WWU students explore careers while making a difference By Sandra Strieby Eighteen college students recently completed a summer-long program of work and study in the Methow Valley. Sustainability Pathways is a fellowship program of Western Washington University’s Sustainability Engagement Institute, intended to provide participants with practical experience, expose them to sustainability-related livelihoods, and help them […]
NEWS
USFS field tours
The Methow Valley Ranger District is hosting restoration field tours with forest specialists and partners over the next month. Meeting locations and logistics information will be sent to registered participants in advance of the field tours. All field trips will be held on Saturdays from approximately 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Meeting locations will be in Twisp […]
Community briefs: Cider squeeze, Car seat check
Cider squeeze The Methow Conservancy’s annual Cider Squeeze will be on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 2-4 p.m. at Dave and Marilyn Sabold’s home, 17 Bean Road, Winthrop. Bring your own containers and lids: mason jars, juice jars, water bottles will work. All are welcome at the free event. For more information, visit the events page […]
Winthrop begins planning for its official centennial
Town to celebrate 100 years of incorporation Guess who is turning 100 next year? Although the community has been around longer than that, Winthrop will celebrate a century of official incorporation as a town in March 2024. Settlement began in the late 1880s and the legendary Guy Waring platted the town in 1901, but the […]
Okanogan PUD will use $30M grant to expand rural internet service
High-speed fiber optic to connect northeast parts of the county More than 700 homes and businesses in one of the most rural parts of Okanogan County will get high-speed internet service through a $30 million grant recently awarded to the Okanogan County Public Utility District (PUD). Okanogan PUD will construct over 245 miles of fiber […]
Falls prevention a focus of senior health fair
Several community organizations team up to offer lots of advice By Sandra Strieby Methow At Home (MAH) will host a free senior health fair in the Methow Valley Community Center gym on Friday, Sept. 22. The focus of the “Finding Our Balance” fair is falls prevention, and the event has been planned to coincide with […]
Project tests A.I.’s ability to detect wildfires
DNR pilot program places high-definition cameras around state People are turning to artificial intelligence (A.I.) for everything from research papers to crime investigations — and now the technology is being tested for its ability to detect wildfires. The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is running a pilot project using A.I. cameras and technology in […]
Minimal fire activity in North Cascades; some trails reopen
Activity on two fires in the North Cascades has been minimal in the past week, allowing the North Cascades National Park and the U.S. Forest Service to reopen some trails and facilities. The Blue Lake Fire, burning just west of Washington Pass on both sides of highway, was 80% contained at 1,074 acres as of […]
Hearing examiner dismisses B2G Compost requirement
B2G Compost does not need a fence to block the view of the facility, Okanogan County Hearing Examiner Dan Beardslee said in his decision on the appeal by B2G owner Kate Wynne. Beardslee issued his decision Aug. 30. Wynne appealed a requirement from Okanogan County Planning for a sight-obscuring fence around the entire compost facility. […]
Similkameen Sunday celebrated in Tonasket this weekend
Learn about and celebrate the Similkameen River and the Indigenous people of the area at an afternoon and evening of presentations, music, dinner and a silent auction this weekend at Similkameen Sunday (Sept. 17). The event will be from 3-7:30 p.m. at the Community Cultural Center of Tonasket. Chris Fisher, a biologist with the Confederated […]
