Newsbriefs

No pay for council

Electric City councilmembers voted not to pay themselves $20 a meeting and to not give Mayor John Nordine II a $50-a-month raise last Tuesday night.

Councilmember Lonna Bussert was adamant that she saw serving on the council as a public service. The other councilmembers agreed. The council twice before had voted down paying its members by the meeting. The council also voted not to increase the mayor’s salary from $250 a month to $300 a month. Wages of full-time staff members went up 1 percent for 2016, and this also passed the council.

A little help here…

The Coulee Pioneer Museum could use a little help from volunteers. Birdie Hensley told the Electric City council that she would like to see volunteers step up to help keep the museum open at least one day a week.

Food bank

date changed

The Care and Share Food Bank will not distribute food on Friday, Nov. 27, but will do so on Friday, Nov. 20, instead. Pastor Shawn Neider of the Zion Lutheran Church made the announcement.

Churches to

put on free

Thanksgiving Dinner

The Grand Coulee Church of the Nazarene and the Coulee Dam Community Church invites the public to their annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the Senior Center on Sunday, Nov. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. Their is no charge for the dinner.

City license tab

fees reported

Through September, the city of Electric City has taken in $7,840.80, through its Transportation Benefit District. Electric City receives $20 for each license tab sold to residents of the city.

City considers

marijuana change

Electric City has OK’d a draft proposal to change the distance required between a retail marijuana license and areas such as parks and schools. Due to a change in state law, licenses can be issued in locations ranging from 100 to 1,000 feet from parks and schools. Schools remain at 1,000 feet, but other locations can be determined by the cities involved. Electric City will schedule a public hearing on the matter before passage of any such ordinance.

It’s a scam

The Washington State Patrol reports it has received many calls about the agency supposedly soliciting donations. It doesn’t.

“Based on the information received from the public, the phone calls have been from individuals attempting to scam the public for money,” the agency stated in a press release Friday.

North Cascades

Highway closed

The state Dept. of Transportation closed the North Cascades Highway from 22 miles west of Winthrop to Newhalem Monday, after a blast of winter weather on Rainy Pass increased the potential for avalanche. It’s closed until spring.

Veterans service

fair offered

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that he will host a Veterans Service Fair on Friday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Yakima. Admission to the Veterans Service Fair is free of charge and open to all.