News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Those interested in the local airport for one reason or another, especially those representing organizations, can anticipate a meeting in April to discuss the Grand Coulee Dam Airport’s draft master plan. At their Jan. 30 meeting, Grant County Port District 7 commissioners discussed wanting to bring in people from various entities, such as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, the Colville Tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Army Corps of Engineers, the hospital, local cities, and more, to participate in a...
Grant County Conservation District PUBLIC NOTICE The Grant County Conservation District Board of Supervisors hereby informs the voting public that the incumbent has been re-elected to the currently open seat by reason of being the only person filing for the position by the filing deadline. Therefore, no poll site, absentee balloting or mail balloting will be performed pursuant to WAC 135-110-370. For further information, please contact the District at (509) 765-9618. (Publish February 5, 2020) PUBLIC NOTICE The Grant County roadside spray... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee wants to renegotiate a contract under which city police provide law enforcement services to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for nearly $600,000 a year. The city is currently operating on a six-month extension on a contract that expired in November of 2019, a contract in which the city’s police provide additional security at the Grand Coulee Dam. That contract adds four additional officers to the Grand Coulee Police Department, which serves Grand Coulee and Electric City, for a total of eight officers, plus a reserve o...
A year ago, much of America’s heartland was inundated by Missouri River flood waters. At least 1 million acres of U.S. farmland in nine major grain-producing states were under water. More than 14 million people were impacted. Damage exceeded $1 billion. With 11 dams on the Missouri, why was the flooding so severe? Why didn’t the dams absorb the excess waters? Its dams are above the flooded areas. The last impoundment is at Gavins Point Dams in South Dakota, and heavy rainfall and snow melts wer...
It's been a year filled with news. The Star carried more than 1,200 stories in 2019. Here's a look back at some of them that range from city council dramas to national music awards. Jan. 16 - Bob Poch named mayor in Coulee Dam Coulee Dam has a new mayor. Bob Poch was elected by the city council last week to take the place of Larry Price, who resigned Dec. 6, 2018. - New operator will re-open Grand Theatre - The Coulee will see an increase in arts and culture with the return of the Grand Theatre... Full story
Richard Thomas Borup of Wichita Falls, Texas, formally of Electric City, Washington, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, in Wichita Falls. Richard was born in Boise, Idaho, on October 20, 1931, to Henry Julius and Melta (Taylor) Borup. He attended Boise High School in Boise, Idaho. Upon graduation, Richard enlisted in the United States Air Force and served his country proudly from 1948 to 1952. Richard then worked as a driller for the United States B... Full story
An unexplained phenomenon took place 35 years ago on a farm on a plateau west of Omak Lake in which a three-ton piece of earth was lifted out of the ground, landing some 73-feet away. It's still a mystery. No signs of machinery were seen near the 10-foot by 7-foot hole, nor near the relocated piece of earth, which is said to have fit the hole like a jigsaw puzzle piece, like it was cut with a giant cookie cutter. Greg Behrens, who worked as a geologist for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the...
As temperatures begin to dip Monday night, firefighters douse a fire along the Elmer City Access Road Monday night that burned what was beleived to be a mobile home unoccupied for years. Okanogan County Fire District 2 Chief Dave Finch said he didn't want to speculate on a cause of the fire. "I do appreciate my neighbors in the fire-fighting community," Finch said. "Turnout was really great." Units and firefighters also responded from Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,...
The Grand Coulee City Council voted last week to extend their contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to keep a portion of B Street closed for up to another year during construction of the bureau’s new fire station. The council discussed some of the frustration of closing the street for another year at their Nov. 19 council meeting. Councilmember Tom Poplawski said he’d like to add a penalty clause that says the bureau has to pay a penalty if the project isn’t done before the end of 2020. Councilmember Mike Horne agreed that would be a...
A proposed $1.4 billion hydropower project is looking more likely to happen in the area, its promoters say, and would bring in 1,000-1,500 workers during construction and create 100-150 permanent jobs. The Banks Lake Pumped Storage Project would be a gravity-fed, pumped-storage system, draining water from Banks Lake, back down to Lake Roosevelt, turning generators in the process, and later pumping the water back up to Banks Lake. One or two penstock pipes, up to 35 feet in diameter, would run...
If you felt a little shaking Monday morning, that wasn't just a big truck passing by. The region felt an earthquake at about 10:49 a.m. Monday, centered about 15.5 miles southwest of Coulee Dam. The U.S. Geological Survey website indicates the shaking was reported by nine "citizen scientists" from Tonasket to Davenport. The magnitude 3.5 quake was likely centered about a mile underground, west of Banks Lake in Douglas County, roughly halfway down the length of the lake, according to data on the...
A garage fire in Grand Coulee was extinguished before it spread on Monday afternoon, causing mostly smoke damage, with no one suffering any injuries. “It could have been way worse,” Marjie Gallagher said about the fire that she said was caused by a wood stove. Her husband, Don, has power tools in the garage at their home on Roosevelt Drive, she said, among lots of other stuff, but she wasn’t sure of the extent of the damage yet. “It’s just a big mess, really,” she said, adding that they are still able to stay in their house and aren’t in n...
