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Articles from the December 13, 2017 edition


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  • School superintendent reports on discipline issue

    Roger S. Lucas|Dec 13, 2017

    Superintendent Paul Turner responded to staff concerns on discipline issues at Monday night’s Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting. Turner told the board, and about 25 staff members who were present, that he has had “time to reflect on the outpouring of discipline issues raised by a large number of Public Service Employees (PSE) that appeared in November.” Turner stated that what he heard from parents at that meeting was: - There needs to be better communication by district officials; - there are questions of how officials apply...

  • Craft bazaar well attended

    Dec 13, 2017

    Kathy Rice shops at Patty Williams' table at the Seniors' Bazaar Saturday, where Williams was selling her sewn items, including hand towels, many of which had been stolen a week earlier. Williams hurried to make more to replace those lost. The bazaar was reportedly well attended. - Scott Hunter photo...

  • Potential buyer still interested in Center School

    Roger S. Lucas|Dec 13, 2017

    A party who was interested in purchasing the Center School property, but walked away from signing a sales agreement at the last school board meeting, said Monday that he is still interested. “It all has to do with the price,” Elijah Kleimenov stated. The Grand Coulee Dam School District had drawn up a sales agreement for $150,000, the amount that the school has in the property, but the deal fell through at an earlier meeting. At the time Kleimenov said that he “wasn’t ready to make the deal.” Monday he said that the school district needed to...

  • Mayor's mother seated on council again

    Roger S. Lucas|Dec 13, 2017

    Carol Nordine was installed as a member of the Electric City council at its monthly meeting Tuesday night. She takes the place of Jeremy Miller, who resigned his position recently, and who stated he plans to build a home outside the city limits. He had replaced Brad Parrish, who resigned when his wife, Diana, took a position as deputy clerk in the city. Nordine, who is the mother of John Nordine II, the mayor of the city, had served on the council on one other occasion when she was selected to fill out an unexpired term. Nordine had run for...

  • Newsbriefs

    Dec 13, 2017

    Attendance down at schools Attendance at Grand Coulee Dam schools is running under budget estimates for December. The budget estimate was for an average of 707 students. December’s report showed attendance at 700.9 full-time-equivalent students. The ninth grade and fifth grade continue to be the largest grade levels. The fifth grade showed 70.61 FTEs, while the ninth grade showed 72. Pot-impaired driver rear-ends trooper Washington State Patrol Trooper Conner Bruchman sustained minor injuries when he was rear-ended by an impaired driver on U...

  • A call for local electric car chargers

    Jacob Wagner|Dec 13, 2017

    Grand Coulee, a pioneer of green energy because of the dam, may take another step towards a green future by installing an electric vehicle charger, which is also being advocated as a tourism booster. Marlene Oddie, owner of KISSed Quilts in Grand Coulee, is interested in installing an electric vehicle (EV) charging port near her business. Oddie said the process takes a lot of time to do right, but once installed would then put the Grand Coulee Dam area on the map for tourists with electric...

  • Electric City voters to choose park names

    Roger S. Lucas|Dec 13, 2017

    Residents along McNett Avenue could have a Mammoth in their backyard, and residents along Grand Avenue could have a Mastodon in theirs. Those are among the names suggested for two proposed parks in Electric City. Residents in the city will get a chance to name their parks in a citywide vote sometime in 2018. The city’s parks advisory committee, made up of Cindy Greely, Clark Perman, Lonna Bussert, Ben Palma and Brad Parrish, have come up with three name choices for each park. For the McNett Avenue park, they narrowed the names to Fossil River,...

  • Man injured while building pipe bomb

    Dec 13, 2017

    A 55-year-old Soap Lake man was hospitalized after being injured Friday evening by a pipe bomb he was building inside his home, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Saturday. Neighbors near the 100 block of Adrian Avenue Northwest in Lakeview called deputies around 6 p.m. to complain about the sound of fireworks, the sheriff’s office said. As deputies were investigating, staff at Ephrata’s Columbia Basin Hospital called to report that a man had been driven to the emergency room suffering from blast injuries and shrap...

