“We are excited about the move to the Rio Grande Valley and our mission to field a championship-caliber team every season remains the same,” said team President Bill Stewart. “The area has a great hockey tradition and we believe that the region and the surrounding community will embrace and support the NAHL.  We intend to keep a priority on being heavily involved in the community and know that the product we put on the ice will be entertaining and in an atmosphere that is family-friendly.”

Stewart said that current Wenatchee Wild head coach Bliss Littler and his staff are expected to be part of the relocation.  “We have full intentions right now to bring Coach Littler and his staff with us.  They have built us into a National Championship contender and we believe that can continue with the team in the Rio Grande Valley.”

“As we continue to solidify and strengthen our footprint in the South, the Rio Grande Valley and communities of Hidalgo and McAllen have established themselves as those that can fully support an NAHL team,” said Mark Frankenfeld, Commissioner of the North American Hockey League. “We are excited about the local and regional rivalries that will be enhanced by this relocation and look forward to introducing the exciting NAHL brand of hockey to the Rio Grande Valley.”

The Killer Bees will play their home games out of State Farm Arena. The $20-million multi-purpose complex features a 6,800-seat arena that configures up to 5,500-seats for ice hockey, football and soccer and a center stage concert capacity of 6,800-seats. The arena also features 25 suites and 500 club seats. The property also includes 2,200 surface parking spaces on site, as well as a 2,000-square-foot lounge with access from outside of the arena, as well as 1,000-square foot bar and 300-square-foot pro shop. A presentation to and final approval by the USA Hockey junior council is expected in June.

Since the late 1980s, Quincy Junior High School has included a water safety, boating safety, and canoe class as part of their 8th grade physical education curriculum. The school received national recognition for their efforts during the early years of their program. The Sheriff’s Office Marine program has participated with this effort assisting with instruction and providing a safety boat when students are on the water with the canoes and kayaks.

This year the Sheriff’s marine deputies will also instruct the State boater education course at the Quincy Junior High School after the normal school day is completed. Completion of a Washington State-approved course is required for persons operating vessels of 15 horsepower or more. The requirement is being phased in based on a person’s age. This year persons 50 years old and younger are required to have completed the course. Next year all persons born after January 1, 1955 will have to complete the course. Persons born before 1955 are exempt from the boater education requirement. All boaters who have not completed the course are encouraged to do so.

The Quincy Junior High School class is designed for students, teachers and staff at the schools but is also open to the public. Members of the public who would like to attend need to register with the Sheriff’s Office at 509-754-2011 extension 468 or bpoplawski@co.grant.wa.us. Persons from the school who wish to participate need to register with Teresa Goninan at the school. Registration assures available materials and space. There is no cost to participate in the course.

The Sheriff’s Office offers the instruction of these boater education courses because we see the positive impact occurring with boat operators on the water. Boaters’ understanding of the navigation rules, the boating equivalent of the rules of the road, is an essential element in accident reduction and the enjoyment of our waters.

The District’s hedging program continues to yield benefits, said Gregg Carrington, Energy Resources managing director. Expected minimum revenues for 2013 increased by more than $30 million dollars due to the program, contributing to the District’s overall strong finances, he said. Net wholesale revenues of $112 million for 2013 are expected to be ahead of budget even with forecasts of average Columbia River stream flow (100 percent) and slightly below average Lake Chelan runoff (93 percent).

The District’s positive bottom line results will continue to be used to meet priorities voiced by customer-owners to:

• Keep rates affordable and any changes modest and predictable;
• Save for a rainy day;
• Continue to pay down debt
• Keep District dams and utility systems reliable

In other business, commissioners:

• Thanked Carol Wardell for 15 years service as PUD general counsel and welcomed former staff attorney Erik Wahlquist, who has moved up to the position. Wardell will continue as a part-time staff attorney for the District.
• Applauded three recent awards, two recognizing District science and hydropower education and a third for its care of trees near power lines. Senior Conservation Engineer Jim White was honored as one of five state Science Champions for his innovative advocacy of science education. He will donate the $5,000 award to the North Central Educational Service District Foundation to be used to buy kits for students to make model solar cars. The D3 Geocache Challenge, a joint effort by Rocky Reach, Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams, was honored with an Outstanding Steward of America’s Waters Award for public education by the National Hydropower Association, and Chelan PUD received a Tree Line USA designation for the 15th year.

The man apparently had not been seen for some time and was discovered inside a camp trailer on the property. There are no immediate signs of foul play.

The Grant County Coroner will take custody of the body and release the victim’s name once family has been notified.

Further information will be released in the coming days.

Ryan Lee Schmidt, 24, of Sarasota, Fla., was arrested in the Moses Lake area Saturday, April 27th, after citizens complained of his pushy and aggressive efforts to come into their homes to sell them a burglar and fire alarm system.

