Newsbriefs

Bridge inspection may slow traffic

State Dept. of Transportation bridge technicians will use an under-bridge inspection truck for a regularly scheduled structural and safety inspection of the bridge over the feeder canal on SR 174 in Grand Coulee on Thursday.

The work is scheduled for Thursday only, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Drivers should expect short delays with single-lane, flagger-controlled traffic.

County-wide burn restrictions lifted

The Grant County Board of Commissioners and fire marshal announced Tuesday that county-wide burn restrictions were lifted Sept. 30. An ordinance passed last month put in place an automatic restriction on outdoor burning from June 1 to Sept. 30 each year within the unincorporated areas of the county.

Although the ban is lifted, the use of burn barrels is strictly prohibited; only natural vegetation may be burned (no household garbage).

The lifting of the burn ban, however, does not change the burning restrictions that have been imposed by the State Department of Ecology for all cities and within Urban Growth Areas, leaving Grand Coulee and Electric City off limits to outdoor burning.

Recreation sites closing for winter

Two Bureau of Reclamation recreational facilities in central Washington will be closing for the winter season. Scooteney Park campground in Franklin County and Summer Falls Day Use Recreation Area in Grant County will be shut down on Oct. 17. They are scheduled to reopen in spring 2018. However, the Day Use Area and boat ramps at Scooteney Reservoir will remain open until snowfall closes them.

Rodeo looking for spring royalty

Nespelem Junior Rodeo Royalty tryouts for 2018 will be held Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m., at the Nespelem Rodeo Grounds. A potluck luncheon will be held, with the NJRA supplying hamburgers and drinks. The royalty age limit is 7-18 years of age as of Jan. 1, 2018.

For tryout forms, contact Dorothy at 978-9073, Sindy at 634-4395 or Bev at 322-7848.