Sen. Shelly Short is in unfamiliar territory this election season. The Republican, seeking her third term in the state Senate representing Legislative District 7 from the Methow Valley to the Idaho border, will appear on the Aug. 4 primary ballot alongside three challengers. The only other time she had to win a primary election was […]
Local school leaders seek to harness AI use
Safety, rapid adoption cited as concerns Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and school officials in the Methow Valley want to ensure the emerging technology is used effectively and ethically by teachers and students. Following an 80-minute study session on the topic in April, the Methow Valley School Board intends to develop formal guidelines for […]
Okanogan County Fire District 6 commissioners press pause on levy
Property tax hike may be revisited in 2027 Okanogan County Fire District 6 won’t be asking voters to approve a property tax increase this year, after giving the proposal serious consideration this spring. Led by its newest commissioner, Sam Heller, the fire district board established an aggressive timeline for putting a so-called “levy lid lift” […]
Beat the heat in the Methow Valley’s cooling centers
Spaces also offer the public refuge from wildfire smoke When summer days get too hot for comfort, or when wildfire smoke becomes too unhealthy to breathe, the Methow Valley has a number of cooling and clean-air centers where residents and visitors can take refuge. Here’s the latest list, from Twisp to Winthrop: Methow Valley Community […]
Twisp’s newest police officer is just a dummy
Chief Budrow assigns ‘Paula’ to patrol highway for speeders In some ways, “Paula” is the ideal police officer. She is routinely parked along Highway 20, calming Twisp’s would-be speeders during the tourist season. She’s on the job 24 hours a day, including weekends, never taking a lunch break or even collecting a paycheck. Dressed in […]
Twisp has enough water rights — for now
Town’s population expected to double over next decade Even with the rapid growth anticipated in Twisp, the town has enough water rights to accommodate new residents for the next 15 years or so, according to a draft Water System Plan released last month. The plan anticipates 5% annual population growth over the next two decades […]
TwispWorks will add tenants to board of directors
The TwispWorks Foundation board of directors is inviting tenant-partners to join its ranks in the wake of a controversial decision earlier this year to allow the Independent Learning Center (ILC) to move into a former retail space, rather than an artisan. A board member job description, dated April 2026, says the board aims to fill […]
Milltown development gets Twisp Planning Commission’s thumbs-up
Some residents are concerned over more traffic, rapid growth A development with some 135 homes on Twisp’s south end took a step closer to breaking ground last week, when the Twisp Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend the project for approval. Milltown, located north of Highway 20 and across from Twisp Airport Road, will advance […]
Interest strong for affordable apartment complex going up in Twisp
Skylstad Family Haven to be ready by end of this year Demand has been high for 72 affordable apartments under construction behind Rosauers in Twisp, a representative of the developer said during a tour of the project on Wednesday (June 24). Skylstad Family Haven, as the development is called, will be ready for occupancy before […]
Speeders beware: Twisp Police can write tickets
Town council also reviews Aero Methow tax hike More than two months into his job, Twisp Police Chief Paul Budrow can start writing speeding tickets. Before the Twisp Town Council revised the municipal code on June 23, to acknowledge a change to the town’s court, any infractions the town may have issued would have been […]
