Monday, December 2, 2024
Top Story

Stevens Pass opens one week early for 2024-2025 winter season

Skiers break the banner on the first chairlift ride of the 2024-2025 season at Stevens Pass.
SKYKOMISH – Stevens Pass welcomed skiers and snowboarders back to the mountain for the 2024-2025 season, celebrating an early opening on Nov. 29. “I’m most excited about the …

NCW Libraries launches Winter Reading Program

WENATCHEE — NCW Libraries launched its annual Winter Reading Program on Dec. 1 to promote literacy across North Central Washington during the winter months through a combination of traditional …

Woods Family Fund awards $63,500 to arts programs across NCW

WENATCHEE — The Community Foundation of North Central Washington announced the distribution of $63,500 in grants to 36 organizations through its Woods Family Music & Arts Fund, supporting …
Local Features

Historic building reopens as Dryden Roadhouse

The entrance of the newly opened Dryden Roadhouse on Main Street in Dryden. The restaurant, owned by Terri Morris and John Bryant, is housed in a historic 1928 building that once served as the beloved Duffy’s Tavern.
DRYDEN – The Dryden Roadhouse, located in Duffy’s former space, opened its doors to the public on Oct. 4.  Owned and operated by Terri Morris and John Bryant, the restaurant and …
Rusty and Amanda Gibbs, owners of Gibbs Graphics, celebrate 20 years of shaping Leavenworth's iconic signs and murals. The couple started the business after moving back to Rusty's hometown of Leavenworth and have since become integral to the town's Bavarian aesthetic.

The signmakers that shape Bavarian Leavenworth: Gibbs Graphics celebrates 20 years

LEAVENWORTH – Gibbs Graphics, the creative force behind Leavenworth’s iconic signs and murals, celebrated 20 years of business on Oct. 3. Over the last two decades, the business has …
Bavarian Bagel Co. owners Sage Worden, Taylor Lapinski, and Sydney Lapinski (left to right).

Bavarian Bagel Co. opens downtown Leavenworth storefront

LEAVENWORTH – Bavarian Bagel Co., which got its start with online sales and local farmers markets, held a soft opening at its new downtown storefront on Sept. 24. “It’s mind …
Fixers Amy Massey (right) and Virginia White (left) pose with their satisfied customer, Beryl, and her repaired pants.

Cashmere's Repair Cafe: Stitching community together while reducing waste

CASHMERE– The chatter of sewing machines and laughter echoed throughout one of Cashmere’s oldest buildings as locals gathered at Eastside Rebuild for a monthly Repair Cafe.  …
The Boyal family cuts the ribbon on Peshastin Storage alongside their parents, friends and the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

Peshastin Storage opens, fulfilling entrepreneurial dreams

PESHASTIN—Navi and Inder Boyal, owners of Wedge Mountain Inn, celebrated the opening of their new self-storage business, Peshastin Storage, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 20. …

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Other News
Ward Media proudly dedicates a special section to Giving Tuesday, a global movement that champions generosity, connection, and community spirit. Highlighting the incredible work of nonprofits …
An area of the Raging Timber sale where tree thinning was started earlier this fall.
LEAVENWORTH — Winter logging operations have commenced on two timber sales near Lake Wenatchee, marking the latest phase of the Upper Wenatchee Pilot Project. The operations, located 20 …
LEAVENWORTH – Leavenworth City Council tackled a packed agenda before the holiday on Nov. 26. Highlights from the meeting include peddler enforcement, unit lot subdivision, increased animal …
The Leavenworth Village Voices will celebrate their 42nd season with a traditional holiday concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Leavenworth’s Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Snowy Owl Theater.
LEAVENWORTH –  The Leavenworth Village Voices will celebrate their 42nd season with a traditional holiday concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Leavenworth’s Icicle Creek …
Marcine Miller
WENATCHEE - Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) has announced the appointment of Marcine Miller as its new executive director of communications, marketing, and media relations. Miller, who will serve …

