State eliminates funding for free lunches for all The budget for the upcoming school year, approved by the Methow Valley School Board on Thursday (July 30), preserves key programs and even enables the district to expand opportunities for students — despite some cuts. But tough decisions lie ahead for district officials as they confront declining […]
What is Studio Marmōt? Answer coming soon
Youth arts space opens on Glover Street Nigel Dunn wanted a space in the Methow Valley where young people could make “loud art.” So he opened his own and called it Studio Marmōt on the north end of Twisp’s main street, 137 N. Glover St. “It’s for people to come make noise,” Dunn said last […]
Fire District 6 board to develop business plan at special Aug. 13 meeting
Commissioners eye 2027 property tax measure The Okanogan County Fire District 6 board of commissioners will hold a public work session on Thursday, Aug. 13, to draft a business plan that would inform a possible property tax levy in 2027. The commissioners expect to spend a few hours hammering out the draft at the meeting, […]
Twisp Town Council approves Milltown residential development
Town also advances its affordability strategy Hundreds of new homes could go up in Twisp over the next decade, including 135 at Milltown, the proposed development on the town’s south end that the Twisp Town Council approved on July 28. The residential developments proposed for Twisp offer no guarantee that any of the new homes […]
MV School Board weighs $18M budget in 2026-27
Declining enrollment prompts spending cuts Citing “increasing financial pressure,” Methow Valley School District officials will trim expenses in the upcoming school year, according to a draft budget obtained by the Methow Valley News. Declining enrollment and rising costs have prompted school officials to propose cutting staff and tapping into cash reserves to balance the 2026–27 […]
Ecology grant to restore Methow River floodplain
Riparian habitat will be restored on one of the largest floodplain areas on the lower Methow River, after the state Department of Ecology awarded $249,341 to the Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (MSRF) for the effort. MSRF workers will collect seeds from the 17-acre floodplain, located about one mile upstream of the Methow’s terminus at the […]
Twisp’s new sewage plant nearly finished
Earns another ‘Outstanding’ award from state for wastewater For the state Department of Ecology, last week’s visit to the newly constructed wastewater treatment plant in Twisp was routine. Agency officials filed into the plant’s shiny new control room and lab to review some paperwork. But for Andrew Denham, Twisp’s public works director, the day felt […]
TranGO vision includes expanded service area
Public invited to comment on new 6-year plan On paper at least, TranGO plans to expand its service in the coming years. But a draft of the Okanogan County Transit Authority’s six-year plan, released this month, suggests that service in the Methow Valley and the rest of the county can’t improve until the agency builds […]
Public weighs in on ideas for new swimming pool in Twisp
Early concepts presented at planning meeting Community members interested in seeing a new swimming pool in Twisp got their feet wet Wednesday (July 15) at a planning meeting for the facility, led by a recently hired consultant. A few dozen in attendance at the meeting, held at Wagner Memorial Pool, had an opportunity to express […]
Milltown proposal prompts public concerns over growth in Twisp
Town council balks on wood stoves in 135-home project The Twisp Town Council appears ready to approve a proposal for 135 homes on the south end of town, but a majority of council members don’t seem happy about it. A decision on the 18-acre Milltown development on Highway 20, east of Blue Star Coffee Roasters, […]
