From classrooms to clinics: Four perspectives on Chelan’s year ahead

CHELAN — After Mayor Erin McCardle finished outlining the city’s priorities for 2026 at Chelan’s State of the City on Jan. 22, the microphone passed to four people whose jobs all touch daily life in the valley in very different ways: schools, fire protection, law enforcement, and health care.

Taken together, their updates offered a ground-level view of what the coming year may look like for families, first responders, and patients — and how closely tied Chelan’s institutions have become to one another.

Schools: ‘Our students are the heart of the work’

Lake Chelan School District Superintendent Brad Wilson spoke first, framing the district not just as an educational system, but as a community institution that serves about 1,270 students and is supported by roughly 205 staff members.

Wilson emphasized that the district’s strategic plan is centered on student learning, safety, and long-term community connection. He spoke about the importance of early learning, ongoing staff development, and making sure students see themselves not just as graduates, but as future contributors to the valley.

He also acknowledged the district’s recent facilities bond failure and said the district is continuing to listen and learn from the community about how to approach school facilities that are used not only for education, but for sports, performances, and public gatherings well into the evening.

“Our students are the future of this community,” Wilson said in substance, stressing that education in Chelan is not just about test scores, but about belonging and opportunity.

Fire: A century of service, and a season of concern

Lake Chelan Fire Chief Brandon Asher followed with a mix of pride and caution.

This year marks the fire district’s 100th anniversary, and Asher said plans are underway for a community celebration in April, complete with a parade and public events honoring generations of volunteer and career firefighters.

But his remarks were also shaped by the winter Chelan hasn’t had.

With low snowpack and warm temperatures, Asher said the department is already concerned about the coming fire season and is urging residents to start thinking early about defensible space and home hardening.

He described a department that covers about 125 square miles with a mix of career staff and volunteers, and acknowledged the increasing difficulty of recruiting and retaining volunteers — a challenge that has already led to the closure of the Chelan Falls station as an active response site.

At the same time, he highlighted a major regional recruitment and retention grant that will help support volunteer departments across the valley, and spoke about the importance of interagency cooperation that has helped the area respond quickly and aggressively to wildfires in recent years.

Sheriff: Staffing, safety, and a demanding year behind

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison’s update focused on both numbers and people.

He said crime and overdose rates were down in 2025, while the department’s call volume also declined — a trend he attributed to more proactive policing and the expanded use of behavioral health response teams.

Morrison said the sheriff’s office is now fully staffed, a notable achievement at a time when many agencies across the state are struggling to recruit and retain deputies.

He reviewed a year that included major incidents, from a large, multi-agency manhunt to wildfire and flood responses, and said the department’s ability to handle those events depended heavily on partnerships with state and federal agencies and neighboring jurisdictions.

He also spoke about investments in new equipment, body cameras, and de-escalation tools, emphasizing that modern policing in a place like Chelan County requires both readiness and restraint.

Throughout his remarks, Morrison returned to the idea that many deputies live in the communities they serve — including Chelan and Manson — and that the work is personal.

Health care: Growing services and a home for EMS

Lake Chelan Health CEO Aaron Edwards closed the presentations with an update that focused squarely on access to care close to home.

Over the past year, he said, the hospital has added multiple new specialty services, including orthopedics, general surgery, dermatology, and ENT, with part-time cardiology services set to begin this year.

He also highlighted the hospital’s biggest construction project underway. LCH is building a new home for the area’s EMS crews, who for years have operated without a dedicated base. The new facility, now rising near the hospital, is expected to be completed later this year.

Edwards described EMS staff as among the most heavily burdened first responders in the system, and said giving them a proper home is both a practical and symbolic investment in the people who answer some of the community’s hardest calls.

One valley, many systems

While each presenter spoke from a different corner of public life, a common thread ran through all four updates: Chelan’s institutions are growing, adapting, and leaning more heavily on one another as the valley’s population, tourism economy, and service demands continue to rise.

Schools are planning for the next generation. Fire crews are preparing for harder seasons. Law enforcement is balancing enforcement with behavioral health response. Health care is expanding local services while building the infrastructure to support emergency response.

Together, they formed a picture of a community that is not just growing, but actively trying to keep up with itself.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media