Community rallies around Francisco Morales with support, money The emotional turmoil of the immigration issue engulfed the Methow Valley after a longtime valley resident was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as he was driving his daughter to preschool in Winthrop last week. Francisco “Frank” Morales was reportedly pulled over to the side of […]
NEWS
MVRU’s new exec knows her horses — and people
Making connections will be a priority New Methow Valley Riding Unlimited (MVRU) Executive Director Liz Blackman says she doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t obsessed with horses. From lessons beginning at age 6, to camps, to model horse collections, to even an after-school play group she created called “Saddle Club,” Blackman steeped herself in horse […]
New vehicle licensing office opens in Twisp
Full range of services available People will no longer have to make a trip over the Loup to get license plates, transfer a vehicle title or register a snowmobile. Jim Grennell opened Methow Valley Licensing & Services in Twisp on Friday (Jan. 31). Grennell handles license renewals for all types of vehicles and vessels, including […]
Twisp sets ambitious agenda for Planning Commission
Topics include comp plan, sign code, nightly rentals The Twisp Planning Commission will have a busy agenda this year, including some special areas of interest expressed by the Town Council. At their Jan. 28 meeting, council members endorsed a draft “docket” of issues the Planning Commission wants to take on this year. Specifically, the commission […]
Mountain snowpack makes a comeback
‘Amazing amount’ of January snow helped Despite an anomalous deluge that dumped more than an inch of rain on Mazama on the first day of February, the mountain snowpack is above normal, a promising outlook for crucial water flows in spring and summer. A week of warmer-than-usual weather culminated in the atypical wet precipitation before […]
Are you ready to take the pledge for a Plastic-Free February?
Can you go without plastic for a month? Can you make a list of all the things you use that come in plastic — and then come up with innovative reusable or biodegradable alternatives? Methow Recycles is challenging its staff — and anyone else who wants to take on the project — to swear off plastic for the month of February. […]
Voluntary metering program will track water usage
Project open to homes throughout valley Want to know how much water you use? There are still water meters available for the Methow Watershed Council’s pilot program. The deadline for installation is March 31. The council is also compiling a list of interested people for a larger sample of water meters next year. The level […]
County tax opt-in would fund affordable housing; hearing set for next week
The Okanogan County commissioners are holding a public hearing on a state-shared tax for affordable and supportive housing. If the commissioners approve the tax, it wouldn’t increase the tax consumers pay nor change the tax rate. Instead, the county would get a portion of the 6.5% Washington sales tax back from the state to build […]
Okanogan County’s new planning director quits before even starting
Okanogan County is back in the market for a planning director, after the person they’d hired phoned at the last minute to say he was declining the position. Jamey Ayling was supposed to start his new job on Monday (Feb. 3), but called toward the end of January saying he’d have to postpone his start […]
Conditions set for county’s gravel pit operation near Methow
Land purchase expected to close in February A county-owned gravel pit above the town of Methow is getting closer to reality, with the county commissioners adopting a resolution formalizing conditions of operation at the pit and a title company finalizing documents so the county can buy the land. The resolution, signed by all three Okanogan […]
