News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Chinook salmon have successfully spawned in the San Poil River for the first time in decades after Chief Joseph Dam and Grand Coulee Dam have "prevented the migration of salmon into the northern reaches of the Columbia River and its tributaries for nearly seven decades," The Tribal Tribune reported Oct. 29. In August, Colville Tribal Fish and Wildlife trapped and hauled 100 adult chinook salmon from Wells Fish Hatchery and released them into the San Poil River, a tributary of the Columbia, at...
The Colville Indian Reservation will soon have more internet access. The Colville Tribes is one of the first recipients of a spectrum license issued through the Federal Communications Commission and its Rural Tribal Window program. “This license provides the Tribes exclusive use of wireless spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band to connect communities on the Colville Reservation to wireless services,” a release from the tribes announced Tuesday. The Colville Tribes plans to implement this license by deploying wireless broadband in two phases. Phase one...
The construction of additional campsites at Steamboat Rock has resumed after a nearly four-year delay. The construction of 30 full-hookup RV sites at what will be called Cove Loop at Steamboat Rock State Park is on track to be finished in February of 2021, with the sites likely to be ready for campers in late spring or early summer next year, according to Dennis Felton, area manager for state parks in the Coulee Corridor, including Steamboat Rock, Sun Lakes-Dry Falls, and Potholes. A...
Let’s not risk losing Chris Branch as Okanogan County District 1 commissioner. I can confirm the complexity of an Okanogan County commissioner’s job, having taken notes at commissioners’ meetings since 2014. It includes such duties as writing and repealing laws; land use decisions; economic planning; coordinating over 20 departments, such as public works, the judicial system, emergency management; and more — including responsibility for an approximately $70 million budget. With this job, varied and extensive experience are crucial. Previou...
Update 9/16 11:55 a.m. The state Dept. of Ecology has extended the Air Quality Alert until noon Friday, although locally the air seems a lot less chewy (not a technical term) than it was before Tuesday. And it is only unhealthy currently, as opposed to outright hazardous. Good news: The Natonal Weather Service has co-opted the data from PurpleAir.com, which uses cheaper, but plentiful, air monitors. They've put up a useful new fire and smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/?la... Full story
Lawrence J. "Larry" Whalawitsa, 68, born Monday, August 11, 1952, in Nespelem, Washington, to Lawrence E. and Sophie Dick-Whalawitsa, passed away Monday morning, August 31, 2020, in Spokane, Washington. A proud member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Larry bravely served in the US Army, during which time he was awarded "The Purple Heart" after being wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy. He was then employed for many years with "Ethel M Chocolates" in Las Vegas, Nevada,... Full story
Sept. 11, 9:30 a.m. update: The Cold Springs Fire is now at 187,689 acres and is 25% contained, according to a Sept. 10 update from the Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team. Power companies are working on replacing poles and to restore power in affected areas. "Priorities today will focus on the area east of Omak Lake and the Haley Lake area," the update says. "This area is where the most fire activity is and firefighters on the ground will be assisted by bucket operations... Full story
The Colville Tribes is working to address the problem of students in the Nespelem area not having access to the internet while schools are switching to a distance-learning model of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nespelem School District board of directors Aug. 26 approved allowing the Tribes to build an internet tower on school grounds, something that Superintendent/Principal Effie Dean said would bring internet access to the town of Nespelem. And beyond the town people could create “hotspots” using their phones, altogether bri... Full story
Janet Louise Nicholson age 66, proud member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, whose life was spent in service to the her nation, passed away in Elmer City, Washington Tuesday morning August 25, 2020 surrounded by her loving family. Born Saturday, August 21, 1954 in Nespelem, Washington to Isaac & Marie Covington–Wak Wak, Janet was baptized into the Catholic Church, was a member of Seven Drums – “Washaat,” and American Legion Post 114 of Nespelem, Washington. First employed by the tribal government at age 14 years; Janet w... Full story
Census takers will be visiting homes on the Colville Indian Reservation between now and Sept. 30, the Colville Tribes said last week. “The visits are designed to reach every household which has not yet completed their 2020 census form and give every resident an opportunity to participate in the census,” an Aug. 21 press release states. “While the Reservation is closed to non-essential visitors, the census enumerators are deemed essential and are permitted access to the Reservation due to the importance of census participation.” Rodney Cawston,...
Effie Dean, superintendent and principal at Nespelem Elementary School, carries another load of three meals (hot dog, chips and watermelon) to a waiting parent's car Monday night. She and school board member Nancy Armstrong-Montes, left, handled the food table, while teachers and staffers in the background were ready to hand out information packets. The school normally opens the year with an orientation barbecue day but couldn't because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school board is set to...
Update 8/13/20 Firefighters say the Lower Coyote Creek Fire is now about 65 % contained and they will begin mop-up operations today, following a successful night of eliminating hotspots and cutting down unburned snags and material in the fire area, which has now been mapped at 2,580 acres. The Northeast Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has had 11 hand crews, 20 engines, four dozers, a pump cat and one skidgine on the fire, all watching out for hazards like dangerous snags, mine shafts and...