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E-edition

November 27, 2024

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Community Calendar
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Obituaries
Linda K. Riggs, passed away on November 15, 2024, in Leavenworth, Washington. Our beloved wife, mother & grandmother passed away at home at the age of 78 after extended health issues. …
Karen A. (Kelley) Mains, 81, of Leavenworth passed away November 15, 2024, in Wenatchee. She was born on May 21, 1943, to Leslie and Rose Kelley in Omak. When she was a young girl, the family moved …
Calvin A Blackburn Jr, 86, of Leavenworth WA passed away in his home November 4th 2024 with family by his side. Cal was born December 25th, 1937 in Bozeman Montana to the late Calvin Arthur Blackburn …
Irmgard Eckel
Irmgard “Irma” Eckel, beloved mother and Oma, was born in Ulm, Germany on Feb. 26, 1928 and passed away peacefully on Sept. 28, 2024 in Leavenworth, WA at the age of 96. Irma was the only …
Join us to honor and celebrate the life of Ronald A. Hill Sr. Date: Monday, October 14, 2024 Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m Location: Kristall's Restaurant, Leavenworth, WA Light refreshments will be …
Dan Davies
Dan Davies passed away August 29, 2024 following a short but courageous battle with metastatic brain cancer. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He lived his life always trying …

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Education

North Central Education Foundation awards record 225 Teacher Grants

WENATCHEE — The North Central Education Foundation announced a record-breaking distribution of classroom grants to 225 teachers across four Washington counties, marking the largest number of …

WENATCHEE -- Schools across North Central Washington are joining a nationwide initiative to promote computer science education through interactive events and community partnerships this December. …
LEAVENWORTH – Cascade School District (CSD) is considering implementing a district wide policy regarding restricting phone use in schools. Currently, cellphones are allowed in school for …
The Cascade School Board and Superintendent Tracey Edou from left to right: Vice Chair Cyndi Garza, Mike Worden, Chair Trey Ising, Edou, and Judy Derpack.
LEAVENWORTH — The Cascade School District Board of Directors (CSD Board) has received one of thirty-seven 2024 Board of Distinction awards from the Washington State School Directors’ …

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Chelan County Sheriff's Report

Chelan County Sheriff's Report

This report is compiled from records provided by the Chelan County Sheriff's Office and RiverCom. The publisher cannot certify the complete accuracy of the information provided. August 3 …

Outdoors

Mount Rainier National Park announces 2025 construction projects

ASHFORD  –  Two major Mount Rainier National Park construction projects starting in 2025 will replace decades-old crumbling infrastructure in the park’s popular Ohanapecosh …

State Fish Commission to hold virtual meeting on Coastal Steelhead management

OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will convene a virtual Fish Committee meeting later this month to address coastal steelhead management and future planning initiatives. The …

State Parks Commission announces virtual November meeting

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will convene virtually on November 13 to discuss several key initiatives, including land transfer and park planning efforts across …

WDFW accepting applications for 2025-2027 Wildlife Diversity Grants

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced it is now accepting applications for up to $400,000 in funding for conservation projects that support some of the …
Members of a WDFW advisory group on a field tour in the North Central Region.

WDFW seeks members for new North Central Washington advisory committee

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking members for a new Regional Engagement Committee (REC) in North Central Washington. The committee will represent local …

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Election 2024

Goehner ahead in State Senate contest

WENATCHEE — Republican Keith W. Goehner has taken a commanding lead in the race for Washington's 12th District State Senate seat, with strong showings in two of three counties comprising the …

Burnett leads three-county race for 12th District House seat

CHELAN COUNTY - Republican Brian Burnett has taken an early lead in the race for Washington state's 12th Legislative District House seat, Position 1, with strong performances in Chelan and Snohomish …

Blackmon maintains strong lead in Chelan County District Court race

CHELAN COUNTY— Incumbent Chelan County District Court Judge Allen F. Blackmon holds a decisive lead over challenger Jay Eyestone in Tuesday's general election, according to the latest ballot …

Steele strengthens lead across all counties in 12th District race

CHELAN COUNTY - State Rep. Mike Steele has strengthened his lead in Washington's 12th Legislative District race,  capturing 64.3% of the total vote across all three counties, according to …

Hawkins wins Chelan County Commissioner seat

CHELAN COUNTY — State Senator Brad Hawkins has won the race for Chelan County Commissioner District 3, defeating challenger Flint Hartwig in a decisive victory. Latest results show Hawkins …

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Legislative Coverage

Federal court redistricting ruling shakes up Washington State legislative districts, faces Republican criticism

OLYMPIA – In a development impacting Washington State politics, the Ninth Circuit Court has dismissed an emergency motion to stay a federal court decision regarding legislative district …

Blending education and technology a goal for Wellman

OLYMPIA - On the last Monday morning of the 2024 legislative session, Washington State Sen. Lisa Wellman’s office brimmed with sunlight, an early peek at spring, as she sipped tea from a white …

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Get your event in the spotlight with Ward Media!

