News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday to provide the Spokane Tribe of Indians compensation for the lands taken by the United States as part of the Grand Coulee Dam development project in the 1930s and 1940s. Having previously passed through the Senate, the bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. The bill was introduced by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05) “The Spokane Tribe...
Grand Coulee Police 12/4 - A policeman hit a deer with his patrol car along SR-174 near mile post 19, resulting in a slightly bent push bar and a small dent in the hood of his car. 12/6 - A man said that another man had dumped some yard debris on his property near Jackson and Lincoln Avenues in Electric City. The property owner said he’d asked him to move it in November, but it hadn’t been moved yet. - A dog was reported to be chained up in the cold on Roosevelt Drive. The dog was found to have a doghouse to sleep in, water to drink, and to...
Growing up on the Colville Indian Reservation, Andy Castrodale had no intention of staying in rural Eastern Washington. "I was going to get out and I wasn't coming back," he said. And yet, for 21 years he's been practicing family medicine in Grand Coulee. Castrodale laughed. "I also hadn't planned to be a physician." He studied microbiology as an undergrad at the University of Washington, thinking he might pursue physical therapy. "I spent the first three years trying to survive, feeling like th...
Readers can find our Christmas in the Coulee special section inside this issue of The Star, with suggestions to inspire a little local shopping and tips on what else to expect this season. Several of The Star's advertisers supported the section, just like they support local causes, from youth sports to senior needs. Give it a read and check them out. It's good for the community.... Full story
Police officers responding to a reported car crash in Coulee Dam Sunday morning found no sign of a driver, except for a blood trail. A Colville Tribal Police officer Coulee Dam Police Chief were following a trail that went nowhere as a reporter arrived. Neighbors later reported having seen the driver walk away from the seen at 1109 River Drive, which is also SR-155. The crash happened about 7:30 a.m., and when no driver could be found, the Washington State Patrol was asked to investigate. A WSP...
Justin and Alicia Miller smile after winning the costume contest at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Vintners' and Brewers' event Saturday night at the Vet's Center. The 60s-themed "sock hop" went well, with its mix of tasting, bidding, games and dining. The Millers' "milkman and desperate housewife" entry was a hit with the 180 people who attended. - Scott Hunter photo...
Holiday open house planned The Grand Coulee Public Library will hold a “Holiday Open House” Dec. 17, from 4-7 p.m. that will offer crafts, door prizes, goodies, Stories with Mrs. Claus and a visit from Santa. Food bank to close early The Care and Share Food Bank will be giving out Christmas dinner items on Dec. 20 next week and will be closed the following Friday, Dec. 27. More smoke possible Skies could get a little smokier this week after a ban on burning imposed by the state Dept. of Ecology expired Tuesday in several counties, inc... Full story
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) says a WSP-associated phone number is being “spoofed,” used by someone who leaves voicemail bomb threats with instructions to go to a suspicious website in an apparent scam attempt. The caller leaves a voicemail claiming to have placed explosive devices in several areas around the target they want to scare into visiting the website. There is no indication that these calls reflect any actual threat, but WSP advises anyone who receives a threatening call of any sort to call 911, WSP said in a press release. Repor...
Could Dam Federal Credit Union President Colleen Manly reacts as Merle Kennedy unwraps his blind auction winnings at the Grand Coulee Dam Rotary Club's annual Christmas party at the credit union December 4th. Members buy the items, then bid on them not knowing what they are. The auction raised about $2,100 that the club will put to community projects and to larger Rotary projects around the globe, such as the eradication of polio from the planet. In the background, member Roy Hamilton serves as...
A temporary closure of the Keller Ferry begins today, Dec. 4, making travelers between Keller and Wilbur follow an hour detour. They ferry will be closed until Dec. 23, while the Washington State Department of Transportation performs repairs on it. The closure of the M/V Sanpoil, is “for crews working for (WSDOT) to make permanent repairs to the hull and allow the United States Coast Guard to inspect the vessel,” an announcement on the WSDOT website says. “During the closure the ferry will be moved to dry ground near the Keller Ferry Rest...
The local hospital has an acute need to provide daycare for its employees, a circumstance that has led to the purchase of nearby grain elevators. Coulee Medical Center asked employees in a survey earlier this year about their need to find daycare for their children. Some 65 children of hospital employees would be served by a daycare if the hospital built one, concluded Chief Executive Officer Ramona Hicks. So that's now one of her goals. CMC has been successfully recruiting young professionals...
