NCWLIFE Evening News

• In Chelan County Superior Court yesterday, the driver in a 2025 crash that killed two youth passengers appeared on charges of vehicular homicide.• A Brewster physician must spend a year in federal prison and pay more than $400,000 dollars for providing patients with recalled and potentially unsafe medical devices.• An East Wenatchee man has been subpoenaed to give testimony in an Arizona courtroom in the murder trial of his own brother.

• The state’s Department of Labor & Industries is looking into two job site accidents in Chelan County, one of which killed a contract utility worker at Lake Chelan.• Douglas County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a case of drive-by gunfire in the area of Bridgeport.• Next week, bike advocates and traffic engineers from around the state will gather for the Washington Bike Walk Roll Summit at the Wenatchee Convention Center.

• In Phoenix, Arizona, trial is set to commence next week for a Wenatchee man charged with murder.• An East Wenatchee man who previously pleaded guilty to domestic violence was arrested for allegedly breaking into a home to confront his prior victim.• The Chelan city council is losing one member due to health reasons.

• Traffic crossing the George Sellar Bridge between Wenatchee and East Wenatchee was held up for public safety reasons today, after a person climbed to the peak of the bridge carrying a bicycle, and then tied the bike to the American flag.• Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been spotted at airports around the country, but will not be coming to East Wenatchee’s air travel hub.• An initiative called ‘Pages of Redemption’ is bringing paperback books to county jails across Washington state.

• A Moses Lake man was sentenced last week to 35 years in federal prison for sexually abusing children and creating videos of the abuse.• In May 2025, Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker were reported missing after their father, Travis Decker, failed to return them from a scheduled visitation.• The Behavioral Health Unit of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has secured nearly $55,000 in grant funding to support program growth without utilizing county funds.

• The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its animal partners. The agency announced yesterday that K-9 Elsa had passed away after a sudden medical emergency.• The Grant County Health District announced yesterday that it was notified of two confirmed measles cases in children this week.•Wenatchee High School’s Mock Trial Team is heading to Tacoma this weekend for its annual statewide competition.

• The Women’s Service League of NCW is giving away over 1,000 prom dresses to high school girls this Saturday and Sunday.• We’ve reported on the weekend death of Kasey Jo Emery of Chelan, who died Saturday after the SUV she was a passenger in struck the rear of an ambulance on Highway 97A.•The Small Business Administration opened a temporary office in Leavenworth last week, aimed at helping residents recover after the December storms.

• East Wenatchee City Hall was briefly closed Monday night after a suspicious briefcase prompted a bomb squad investigation.• Okanogan County has begun the search for a new sheriff, after the resignation two weeks ago of Sheriff Paul Budrow.• Each year, the Cascadia Conservation District hosts its “Picture Chelan County” photo contest, with winning work selected to grace the nonprofit’s annual calendar.

• A 24-year-old Chelan woman is dead after the SUV she was riding in slammed into an ambulance Saturday, and the driver now faces a charge of vehicular homicide.• A residential structure fire in the town of Bridgeport last week brought aid from surrounding fire agencies.• The Chelan County Commissioners will hold a joint community meeting at the end of the month to provide updates on their districts.

• The Washington State Legislature adjourned Thursday, concluding its regular session with a collection of bills that will impact North Central Washington, including the much-discussed "millionaire's tax.”• The Wenatchee School District plans to cut $2.5 million from its budget for the 2026-2027 school year — less than half of the amount that was originally expected.• At Wenatchee High School, students and parents gathered yesterday for a third annual Migrant Family Night.

• A former Chelan County Community Development employee is suing the county, alleging the department was a "hostile work environment" where she endured "on-the-job sexual assault."• Multiple people were injured in a three-car crash yesterday afternoon near Leavenworth. • Local utility districts struggled with wind-related power outages that began early this morning.

• Three Wenatchee Valley fifth graders got a big surprise today as the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival announced its 2026 Junior Royalty Court at Mission View Elementary• The Stehekin Valley is once again at risk for flooding as it braces for more rain and snowmelt this week.• The former Moses Lake physician accused of wounding a U.S. Marshal in a Florida shootout has now been formally charged.