Schmidt was arrested after Quincy Police informed the responding deputy that Schmidt was wanted for investigation of a residential burglary committed the previous day in Quincy. It is suspected Schmidt gained the confidence of a prospective customer and then stole medication from the victim once he was inside the home.

Schmidt was wearing a gray polo shirt with the orange Vivant logo and carrying a Vivant identification card. Schmidt had been an employee of Vivant, but was apparently fired Friday April 26th.

Any homeowner in Grant County who may have recently let Schmidt into their homes should check for any stolen items. If a crime is suspected, citizens should contact their local law enforcement agency via the non-emergency dispatch number, 509-762-1160.

The possible illegal activity was brought to the attention of police after neighbors noticed lots of people making short visits at all hours of the day to a home at #5 B-Street-Northeast in Quincy. Those citizen tips led to a six month investigation during which several undercover purchases of marijuana were made.

Around 1:30 p.m. April 25, INET detectives and Quincy Police raided the home, arresting Luis Carlos Perez, 26, and Maria Del Carmen Farias, 31. The subsequent search of the home and vehicles turned up nearly 60 grams of processed marijuana, seven live marijuana plants, prescription pills, two loaded handguns – one which had the serial number defaced – and over $4000 in cash. Investigators seized these items as evidence, and two vehicles. The growing operation inside the home was dismantled and entered into evidence. Four children who live in the home are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.

The home is within 1,000 feet of a Quincy’s Mountain View Elementary School.

Perez and Farias are lodged in the Grant County Jail for investigation of:

•  Possession of marijuana with intent to deliver; added school zone enhancement while armed
•  Possession of a controlled substance without a prescription
• Manufacturing marijuana with intent to deliver; added school zone enhancement while armed
• Second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm
• Altering identifying marks on a firearm
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

“The safety and welfare of the children who live at this home was our greatest concern,” said Sheriff Tom Jones. “INET did a great job protecting four children by stopping the drug business conducted out of their home and moving those kids to a safe environment.”

Supervised by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, INET is comprised of detectives from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Quincy Police Department, Moses Lake Police Department and the Washington State Patrol.

Chelan County PUD, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation received the award at the NHA annual conference in Washington, D.C., for the collaborative education effort. Visitors at the three Columbia River dams can use geocaching technology — finding hidden clues using GPS (global positioning system) devices or smart phones — to search for hidden items and learn about clean, renewable hydropower along the way.

Geocaching is similar to a treasure hunt, using GPS coordinates that lead to a “cache” or treasure box. Rocky Reach visitors uncover caches filled with fun facts about the dam, and if they find them all, get a stamp in a D3 passport and a commemorative coin. To complete the challenge and receive a D3 patch, guests must finish the geocache courses at all three dams, including Chief Joseph Dam and Grand Coulee Dam.

More than 300 geocachers visited Rocky Reach last year – many who had never been to the dam before. Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee also saw many visitors who came just to geocache. The popular activity is free.

“We wanted to attract new guests to our visitor centers and remind local residents of what a treasure these hydro projects are that are right here in our back yard,” said Rocky Reach Visitor Services Manager Debbie Gallaher.

The program was so successful in its debut year in 2012 that it is being expanded to 10 more Northwest locations this year through the Foundation for Water and Energy Education.

Chelan PUD previously received OSAW awards from NHA for the Chelan River Habitat Restoration/Enhancement (2010) and the Rocky Reach and Rock Island Habitat Conservation Plans (2005 and 2006).

Rocky Reach Dam is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. The Visitor Center offers free tours of the powerhouse along with the Museum of the Columbia, plus art displays, a theater and fish viewing.

Rocky Reach Visitor Center is located 7 miles north of Wenatchee on Highway 97A.

Contractors will be working on sections of the trail along the Columbia River as well as on the basketball court and paths to picnic areas and bathrooms at the park, on Highway 28, south of East Wenatchee. Columbia River boat launches available during the Hydro Park closure include the ramp in Wenatchee Riverfront Park at the foot of Orondo Avenue and at Confluence State Park, just north of Wenatchee (Discovery Pass/fee required).

MOE Asphalt and Sealing and Central Washington Asphalt are doing the maintenance, estimated at $50,000.

According to the contract, which started April 1, 2013 and ends March 31, 2014, the city will pay $29,923 for deputies’ overtime wages for a total of 607 hours of provided services.

“The Sheriff’s Office protects George year-round as part of our normal patrol duties, and this contract allows us to commit a deputy specifically to the City of George for about 11 hours each week,” said Sheriff Tom Jones.

“After speaking with citizens who attended our recent sheriff’s office town hall meeting, it was clear we could partner with the City of George to provide better services to the community,” said Jones. “As with all of our communities, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office has a vested interest in the town and the citizens of George, and I thank Mayor Elliott Kooy, the George City Council and the citizens of George for the confidence they have in the Sheriff’s Office.”