following public hearing Notice is hereby given that Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development is releasing the second round of revisions to the Zone Code, Chapter 17A for public comment. Following the adoption of its Comprehensive Plan, Okanogan County proposed to make various updates to sections of the Okanogan County Code, Chapter 17A, Zoning. Early in 2024 a revision was made to the zone code, public comment accepted, and a public...