Newsbriefs

Star closed Monday

The Star will be closed for the Labor Day holiday Monday, Sept. 2. Deadline for community news is Friday at 5 p.m. Deadline for classfieds called in is also Friday. But classifieds submitted online at grandcoulee.com will be accepted through Monday.

New street plan for Grand Coulee?

Grand Coulee considering adoption of Complete Streets plan

The Grand Coulee City Council agreed Aug. 20 to consider adopting a “Complete Streets” plan that would help the city qualify for various grants. City Clerk Lorna Pearce told The Star that with the council agreeing to consider the idea, a plan can now be drafted for later approval by the council. The state Transportation Improvement Board’s Complete Streets Program has awarded grant money to Electric City and Elmer City.

The fire is finally out

The Williams Flats Fire was considered 100% contained as of Sunday, 23 days after it started by lightening above the north side of Lake Roosevelt east of the San Poil River and Keller Ferry.

The fire on the Colville Indian Reservation eventually burned 44,446 acres. The Northeast Washington Incident Management Team handed over management to the local firefighters for patrol Sunday night.

The public was still advised not to enter the fire area because trees weakened by fire “can fall suddenly,” and “hot deep ash pits can cause severe burns and are present throughout the burn area,” a fire update said.