WENATCHEE — Questions about assessor qualifications, data center development and political advocacy in a nonpartisan race brought sharper exchanges to an Oct. 8 candidate forum after the scheduled presentations ended early.

NCW – Police officers and sheriff's deputies in Chelan and Douglas counties handled 1,017 calls for service Oct. 2–8, down 2% from the previous week, according to RiverCom 911 dispatch logs. Fire crews answered 67 fire, alarm, smoke and crash calls, and ambulance crews handled about 289 medical calls.

CHELAN — The Lake Chelan Community Center’s Golden Hour Gala raised nearly $250,000 Sept. 12, supporting the facility’s work to provide spaces for recreation, learning and community connection throughout the valley.

MALAGA — Staggered construction shifts at Microsoft’s data center campus are intended to ease traffic congestion in Malaga, while county officials continue examining longer-term options for road capacity and another Columbia River crossing.

WENATCHEE — Construction began this week on RiverCom’s future 911 dispatch center, a $7 million renovation that will expand capacity and strengthen the facility’s ability to operate during disasters.

CASHMERE — Musicians Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms will perform a concert of country roots and traditional music at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Cashmere Community Church.

ORONDO — Douglas County is launching a mobile planning and permitting office to assist residents affected by the Chelan Hills Fire with rebuilding and recovery efforts.

WENATCHEE — Sustainable NCW has launched a new public education campaign featuring a marmot mascot named Wizzle to help Chelan and Douglas county residents better understand recycling and waste disposal options.

OMAK — The Leadership Institute of North Central Washington is expanding to Okanogan County, offering residents a free opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn about local government and become more involved in their communities.

MALAGA — Concerns about a possible data center on Sabey-owned land in Malaga drew record attendance to an Oct. 7 community meeting, where county officials said no application has been submitted and residents pressed for greater protections as Malaga plans for its future.

WENATCHEE — A hot dog stood in for a finger, a stuffed animal helped illustrate an electrical hazard and a metallic balloon showed why party decorations and power lines are a dangerous combination during Chelan County PUD’s Kids’ Day on Oct. 7.

CHELAN — At their 60th class reunion, members of Chelan High School’s class of 1961 decided five years was too long to wait to see one another again.

EAST WENATCHEE — Callan Martinez, a former senior prosecuting attorney who handled the Chelan Hills Fire case, announced Oct. 8 that she is running a write-in campaign for Douglas County prosecuting attorney in the Nov. 3 general election.

OLYMPIA – A Washington state agency has floated cutting services for more than 2,600 residents with developmental disabilities with the goal of saving money to close a looming budget gap. As …

OLYMPIA — Gov. Bob Ferguson has requested up to $13.2 million in additional federal disaster assistance to repair public infrastructure damaged by wildfires that swept through Central and Eastern …