Upholding a rite of passage that has been held in the valley for the past 15 or so years, on Monday afternoon (May 6) 18 Liberty Bell High School seniors went back to Little Star Montessori School to pose for pictures with their pre-school teachers, Rayma Hayes and Sandy Welfelt. Jennifer Duguay, who now teaches […]
NEWS
New pastor at Community Covenant Church in Twisp
Photo by Ann McCreary: Rev. Jeff Palmberg will take the helm at the Community Covenant Church in Twisp. BY ANN McCREARY The Community Covenant Church in Twisp has a new pastor. Jeff Palmberg recently moved from Mercer Island to the Methow Valley to take on his new role. Palmberg has been involved with the evangelical […]
County designates animal-control officer
Photo by Sue Misao By MARCY STAMPER Grappling with an increasing number of animal complaints – almost 1,000 each year – Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers has appointed a deputy to handle animal control. The county has averaged 700 to 800 calls annually, ranging from nuisance reports about barking dogs to more serious […]
Flooding predicted for Okanogan River; Methow still OK
Photo by Sue Misao: The Methow River, seen here between Twisp and Carlton on May 8, is muddy and high but well below flood stage. BY MARCY STAMPER With higher-than-normal temperatures expected to continue at least through Saturday, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood watch for the Okanogan River, primarily […]
Signs on Highway 20 in Twisp will get the ax
Photo by Ann McCreary: The “Welcome to Twisp” sign on Highway 20 across from TwispWorks will be removed because it violates laws regulating signs along state highways. BY ANN McCREARY The “Welcome to Twisp” sign perched on a hillside above Highway 20 across from TwispWorks will need to come down because it violates laws […]
Court: PUD can condemn state land
Photo courtesy of Dept. of Natural Resources: The powerline route crosses some 12 miles of state land, mostly on shrub-steppe habitat. BY MARCY STAMPER The PUD can condemn state land for its Pateros-Twisp powerline, said the Court of Appeals in Spokane in a ruling issued Tuesday (May 7). The decision comes after three years of […]
History, community vital to ’49er Days Grand Marshal and Lady
Photo by Laurelle Walsh: Grand Marshal Tom and Grand Lady Fae Graves, with Two-Bits the horse, will represent Winthrop in the 2013 ’49er Days celebration. BY LAURELLE WALSH Representing several generations of Methow Valley history, as well as lifetimes of service to the community, Tom and Fae Graves serve as Grand Marshal and Grand […]
Winthrop says ‘no’ to speed indicators, ‘yes’ to riverwalk
BY LAURELLE WALSH At last Wednesday’s (April 17) council meeting, the five members of the Winthrop Town Council, Mayor Dave Acheson and Clerk/Treasurer Michelle Gaines dove right into the debate over whether to install permanent speed indicator signs at problem areas around town. After 20 minutes of lively discussion, council unanimously denied the request for […]
Opening testimony in Enloe Dam appeal
BY MARCY STAMPER An appeal brought by a coalition of environmental groups claiming that the PUD’s proposal to restart Enloe Dam would destroy the aesthetic value of the waterfalls at the site had its first four days of testimony last week. Two more days have been scheduled in May because they did not complete all […]
Okanogan County wants to do its own study of land buys
BY MARCY STAMPER After more than two years of on-again, off-again negotiations with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) about a joint analysis of the local economic impacts of the agency’s land acquisitions, the county commissioners are considering going it alone. The Okanogan County commissioners say they are frustrated that WDFW has not […]
