Newsbriefs

She won

Natalie Nachtigal-Dennis won the jailhouse-style playhouse built for The Ridge Riders Saddle Club and raffled off. The playhouse raffle, which concluded as the playhouse was given away at the club’s junior rodeo July 16, raised about $1,200 for the club.

Fire near Keller now contained

A lightning-caused fire that burned eight miles southeast of Keller was 100 percent contained as of Sunday morning.

The 722-acre Redford Canyon fire, located just northeast of where the San Poil River empties into the Columbia, burned grass, sage, and timber. The lightning-caused fire was reported on July 15 at 4:50 a.m., according to a joint press release from the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Suppression costs for the fire are estimated at more than $2.4 million.

They answered a lot of calls

Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department answered five fire calls and 42 ambulance calls in June.

Fire Chief Richard Paris told the city council last Tuesday night that the department had 28 fire calls in the first half of this year.

Of the five fire calls in June, two were caused by electrical hazards, one was a controlled wildland fire, and two were mutual-aid calls for other departments involving a wildland fire and a mobile home fire. In ambulance service, eight calls were in Coulee Dam, 23 were in Grand Coulee and 11 were transports to out-of-town medical facilities.

Populations estimated

Grand Coulee has 35 more residents than Electric City and 45 fewer than Coulee Dam, according to new estimates by the state’s Office of Financial Management.

Grand Coulee has 1,055 residents and Electric City has 1,020. Coulee Dam’s population is estimated at 1,100, Elmer City’s at 290, and Nespelem’s at 245.

The annual state estimate was completed in April and released June 30.

While the local population remained virtually flat, the state as a whole gained 1.76 percent, or 126,600 persons, including 26,900 in Seattle.

OFM estimated the total state population at 7,310,300.

Gym to close

The Lake Roosevelt High School gym will be closed July 31 so the floor can be resurfaced. In another summer project for the school district, trees have been trimmed at the old Center School.