If you have an exciting event to share, email Reporter Quinn Propst at quinn@ward.media. We’ll showcase the five most captivating events of the week, giving your event the recognition it deserves. Even if your event isn’t among the top five, it will still be added to our events calendar and featured online. Don’t miss this chance to make your event shine!

Here is this week's list of 5 Things to do this Week.
    • Flights and Bites

      Brick and Rafters in Cashmere will host their first Flights and Bites event, featuring Lenny and Tate Candle Co. and Szmanias Catering, on …

    • Merry Christmas from Leavenworth

      Leavenworth will kick off the holiday season with the Holiday Concert “Merry Christmas from Leavenworth” at the Leavenworth …

    • Benevolent Night

      München Haus will host Benevolent Night for the Community Foundation of NCW and will on Tuesday, December 3, from 4-8 p.m. …

    • Harpist Bronn Journey

      The Leavenworth Methodist Church will host live music by harpist Bronn Journey on December 4 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be …

    • Library Holiday Party

      The Friends of the Leavenworth Library will host a Holiday Party at the Leavenworth Public Library on Thursday, December 5, from 6 to 7 p.m. …

Sports
Wenatchee Wild players celebrate after forward Shaun Rios’s goal in the third period of a 5-4 win at the Kelowna Rockets Wednesday. Rios scored his first goal with the Wild in Wednesday’s game, as head coach Don Nachbaur earned his 700th victory as a WHL head coach.
KELOWNA, British Columbia – The list of Western Hockey League coaches to reach the 700-win plateau is quite brief. The Wenatchee Wild did their part to make that list a little …
Wenatchee Wild goaltender Daniel Hauser is greeted by his team after a 4-2 win Sunday over the Kamloops Blazers at Town Toyota Centre in Wenatchee. Hauser made 30 saves to earn his 100th WHL victory, the 19th goaltender in league history to reach that milestone.
WENATCHEE – Sunday evening’s game at Town Toyota Center will be one worth remembering for a long time, for a long list of reasons. Two players recorded personal milestones, …
Wenatchee Wild forward Deagan McMillan (right) knocks Calgary’s Sawyer Mayes off-balance during the first period of Saturday’s Western Hockey League game at Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee. McMillan scored a power play goal in the third, but the Hitmen prevailed with a 4-3 overtime victory.
WENATCHEE  – After the first 40 minutes Saturday at Town Toyota Center, it appeared the next goal might be enough to grind out a win in a defensive battle. The final 20 minutes of …

Cascade High School Cross Country Head Coach Dayle Massey on his final day as coach, Saturday, November 9, with the five seniors who ran for him all four of their years: Cruz Martinez, Napiqua Gibbs, Alice Farrell, Ben Jerome, and Caroline Menna.
PASCO   — After 15 years at the helm, Dayle Massey coached the Kodiak XC teams for the last time on Saturday, November 9, at the Washington State Championships, where his Class 1A teams …
The Kodiak girls’ team put together a dominant performance in Naches on Saturday, taking second, fifth, and seventh places, and the district championship.
NACHES — Both the boys’ and girls’ Cascade High School cross country teams ran to become the 2024 Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1A, District 5 champions …

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Opinion
Terry Ward<br> CEO & Publisher<br> Ward Media
As Thanksgiving approaches, I've been thinking about what gratitude truly means—not just as words shared around a dinner table, but as an active force capable of transforming our communities. …
Terry Ward<br> CEO & Publisher<br> Ward Media
North Central Washington has always been a place where strength is measured in visible metrics: the size of the harvest, the height of the dam, the acres of orchards, the megawatts generated. Our …

Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-12
With all of the election advertising concluded and campaign signs now removed, the all-consuming “political season” we endured is quickly becoming recent history. With so many local, …
Terry Ward, Publisher
Walking downtown in any community across North Central Washington, you'll find more than just commerce – you'll discover the very heart of community identity. The independent bookstore where …
Letters
The 2024 Upper Valley Empty Bowls Festival just concluded on Thursday, March 21 st .  This long standing festival, this the 28 th season, is only possible because it is loved by our village, and …
Rhona Baron (The Whistle) has written several pieces regarding the current city’s approach to building codes, which have provided misleading facts and incomplete analyses. She and others have …
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