Move part of coffee company’s growth plans Blue Star Coffee Roasters has found a new home — just down the street from where the coffee wholesaler and retailer started operations a dozen years ago. Co-owners Meg and Dan Donohue announced this week that Blue Star has purchased the Coyote Ridge building at 1240 East Methow Valley Highway, […]
NEWS
Carlton Complex Fire: A look back
Five years ago this week, the Carlton Complex Fire raged all around us and the valley reeled from its devastation. The fire was the catalyst for an unprecedented community response. In the July 17, 2019 newspaper on page (B1), we took a look at the results of those recovery efforts. Inside the B section, we […]
Property owner asks relief from stop-work order
Miller agrees to pursue permits for site restoration Mark Miller, who’s been working on a peninsula of land on the Methow River, told Okanogan County’s hearing examiner that he didn’t think he needed permits to simply restore roads and rebuild a structure that burned in the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire. Miller was appealing a May […]
Yakama Nation revisits comprehensive plan suit against county
The Yakama Nation has run out of patience with Okanogan County, saying the county “intentionally disregarded” its obligations to redo its comprehensive plan and zoning code by the end of last year. The Yakama Nation is asking the court to vacate the March 2017 stipulated settlement of a lawsuit they filed over water protections in […]
Winthrop library plans come into sharper form
Design is still a work in progress The proposed design for a new public library in Winthrop continues to evolve but goals for the facility haven’t changed, interested residents were told at an informational meeting last Saturday (July 13). A sizeable crowd at the Winthrop Barn listened attentively as representatives of Friends of the Winthrop […]
County releases comp plan draft and environmental review
Okanogan County has issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposed revisions to its 2014 comprehensive plan. The comp plan informs other county land-use regulations. It serves as the basis for the zoning code, which applies the comp plan principles to specific areas and parcels throughout the county. The proposed revisions to the […]
‘More than just a pet’
Twisp couple’s emotional support rooster could get the boot When Peter was little more than a ball of down, Sergey Kushnarev would hold him, pet him and feed him by hand. Now that Peter is a fully grown rooster, from comb to long, buff tail feathers, Kushnarev talks to him and watches him herd the […]
Taking the long view
Fire preparedness is the new focus for county recovery group Five years after the Carlton Complex Fire destroyed almost 300 houses in the Methow Valley, Pateros and the Chiliwist, the group that helped survivors rebuild and recover is shifting its focus to make sure people are not caught unprepared if — or when — there’s another disaster. “We not […]
Helping the helpers: assistance for disaster leadership teams
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the emotion and logistics of disaster recovery. So when Mennonite Disaster Service, a national expert in disaster response and recovery, brought together people across the country who’d been through similar situations for a weekend workshop, it was cathartic, said Carlene Anders, executive director of the Okanogan County Long Term […]
Education and readiness: the vital work continues
As the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) moves into resiliency and preparedness, it is educating people about Firewise practices — using fire-proof building materials, screening vents, and creating an area around a home that will be resistant to fire. Through their Green Again campaign, the organization has distributed native fire-resistant plants to fire survivors to […]
