WENATCHEE — A newspaper publisher, a coalition of faith communities and a longtime mediator were honored Oct. 1 as the Wenatchee Valley Dispute Resolution Center celebrated 20 years of helping people find common ground.

OLYMPIA — Washington's youngest voters can weigh in on whether the Lake Chelan Dragon or Sasquatch should be the state cryptid as the 2026 Student Mock Election opens to K-12 classrooms.

EAST WENATCHEE — Residents, businesses and nonprofits hurt by the Chelan Hills Fire can now get in-person help applying for federal disaster loans at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in East Wenatchee.

High school seniors and other students planning college or job training can now apply for financial aid for the 2027-28 school year.

WENATCHEE — Chelan County elections staff and the Washington Secretary of State's Office will test the county's vote-counting system at 10 a.m. Oct. 15, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.

Washington's minimum wage will go up 60 cents to $17.73 an hour on Jan. 1, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced Sept. 30.

WENATCHEE — Link Transit is joining Switch Your Trips WA, a statewide challenge that asks people to replace driving alone with walking, biking, carpooling or riding the bus during October.

WENATCHEE — Chelan PUD will hold free activities, treats and giveaways from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday Oct. 5-9 at its Service Center, 203 Olds Station Road in Wenatchee, as part of Public Power Week.

CHELAN — The city is exploring whether lower water and electricity costs could help pay to replace the aging irrigation system at Lake Chelan Golf Course.

CHELAN — Chelan has received a $75,000 state grant to study how the Lake Chelan area could develop an economic engine that relies less on a stream of tourism that can not only vary in length, but sometimes be subject to smoke conditions.

CHELAN — Chelan city employees covered by a union contract will receive a 3.5% wage increase next year and a new health insurance option under a one-year agreement approved by the City Council on Sept. 22.

WENATCHEE — The Community Foundation of North Central Washington will match donations dollar for dollar through June 2027, up to nearly $170,000, as part of a yearlong celebration of its 40th anniversary.

CHELAN — Visitors to three Lake Chelan-area parks will run into temporary closures this fall and winter as crews make improvements at Riverwalk Park, Manson Bay Park and Old Mill Park, Chelan PUD announced Sept. 28.

WENATCHEE — Businesses, nonprofits, homeowners and renters hurt by the Chelan Hills Fire can now apply for low-interest federal disaster loans, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced Sept. 28.

WENATCHEE — Smoke from prescribed burns may soon be visible in the Wenatchee Valley, Leavenworth, Plain and the Lake Chelan area as the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest begins its fall burning season.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday asked President Donald Trump for tens of millions of dollars in federal aid to help communities recover from devastating wildfires this summer. Across the …

OLYMPIA — The League of Women Voters of Washington has released online interviews with all 10 candidates running for five seats on the Washington Supreme Court in the Nov. 3 election. The …

WENATCHEE — Washington's All-Risk Mobilization Program has been authorized to support at least 12 wildfire incidents and pre-positioning efforts in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties …

LEAVENWORTH — More and more crews are transitioning from active suppression to recovery and repair on the Little Giant and Sisi Fires as the end of September nears. The Sisi Fire, near …

EAST WENATCHEE — A fifth suspect has been arrested in connection with the Chelan Hills Fire, leaving one person outstanding in the investigation of the July 4 blaze that killed an Orondo man and …