Due to a Red Flag Warning for fire conditions and potential changes to fire behavior, a Level 1 evacuation order has been placed on the area between Redthunder-Cutoff Road, Mill Creek Road, to Harrison Ranch Road on the Lower Coyote Creek Fire burning about four miles west of Nespelem. A map of the fire shows the evacuation zone northeast of the burn area and northwest of the town of Nespelem. It straddles SR-155 and includes at least 15 "structure address points." Isabelle D. Hoygaard, DNR... Full story
A fire that started Thursday afternoon near the tribal greenhouses near the Columbia River east of the Colville Indian Agency moved rapidly over dry hills to Schoolhouse Loop Road about two miles away, burned the tribal recycling center and threatened the correctional facility, the school, the tribal archives and the town itself, the Mt. Tolman Fire Center said. By evening, the blaze had burned about 1,200 acres of grass, sage and bitter brush as winds pushed it quickly across steep slopes...
City of Electric City CALL FOR BIDS FOR 2018 JEEP RENEGADE The City of Electric City will sell by sealed bid the following: 2018 Sport Utility Jeep Renegade with approximately 5,900 miles on odometer, minimum bid is $17,000. The vehicle is being sold AS IS and is available for viewing. Please call City Hall at (509) 633-1510 to make an appointment during normal operating hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00am– 5:00pm). Bids must be submitted on the City supplied bid form which may be obtained at Electric City City Hall or online at ww... Full story
Update 3 p.m. 7/24/20: Level 3 evacuations have been lifted in the Nespelem-to-agency area today, but Level 2 Evacuation has been issued for the area north of Nespelem from the Catholic Cemetery to the Jackson Ranch off SR-155. People in that area are warned of “significant danger” and asked to “consider voluntarily relocating to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area.” There’s a Red Flag Warning for fire weather today until 8 p.m. for gusty winds and low relative humidity...
Two proposals for drive-through coffee stands are being considered by the town council in Coulee Dam, each by different would-be entrepreneurs who must navigate the murky waters of city and tribal regulations and interests. Dan Moomaw and Casey Garvin each attended a call-in city council meeting July 8 and may again be at tonight’s 6 p.m. call-in meeting (July 22). Moomaw has attended several this year, expressing frustration at not being able to meet in person and lay out plans for discussion. Garvin last week pulled out a 2018 business p...
Quarantine orders can be difficult for some to contend with. Not necessarily the case for Colville Reservation 4-H members! These young people have plenty of activities to keep them busy. Besides their distance learning school assignments, many 4-H members have daily chores and a variety of projects to work on. 4-H is a year-around Positive Youth Development program. Caring volunteers help to provide a safe environment for 4-H members to learn, explore, and gain life-skills through their various projects. These 4-H projects are as varied as the...
The Colville Tribes responded Monday to inquiries regarding continuing layoffs at the tribes, as well as the use of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act money towards a new rehabilitation center being built in Keller. In April, the CBC announced in a letter that the Colville Tribes as well as the Colville Tribal Federal Corporation had temporarily laid off nearly 600 employees as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Some employees were posting further layoff notices on social media last week. Regarding the... Full story
The Colville Business Council, the governing body of the Colville Tribes, swore in four newly elected candidates and three incumbents July 9 in a quiet ceremony that has previously been a much larger occasion. Seven of the CBC’s 14 positions came up for election this year for two-year terms. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Tribal Tribune reported, a minimum number of people attended the swearing in at the Lucy F. Covington Government Center on the Colville Tribal Agency near Nespelem. Attendees maintained six-foot distances from each o...
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...
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
The 12 Tribes Coulee Dam Casino said tonight that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19, so the casino has closed for three to 10 days for “extensive sanitizing.” The casino posted the announcement on its website and Facebook pages. The casino closed at 7 p.m. Thursday night, June 18. “We are working to do an extensive sanitizing of 12 Tribes Coulee Dam Casino and will remain closed at this time until further notice,” said Chief Executive Officer Kary Nichols in a statement on their website. “We thank our communities for their support a... Full story
Final results are in for the Colville Business Council primary elections in which seven of the 14 positions for the governing body of the Colville Tribes are up for election. On Thursday, absentee votes were added to the total vote counts, and the top two winners in each race will move onto the general election. They are listed first in the following: In the Nespelem District Position #1 race, Andrew C. Joseph Jr received 328 votes; incumbent Janet Wak Wak Nicholson received 159; Justin Boyd received 141; and Lily “Teen” Stanger received 125...
Final results are in for the Colville Business Council primary elections in which seven of the 14 positions for the governing body of the Colville Tribes are up for election. On Thursday, absentee votes were added to the total vote counts, and the top two winners in each race will move onto the general election. In the Keller District Position #1 race, incumbent Joseph Somday received 119 votes; Randolph Tonasket received 54 votes; and Terri Covington received 19 votes. In the Nespelem District Position #1 race, Andrew C. Joseph Jr received 328...