A woman who helped generations of members of the Colville Tribes pursue their educations died in a crash Friday night just north of Coulee Dam. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation held a remembrance event Tuesday in the auditorium of the Lucy F. Covington Center after the unexpected passing of longtime employee and tribal member Gloria Atkins. She was 70. "I've known Gloria my entire life," lamented Colville Business Council Chairman Rodney Cawston. "To not have her here,...
Grant Transit Authority, which provides bus services through Grant County, will be buying four more buses with federal grant money. The acquisition of those buses will not add any routes to the Grand Coulee Dam area. Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell announced Dec. 2 that the Washington State Department of Transportation will receive $3,932,622 in federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration “to provide improved bus service to rural areas across the state,” a press release from her office states. “WSDOT will receive funding for the r...
Are smartphones a hindrance to learning in the classroom, or an asset? A recent article in The Star reported on smartphone-related discussions at a recent Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting. That article directed readers to a poll on the topic to get their opinions. The article was also shared to The Star’s Facebook page asking people to take the poll. Although only receiving 30 responses, a variety of viewpoints were presented in the results, including those of two students, eight teachers or staff members, 13 parents, and seven w...
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...
Grand Coulee 11/26 - A man was taken to jail on a burglary charge. He was pulled over as he drove near the skate park at North Dam Park because his vehicle matched the description of one that may have been involved is a possible burglary that had been reported. He said he was the only one who had gone into a Lakeview Avenue home, although there were others in his vehicle, including one man who ran away towards Delano, ultimately eluding police, and who is wanted on arrest warrants. The driver said he only took some tools and car cleaning...
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,...
A 70-year-old Nespelem woman died Friday night when the car she was driving rolled on the highway just north of Coulee Dam. Gloria Atkins, 70, was headed north on SR-155 when the wheels of the Chevy Equinox she was driving left the roadway on the right. She corrected, turning left, then once again to the right before the vehicle rolled, a Washington State Patrol investigation found. It came to rest on its top on the northbound shoulder. Atkins was wearing a seatbelt. The wreck happened about... Full story
Authorities have closed SR-155 just north of Coulee Dam for a fatal collision tonight. Anyone traveling between Coulee Dam and points north should take the Lower River Road. The Washington State Department of Transportation issued a notice of the road closure, which started at 7:48 p.m. No other details are available now. Three Colville Tribal Police units were at the scene. The Washington State Patrol was reportedly en route to investigate and should issue a report in a few... Full story
With an ever-growing presence of smartphones and tablets in our lives, how do they fit into the school system? The topic of smartphones, and therefore social media, came up multiple times at the Grand Coulee Dam School District's Nov. 25 board meeting. Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School Principal Kirk Marshlain, in his report to the school board, spoke about a new practice on his side of the K-12 school complex: assigning unique passwords to students to access the internet, passwords... Full story
$5K offered for arsonist info The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for arsons of several haystacks around Grant County this year. To be eligible, the information must sent to crimetips@grantcountywa.gov, OR if the fire is in-progress, the information may be given to 9-1-1 dispatchers. The information must lead to both the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved. The sheriff’s office is also strongly encouraging all own...
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...
The local port district set a formal deadline of Dec. 31 for the sale of Banks Lake Golf Course to Rattlesnake Ridge to be completed. Grant County Port District 7, which manages the local airport and Banks Lake Golf Course, signed a purchase and sale agreement earlier this year to sell the golf course and some surrounding land to Rattlesnake Ridge for $1.8 million. The company gave the district $10,000 in earnest money toward the sale. District Commissioner and President Jim Keene said that he recently had told Scott Gerrits, the president of...
An Idaho man will spend 40 months in prison for an assault that took place on the Colville Indian Reservation, a federal judge decided Monday. Roberto Lewis Doran, 40, an enrolled member of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty in August to “Crime on Indian Reservation - Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury,” a statement from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said Monday. According to court documents, Doran and his girlfriend had been drinking at a neigh...
A local museum focused on honoring the people who make the community's history now has a collection of tools from a worker on display. Antique hammers and wrenches were donated by Robert McClure this month to the Coulee Pioneer Museum in Electric City. The hammers belonged to Delbert McClure, Robert's father, and a former mayor of Electric City in the late 1960s who also owned Del's Texaco there. Amanda Covey, who volunteers at the museum, which is open from 1-5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday,...