Free wood chips available at county brush sites
We have FREE woodchips available at Chelan County’s brush yards during regular business hours. All you need is a shovel and gloves to self-load and haul away your new chips! Read more for details.
Chelan County News Archive
A good meal goes a long way in a county jail
The kitchen crew at the Regional Justice Center was honored last week with the 2024 Department of the Year Award. What are the favorite recipes at the jail? Who are the tight-knit bunch with a statewide reputation? Learn more in the story.
A history lesson about your first county courthouse and jail
The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center recently published a story about the first Chelan County Courthouse in its spring 2025 edition of The Confluence. The museum gave us permission to post it here. Enjoy this fun read -- and the photos!
Housing Task Force opens new grant application process March 31
Beginning March 31, the Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force will seek applications for funding from local homeless housing programs. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on May 2. Read more for details.
District court, probation offer account-relief program
Do you have account balances for unpaid fines and fees ordered by Chelan County District Court or Chelan County District Court Probation? You may be eligible for a limited-time, debt-relief program that begins April 14 and ends June 14. Read more for details about who to contact.
5-year homeless housing plan update underway
For the past year, the Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force has been actively updating the five-year homeless housing plan, which will serve as a guide to prioritizing and creating future housing programs or services for the two counties. Watch for the draft plan in early May.
Leavenworth drop-off brush site permanently closed
The county-operated, drop-off brush site in Leavenworth will not re-open this spring. Read more to learn where you can bring your yard waste in Chelan County.
Helicopter to be used to remove hazardous trees at Ohme Gardens
Cleanup from damages at Ohme Gardens that were caused by a recent windstorm will require a helicopter to remove trees blown onto the rocky cliffs just below the popular tourist attraction. The work will bring traffic impacts on March 3. Read more for details.
Commissioners, county directors plan March community meetings
In March, Chelan County commissioners and a variety of department directors will hold a series of community-led discussions in each of the three districts commissioners represent. Watch for the county to be in Wenatchee on March 4, Chelan on March 5 and Leavenworth on March 6. Details are in the story.
It’s time to start watching for weight restrictions on county roads
Warming temperatures bring temporary weight restrictions on county roads every year. Do you know when you need a Special Motor Vehicle Permit? Read more.
Icicle Creek Work Group to hold Feb. 26 open house
The Icicle Creek Work Group invites the public to an open house on Feb. 26 to learn about ongoing progress on a variety of projects in the Icicle Creek watershed. The event is 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chelan County Fire District No. 3 firehall. The event will follow an open house format, with a 30-minute presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Point in Time Count shows decrease in unsheltered, increase in sheltered homeless population
Results from the 2025 homeless Point in Time Count, held last month, indicate a decrease in people living unsheltered – out of doors or in a place not meant for habitation – and an increase in the number of people living in shelters or temporary housing over last year. Get all the results here.
Take our survey to give your input on Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The planning team updating the Chelan County Community Wildfire Protection Plan invites the public to review the draft plan and provide feedback on it through an online community survey. Read more and take the survey!
Vehicle licensing services down while state upgrades its system
The vehicle licensing system of the Washington State Department of Licensing will be unavailable Feb. 14-17 because it is being upgraded. This impacts both online and in-office services until Feb. 18. Read more.
County allocates nearly $525,000 to programs fighting opioid abuse
Chelan County will distribute $524,745 in grants in the first round of its allocation of opioid settlement funding. The money will be shared by the Chelan County Regional Justice Center, Chelan County Superior Court and the Center for Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Wenatchee.
BOCC to pass short-term rental code updates on Feb. 11
UPDATE: The Board of County Commissioners has continued the hearing about short-term rental code updates to Feb. 18, when the board is expected to pass the resolution approving suggested updates to the code.
MRWF recycles, disposes of 76.4 tons of household hazardous wastes in 2024
The Chelan County Moderate Risk Waste Facility continues to see growth in the amount of household hazardous waste it is safely disposing of or recycling. Learn more about how to dispose of your household hazardous wastes safely.
Coroner: 37 deaths related to drug overdoses in 2024
The Fentanyl crisis continues to have growing impacts here in Chelan County. Chelan County coroner Wayne Harris and Chris Sharp, director of the Chelan County Regional Justice Center, share 2024 statistics from their departments.
Olds Station Campus: Call for bids due Feb. 10
Sealed bids will be received by Chelan County at the Board of County Commissioner’s Office for construction of the Olds Station Campus construction project until 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 10.
BOCC to take comment on updates to short-term rental code
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a public hearing on Jan. 14 to take comments on proposed updates to Chelan County’s short-term rental code. The public hearing will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Confluence Technology Center.
BOCC to take comment on updates to short-term rental code
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a public hearing on Jan. 14 to take comments on proposed updates to Chelan County’s short-term rental code. The public hearing will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Confluence Technology Center. This news item was updated after the hearing.
Grentz, Johnson honored for decades of service to county's Noxious Weed Control Board
Joe Grentz and James Johnson were honored at a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting for their decades of service to the Chelan County Noxious Weed Control Board. Grentz served 38 years on the board, acting as chairman for several of those years. Johnson served 32 years on the board. Both stepped down last year.
Jan. 16 open house on Totem Pole Road
The public is invited to an open house that will focus on Phase I of the Totem Pole Road improvement project. The open house, a drop-in event, will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, in the commons area of Manson High School, 1000 Totem Pole Road.
Planning Commission seeks 1 new member; apply by Jan. 15
Chelan County seeks people interested in filling an unexpired term on the county’s Planning Commission, a voluntary board that makes recommendations on long-range planning matters and development regulations to the Board of County Commissioners. Applications are due by Jan. 15.