BOCC awards 2026 lodging tax grants
Chelan County commissioners have awarded nearly $222,000 in lodging tax grants to 35 tourism-related groups.
Chelan County News Archive
Old Blewett Pass Highway closed through winter
A section of Old Blewett Pass Highway, from milepost 0.11 to 6.08, is closed because of hazardous trees left behind by the Labor Mountain Fire. We will re-evaluate in the spring.
County passes 2026 preliminary budget
The Board of County Commissioners recently passed the 2026 preliminary budget, a procedural step in the annual budgeting process. You can see the preliminary budget online.
Horse Lake Road closes early for winter season
Because of recent rains, Horse Lake Road in Wenatchee has been closed early for the winter season.
Regional port rejects Chelan County’s $37.5 million offer
Chelan County commissioners this week reached out to the Chelan-Douglas Regional Port Authority with an offer to pay the port $1.5 million a year for 25 years if it would put aside the tax increment area (TIA) it proposes for Malaga. The port replied with a letter that rejected the offer and suggested county commissioners and the junior taxing districts instead raise taxes to meet the shortfalls a TIA will cause.
Do your part: Remove vehicles parked along shoulder of county roads
Please do your part in keeping motorists – and snowplow drivers – safe this winter season by removing vehicles parked along the shoulder of the county road now -- before the snow flies.
Public may see hand piles burning over next 2 weeks near Plain, Lake Wenatchee
The burning of hand piles on 640 acres in the Plain and Lake Wenatchee area began Oct. 27 and is expected to take two weeks. The hand piles are accumulated forest debris created over the past year on the Upper Wenatchee Forest Health Project.
Repairs on Stemilt Creek Bridge No. 103 should not impact traffic
Repairs begin Oct. 22 on Stemilt Creek Bridge No. 103, at upper Stemilt Creek Road. The work will take about 30 days and is not expected to impact traffic. People in the area may see an increase in truck traffic.
MRWF now takes dangerous wastes from small businesses, organizations
Chelan County businesses and organizations that generate hazardous wastes in small quantities now have a year-round option for recycling and disposing of the material safely.
BOCC establishes C-PACER program in Chelan County
The Board of County Commissioners has established a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency program, or C-PACER, in Chelan County.
Make a Difference Day returns Oct. 25 to Ohme Gardens
Volunteers looking to participate in the national service day Make a Difference Day (Oct. 25) are encouraged to head up to Ohme Gardens for a day of clearing underbrush and reducing wildfire fuels around the historic garden.
Homeless Housing Task Force seeks board members who have experienced homelessness
The Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force, which sets priorities for homeless services and programs in the two counties, seeks new members who have the personal experience of being without a home. Applications are due by Oct. 17.
Join us for fall community meetings!
Fall community meetings, when the commissioners and county staff come to you, are Oct. 14-16.
Comments open on Homeless Housing Strategic Plan; public hearing is Nov. 3
The Board of Chelan County Commissioners will be holding a public hearing Nov. 3 at the administration building in Wenatchee. Written comments are due by Nov. 3.
County extends burning ban, fire restrictions
The ban on outdoor burning in unincorporated Chelan County has been extended through Oct. 15 because of the dry conditions and current wildfires burning in the county.
Hearing examiner to review Helion’s proposed CUP on Oct. 1
An upcoming public hearing on a conditional use permit application submitted by the Everett-based company Helion has been moved to the Confluence Technology Center in Wenatchee. The hearing before the Chelan County hearing examiner is 9 a.m. on Oct. 1, at Confluence Technology Center, 285 Technology Center Way.
Warning: Email scam targets Community Development customers
Chelan County Community Development is alerting the public to an email scam reported recently by a local resident. The department reminds customers that it will never send you an invoice via email.
Scrap metal yard at Dryden Transfer Station closing for a month
Beginning Sept. 24, the Dryden Transfer Station will not be taking any scrap metal loads because its recycling yard will be under construction. The yard will re-open Oct. 29.
Editorial: Regional port's TIA proposal is opportunistic, harmful
Read the editorial explaining why the Board of County Commissioners is concerned about the regional port's proposed tax increment area, or TIA, and its impacts on Chelan County taxpayers.
Commissioners taking comments on TIA moratorium
The Board of County Commissioners is taking comments on a six-month moratorium that prevents the creation of any tax increment areas in the unincorporated areas of Chelan County. Don't forget to attend, either in-person or online, the public hearing on the moratorium, which is 11 a.m. on Sept. 23.
Sept. 24 open house at newly renovated Veteran Services Office
The public is invited to stop in and tour the newly renovated Chelan County Veteran Services Office during an open house, 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 25 at 428 Orondo Ave. in Wenatchee.
Comments open for Mission Ridge expansion’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Chelan County is accepting comments until Oct. 21 on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed expansion at Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort. A public workshop on the DEIS will be held Sept. 22 at Confluence Technology Center. No public comment will be taken at the workshop; however, people have three ways to submit written comments.
The late Cindy Fowler honored with renaming of rodeo arena
This fair season, the late Cindy Fowler will be honored both nights of the PRCA Pro Rodeo in the county’s rodeo arena, which has been renamed the Cindy Fowler Memorial Arena in her honor. Read more about Fowler and her lasting legacy on Chelan County.
Are you interested in serving on the Health Board? Apply by Oct. 6
Interested in serving your community on the Chelan-Douglas Health District's Board of Health? The Board of Health has a variety of openings, with terms starting in January 2026. Submit an application online no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 6.