News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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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,...
The Grand Coulee City Council voted Nov. 19 to partially fund several requests from other organizations. From the city’s “stadium tax fund,” also known as lodging or hotel/motel tax fund, the city agreed to donate $8,000 to the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce for tourism promotion, $7,000 to The Ridge Riders for tourism promotion, and $4,000 to the Coulee Area Park & Recreation District. CAPRD manages North Dam Park, where several local events are held in addition to the recreation offered by the park. Additionally, the council appro...
EPHRATA — Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved a $291 million budget for 2020 with no electric-rate increase for any customer group except the approximately 25 cryptocurrency mining operations classified as “evolving industries,” the utility said in a press release Tuesday. A solid revenue outlook through 2024 and years of careful budgeting and planning have Grant PUD well-positioned to continue upgrades at Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams, ready the electric system for future growth, continue to invest in technology and exten...
Grand Coulee Police 11/18 - A shed at Sunbanks Lake Resort had been broken into where a truck, and about $5,000 worth of tools, including leaf blowers, an air compressor, propane tanks, and others were stolen. The truck was later located, having been towed by an Ephrata tow company. 11/19 - Two men on Dill Avenue argued. One of the men’s dogs was allegedly getting into the other’s yard. Each said they didn’t have any personal issues with the other but were frustrated with the dog situation. Guns were mentioned between the two but not used...
At the same meeting in which their public works director described the “dilapidated” state of some of Electric City’s water and sewer system, the city council voted to change the firm that plans and engineers major upgrades on those systems and more. The city council chose Century West Nov. 12 to be the city’s new engineering consultant firm, ending a 35-year relationship with Gray & Osborne, approving the recommendation of a committee tasked with comparing different engineering firms. That committee was made up of Mayor Elect Diane Kohout,...
KELLER – Keller Ferry users who travel across the Columbia River on State Route 21 will need to find alternate routes. The M/V Sanpoil will be removed from service starting Wednesday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 22, in order for crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to make permanent repairs to the hull and allow the United States Coast Guard to inspect the vessel During the closure the ferry will be moved to dry ground near the Keller Ferry Rest Area. While the ferry is out of the water, crews will weld cracks an... Full story
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...
Tribes buy Pasco land The Colville Tribes have bought 184 acres of land in Pasco and plan on developing it, the Tri-City Herald reported Friday. The land is east of U.S. 395 and north of the King City Truck Stop. The tribes are considering a casino there, or perhaps a water park, but may initially build a convenience store and gas station. A public signing of a cooperative agreement with the city was set for today, the paper reported. I-976 being challenged Multiple agencies including counties, cities, and transit authorities are challenging...
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...
Justin Miller has been selected as the new fire chief for the Electric City Volunteer Fire Department. Miller’s appointment to chief was approved by the Electric City Council at their Nov. 12 meeting. Miller has served on the department for 16 years and was a lieutenant prior to being appointed chief. Mark Payne, who was recently fired as chief, was present at the meeting and said that Miller would be a good selection, and that he feels Miller will do a good job. The council also approved a stipend to the fire chief of $25 per fire training o...