  • Old high school doors to be replaced

    Roger S. Lucas|Dec 13, 2017

    Several doors need to be replaced in the old portion of Lake Roosevelt High School, Superintendent Paul Turner told the Grand Coulee Dam School District board Monday night. The board finally agreed to replace three double doors and one single door, at a cost of about $12,000. That still leaves seven more doors on the old high school wing that need to be replaced, Turner said. “Those doors have served our school since the late 1940s,” Turner said. The district had sought a bid to replace all the doors that needed to be replaced, but it came in...

  • Local public lands being privatized by big farm

    Gay Northrup|Dec 13, 2017

    There’s an elephant in the room, and its name is Gebbers Farms or “Gamble et al” in court documents! Our public lands are once again under threat of privatization by Gebbers Farms — this time, over six miles of French Creek Road, which provides access to our public lands and an escape route from natural disasters for those who live in the area. But this appears of no concern to Gebbers Farms. You may say that I do not live on, or even close by, to this road, but that is not the issue. In addition to public land access, French Creek Road has lon...

  • Re: "City passes moratorium on new storage units"

    Diane Babler|Dec 13, 2017

    Mini-storage in a prime retail business location? Terrible plan. Please, City Council, don’t allow this. There are plenty of mini-storage options in this community already. Diane Babler...

  • Re: "Tribal leader offended by Trump's 'Pocahontas' comment"

    Heather Catherine Irvine|Dec 13, 2017

    I was insulted too. These elders are such an important part of our country’s history and should be treated like royalty for their service. They are a dying breed. Did not like that he used this opportunity to be cheap and tacky. No wonder our youth does not value the importance of our history when the President mocks people on live television. Heather Catherine Irvine...

  • PUD positioning for future needs

    Kevin Nordt|Dec 13, 2017

    Affordable and reliable energy is one of the main drivers of our rapidly-expanding economy in Grant County. As stewards entrusted with the care and operations of your local public utility district, we take our job seriously. A decade ago, no one could have imagined that we would serve some of the world’s largest and most diverse companies. Over this past decade, our county’s demand for energy has grown by over 60 percent. We anticipate similar growth over the coming years. With such a whirlwind of opportunity in the area, we are positioning our...

  • Careers and life do mix

    Jesse Utz|Dec 13, 2017

    In case you had not heard yet, I got a new job at the school this year. I am the Pathways Coordinator at Lake Roosevelt. With that comes a couple of very big boots to fill. Those boots belonged to Cathy Krohn and Tiffany Gerard, who paved the way, set up all the groundwork and established and cultivated the program. There are many moving parts that I am responsible for, and one of those things is Career Day. So Career Day is an opportunity for experts in their fields to come into Lake Roosevelt...

  • And the snow fell, a little

    Bob Valen|Dec 13, 2017

    Early November teased us a little bit with measurable snowfall that apparently has stalled. Not to worry, ski fans and snow junkies, it will snow again. I spent some time looking at what winter may look like here in the Coulee. The discussions about La Niña, a recurring event that has a direct result on global weather, are stating some weaknesses, with “only a 65-75 percent chance that it will continue at least through the winter. Similar to last winter, the event is predicted to be re...

  • Susan McGee Haydock

    Dec 13, 2017

    Susan McGee Haydock passed away on Friday, December 8, 2017. She is survived by her husband, Jack Haydock; daughter, Kristen Fadich; son-in-law, Matt Fadich; son, Will Jackson; daughter, Courtney Jackson; and four grandchildren....

  • Donald F. Sheely

    Dec 13, 2017

    Donald Floyd Sheely of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away Tuesday, October 31, 2017. He was born August 1, 1931, in Wenatchee, Washington, to H. Floyd and Jennie Thulon Sheely. Don grew up in Grand Coulee, Washington. The Sheely family was one of the early residents there; father Henry was one of the first employees and hauled the first load of dirt on the Grand Coulee Dam project. The family home was there until 1964. Don was in the local Boy Scout troop that climbed Glacier Peak; he earned the...

  • Geology of the Cheney and Palouse Falls fracture zones

    Dec 13, 2017

    Fracture zones in Columbia River Basalts were recognized by Native Americans and were depicted on the earliest geologic maps of the area. Yet we don’t know what causes them or how they relate to earthquake hazards or groundwater aquifers. EWU Prof. Chad Pritchard will describe recent structural geology research on the Cheney and Palouse Falls fracture zones completed by Eastern Washington University students and others investigating regional fault systems. Dr. Pritchard spoke to us last year about the book he co-authored, “Washington Roc...

