Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Top Stories

Douglas County to launch mobile permitting office for Chelan Hills fire recovery

Douglas County Fire District No. 4 in Orondo will host the county's new Planning, Permitting & Land Use Mobile Office on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. County staff will provide rebuilding and permitting assistance to residents affected by the Chelan Hills Fire.
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.

Brewster High School to host Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 9

BREWSTER — Brewster High School will host a Veterans Day ceremony Monday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. The schoolwide and community assembly will honor veterans of the U.S. …

The Merc Playhouse to present Readers' Theater Production of 'The Crucible'

TWISP — The Merc Playhouse will present a readers' theater production of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, directed by Magnolia Brown. Performances are scheduled for 7 …

Washington Wellbeing Initiative offers up to $40,000 for regional partnerships

WENATCHEE — Community organizations in North Central Washington are invited to apply for up to $40,000 in funding through the Washington Wellbeing Initiative, a statewide collaboration seeking to support projects focused on community belonging, civic health and wellbeing.

Free spay, neuter clinic returns to Okanogan County Oct. 29

OKANOGAN COUNTY — Team Okanogan Animal Rescue and Greater Good Charities will hold a four-day clinic offering free spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations and microchipping Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds.
State News

As immigrant Medicaid cuts take effect, some in WA can keep their coverage

OLYMPIA – Roughly 10,000 immigrants in Washington are losing their Medicaid health coverage due to federal cuts Republicans in Congress approved last year.

Sports

Lake Roosevelt beats Bridgeport football 68-14

COULEE DAM — Lake Roosevelt scored 40 points in the first quarter and beat Bridgeport 68-14 in a 1B Central Washington 8-man football game Friday, Oct. 16.
Brewster football beats Lind-Ritzville/Sprague 34-21
BREWSTER — Brewster football beat visiting Lind-Ritzville/Sprague/Washtucna/Kahlotus 34-21 in a nonleague game Friday.
Bridgeport girls soccer shut out by Lake Roosevelt, Omak
BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport girls soccer was shut out twice this week.
Brewster girls soccer stays perfect in league with wins over Oroville, Tonasket
BREWSTER — Brewster girls soccer won two 2B Central Washington League road matches by a combined 16-1 this week to stay unbeaten in league play.
Opinion
Terry Ward, Publisher

When outrage masquerades as journalism

There is a difference between journalism that makes people uncomfortable and content that is designed to make people angry.
Other News
OMAK — The Okanogan County School Retirees' Association will hold a general meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, 639 W. Ridge Drive, Omak.
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.
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 …
EAST WENATCHEE — A Bridgeport man wanted on attempted murder and drive-by shooting warrants was arrested Oct. 6 after deputies investigated a crash that damaged a Douglas County PUD power box and prompted reports of a nearby power outage.
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Obituaries
October 25, 1933 - September 19, 2026 Robert James Cook was born in Chelan County near Manson, Washington. When he was two, his family moved to Brewster. He loved watching his dad work on engines …
Genevieve Elaine Smith, age 87, passed away on August 30, 2026, wrapped in the loving arms of her namesake granddaughter, Genevieve Stephens. This Amazing Woman is now in the arms of Jesus, her …
Patricia Munk Patricia "Pat" (Davis) Munk passed away Aug. 11, 2026, in Lebanon. She was born in 1941 in California. She graduated from Napa High School and San Francisco State College. She was …
Teresa Marchand Hoback September 18, 1949 – July 4, 2026 Teresa Marchand Hoback, a woman whose life was defined by love, generosity, and service to others, passed away peacefully, surrounded …
Daniel Carl Martin March 9, 1947 – April 9, 2026 Daniel Carl Martin, a devoted Husband, Father, Brother, and Grandfather, passed away on April 9, 2026, following a courageous battle with …
Wade C. Jacobson, of Mansfield, WA, passed away on March 26, 2026 at the age of 60.  Arrangements by Precht Rose Chapel, Chelan, WA.
Web Extra Content
Self-Employed and Can’t Get a Mortgage? The Loan Type May Be the Problem
Many self-employed borrowers who are told they do not qualify for a mortgage are not actually unqualified. They are applying through a loan type that measures income in a way that works against them. …
Massachusetts Appraisal Rules Change in November. Buyers Who Wait to Prepare Will Lose Deals.
Most Massachusetts homebuyers will not think about new appraisal rules until those rules delay their closing. By then, according to Colleen Barry of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, the …
A Seller’s Strongest Negotiating Position in Fairfield County, CT Starts Before the First Showing
The Fairfield County, Connecticut housing market heading into fall 2026 doesn’t fit neatly into a single headline. Some homes are drawing multiple offers above asking. Others, in the same county …
Mortgage-Dependent Buyers Are Being Squeezed Out of the Florida Keys
There is a growing divide in the Florida Keys housing market, and it runs along a single fault line: whether a buyer needs a mortgage. Cash buyers – many of them retirees and business owners from …
Columbus, Ohio Has 2.23 Million Residents and Barely 6,000 Homes for Sale
A metropolitan area of 2.23 million people should have a deeper housing market than what Columbus, Ohio is showing right now. According to Central Ohio MLS data cited by Barbara Gale of the Gale …