Readers responding to an online poll are split on the idea of changing to a four-day week at Lake Roosevelt Schools, with most being against it. An article in last week’s Star described a nuanced discussion that took place among Grand Coulee Dam School District board members and the superintendent on the topic of going to a four-day school week. The discussion touched on some of the ramifications of making such a change, including how it would affect childcare and how long it would extend the school day. Although clear answers on these q...
What if every weekend were a three-day weekend for students and staff at Lake Roosevelt Schools? If a four-day week were implemented, how would that affect childcare? How would that affect school days? The topic was discussed at the Oct. 15 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting. Numerous ramifications were discussed, but the consensus was to take the pulse of those who would be affected. Superintendent Paul Turner noted that the Bureau of Reclamation has already been on a four-day work week, and that the Colville Tribes have recently... Full story
State, federal, and tribal governments will come together next week on Lake Roosevelt for the first on-the-ground exercise in the Columbia River basin to prepare for an infestation of non-native mussels that cause millions in damage in Eastern waters and are now expected to make their way here. Invasive quagga and zebra mussels are small, non-native, freshwater mollusks that have caused significant environmental and economic harm in the United States. First arriving in the Great Lakes in the...
Workers on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation fire station being built along SR-155 is anticipated to be completed in April of 2020, according to Public Affairs Specialist Lynne Brougher. "The weather is not a factor in completing the project," she said. "The construction crew will continue to work on the facility until it is finished." Northcon Construction resumed work on the $13.6 million project after a previous company's contract was terminated following numerous delays. - Jacob Wagner...
A BMW sits in the middle of the intersection of Fir and Sixth Streets in Coulee Dam at 8:30 Saturday morning after suddently catching fire. No one was hurt. Units from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Coulee Dam Fire Department responded. A police officer at the scene said the car belonged to someone just going to work. — Scott Hunter photo...
In North Central Washington, the Columbia River is the cornerstone of life. But even more important is the infrastructure that makes up the Columbia Basin Project. Grand Coulee dam provides electricity, flood control, and recreation and the ditches and canals deliver water to fields — all critical to the economic vitality of our communities. In the 1930s, President Roosevelt had the vision. The Columbia Basin Project would bring families to settle the land, make it productive, and supply the country with food. At the same time our country n...
Fireworks won’t be banned from Electric City, the result of a discussion last week considering such an action by the city council. Citizen and firefighter Ken Dexter told the city council Aug. 13 that he was speaking for himself and Electric City Fire Chief Mark Payne when he made a few points against a possible ordinance outright banning fireworks within city limits. “The main reason we are against this fireworks ordinance is we don’t want to drive people outside the city,” Dexter said. “My main concern is we don’t want to drive people out...
The Coulee Dam Police Department last week took part in National Night Out, a sort of meet and greet event that takes place each August nationwide at thousands of police departments who interact with their communities in a casual way. Coulee Dam Police Chief Paul Bowden said that in 15 years in law enforcement, he had not yet taken part in National Night Out and decided it was time to do so. He plans to do so again next year. "It's just for people to come out and meet us, know where we're...
Two fires were started early Tuesday by suspected arson in the Osborne Bay area near the gravel pit on the east side of SR-155 on July 30. Electric City Fire Chief Mark Payne said there were two fires started about a quarter mile apart in the area. Outbuildings and recreational vehicles in the area were threatened, he said. A man camping there told police he smelled smoke half an hour after a vehicle, possibly a Jeep, had driven through his camp early in the morning, according to Officer Adam Florenzen of the Grand Coulee Police Department....
Grant Coulee turned down the idea of turning over a stretch of B Street to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation near where USBR’s new fire station is being built. The idea came up in May at the city’s council meeting with possible benefits including not having to maintain the road and putting the dollar savings towards other streets. B Street is currently closed from where it intersects Division Street to SR-155 because of construction on the USBR fire station being built along SR-155. The street is also used as an alternative route through and aro...
Lake Roosevelt Schools' SHARP Kids program, which includes academic as well as hands-on activities, will continue for another five years after receiving a grant that will fund the program with approximately $270,000 a year via the 21st Century grant. "Through the efforts of a substantial number of people in our school and community, and outside of our community (including grant writer Joyce Garrett out of Wenatchee), we were awarded the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant," said Nancy...
The gate for access to Marina Way on the east side of Grand Coulee Dam and Lake Roosevelt will close at 7:30 p.m. each day through Sept. 1, instead of access being open from dawn until dusk. “The decision for closing access to Marina Way in the evening is not a result of funding, but rather a desire to more efficiently use the Security Response Force staff at Grand Coulee Dam,” Public Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lynne Brougher told The Star in an email. Brougher said that security personnel are looking into opt...
An electrical fire started outside and worked its way to the room of an older home on West Grand Avenue in Electric City June 28, where no one was injured. Electric City’s fire department was assisted by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Grand Coulee fire fighters in putting out the fire that started at 3:33 p.m. No one was injured in the fire, which was suspected to have started near the outside meter, then worked its way to the house, Electric City Fire Chief Mark Payne said. There was a lot of smoke damage throughout the house, plus water d...