  • Students of the month

    Dec 13, 2017

    November students of the month at Nespelem School include, from left, top row: Ema Bearcub, Harlen Dick; middle row: Jennilia Whitetemple, Rylin Michel, Virgil Bearcub; bottom row: Russell Simpson, Brooklyn Tillman, Lelesa Swimptkin, Anela Somday. Not pictured: Edward Dick, Aiden Picard...

  • Senior Meals

    Dec 13, 2017

    Wed., Dec. 13 - Dinner Glazed Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Winter Blend Vegetables, Fruit Salad & Roll, Potluck Dessert, X-MAS Dinner Thurs., Dec. 14 - Dinner Pulled Pork Sandwich, Salad & Fruit Bar, Granola Bar Fri., Dec. 15 - Breakfast Bacon, Eggs, Hash Browns, Toast, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice Mon., Dec. 18 - Breakfast Ham Scramble, Hash Browns, Toast, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice Tues., Dec. 19 - Dinner Shepherds Pie, Three Bean Salad, Mixed Fruit, Flip Flop Jello Wed., Dec. 20 - Dinner Pot Roast with Gravy, Potatoes, Corn, Carrots, Applesauce, Cake,...

  • Meetings and Notices

    Dec 13, 2017

    Chamber at Siam Palace The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon, this Thursday, December 14, at the Siam Palace in Grand Coulee. Lynda Stead will be the guest speaker, and will talk about her new Dream Builder program. Lions Club To Meet The GCD Lions Club will be meeting at 6 p.m., at the Melody Restaurant, Tuesday, December 19. Coulee Creators Meet Coulee Creators meet every Tuesday 1-4 p.m. Sew-ins have returned to 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays. Class schedule is available for the new season. A couple blocks of the month programs...

  • Wrestlers show skills, placing in Connell Tournament

    Jacob Wagner|Dec 13, 2017

    Raider wrestlers hosted the LR Mix & Match Dec. 6, then participated in the Connell Invite and the Warden Women's Invite on Dec. 9. At Connell, the Raiders earned several medals, including two for first place, one second place, three thirds, and a fourth. The Raiders hosted wrestlers from Wilbur/Creston/Keller, Okanogan, and Davenport high schools Dec. 6. "There were some great battles out there," Head Coach Steve Hood said. "The other coaches were pleased with the matches they got." Most...

  • Ladies win one of three after regaining basics

    Jacob Wagner|Dec 13, 2017

    In the past week the Lady Raiders lost an away game to Brewster, and a home game to Liberty Bell, before winning big in Soap Lake. In Brewster against the Lady Bears on Dec. 5, LR lost 68-52. "It was just one of those games, back and forth," Head Coach Wallace "Peewee" Pleasants said. "We had a two-minute stretch where we had six turnovers in a row and went from a four-point game to a 16-point game. Once we got that corrected, we just weren't able to close that gap." Hosting Liberty Bell on...

  • Raider boys win two of three

    Jacob Wagner|Dec 13, 2017

    The Raider basketball team played three games in the past week, losing to Brewster on the road, defeating Liberty Bell at home, then beating the Eagles in Soap Lake. In Brewster on Dec. 5, the Raiders lost 64-44 against the brutal Brewster Bears. "We knew going in that they're the team to beat," Raider Head Coach Jeremy Crollard said. "They're well coached, they're very disciplined. The thing that did us in was the third quarter, we had 12 turnovers. Their lead went from five (points) to 21...

  • Buses pass state inspection

    Roger S. Lucas|Dec 13, 2017

    School buses passed a surprise state inspection recently, school mechanic Levi Seylor advised the school board Monday night. Normally, Seylor told the board, inspections are made in the summer months. This time the district buses got a surprise inspection and passed it with only some minor problems, Seylor stated in his report to the board. The surprise inspection was of 25 percent of the district’s bus fleet. If a bus fails to pass inspection it is immediately taken out of commission. Seylor went on to report that he has passed his G1 c...

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