• The Wenatchee Valley Humane Society is launching a partnership with East Wenatchee to trap and neuter feral cats that are living in the community.• Rescue workers teamed up to help a 42-year-old dirt biker who collapsed on a Saturday excursion up Tripp Canyon outside Cashmere.• Governor Bob Ferguson has signed the first tranche of bills to pass the Washington Legislature during this session, with more scheduled to receive his signature tomorrow.

• Columbia Valley Community Health has opened its new Youth Behavioral Health clinic in Wenatchee, designed to meet the needs of teens and young adults ages 13 to 25.• Two homes were struck by gunfire in the Bridgeport Bar area early Sunday morning, in what authorities believe is gang-related activity.•A 55-year-old Moses Lake man must serve 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to methamphetamine trafficking.

• A former Moses Lake physician was wounded and is now in custody after a police shootout in Florida, where he was arrested for an alleged sexual assault.• The National Park Service says it’s making federal funds available to partially rebuild the crucial road serving Stehekin.• Several Washington state legislators voted in favor of a war powers resolution meant to halt President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

• The Washington Supreme Court says the Grant County Jail has broad immunity in a lawsuit brought by the survivors of an inmate who died from a heroin overdose.• he Wenatchee man arrested early Tuesday for an alleged knife attack on his girlfriend is now facing three felony charges, and Douglas County sheriff’s deputies say the assault was captured on home security video.• Chelan County is moving to assist the remote Lake Chelan community of Stehekin after the December floods.

• The Common Ground Community Housing Trust is accepting applications for its affordable homes on Ninth Street in Wenatchee.• The Washington state Legislature has passed a bill to ban law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings.• The killer of a young mother in Moses Lake has entered a plea in her death.

•An East Wenatchee man is jailed after allegedly stabbing his girlfriend in the neck early this morning. The assault was reported just after 2 a.m.•The state of Washington and the federal government are expecting to pay roughly $180,000 dollars for temporary repairs on Beaver Hill, a steep and winding road grade just outside the town of Plain.•The Washington Legislature is sprinting toward a March 12th deadline to pass the new state budget, with a possible $2 billion dollar deficit despite the proposed millionaires tax.

• About 70 people gathered at Memorial Park in Wenatchee on Sunday to protest recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, joining anti-war demonstrations held across the country.• The early access lottery is open for the North Cascades National Park. • There’s a new sheriff in town. Tyler Caille, the Douglas County undersheriff for the last seven years, was sworn in this morning by County Commissioner Dan Sutton.

• A Moses Lake man accused of murder in the death of his grandfather in 2024 has entered a guilty plea.• The veteran fire chief for the city of Manson and its surroundings has announced his retirement.• On Saturday, the Chuck Wagon Ministries food pantry will begin operations at the King’s Harvest Church of Christ in Wenatchee.

•An elderly Grant County man who plotted from prison to have his ex-wife and daughter killed cannot be released on medical grounds, despite documented health problems.•A Wenatchee 16-year-old was struck and injured by another teen Tuesday in the parking lot of Winco Foods, and now that driver is facing hit-and-run charges.•The Chopaka Lake and Cold Spring Campgrounds in Okanogan County are at risk of closure due to state budget cuts.

•A Manson business owner and his son no longer face federal charges for illegally importing emissions devices.•A Wenatchee Valley mental health counselor was sentenced Monday to one month in jail after inappropriately messaging or touching two of his clients — ages 14 and 18 — told police that he had inappropriately messaged them or touched them.•Central Washington lawmakers are working to put together funding for public building and infrastructure projects in the Wenatchee Valley.

•Progress is underway on Moses Lake’s new hospital building. Samaritan Healthcare says the new hospital location will be open for patient visits two weeks from now.•An 18-year-old suspect in a shooting last month in downtown Chelan has entered a guilty plea, but not to the shooting itself.•Firefighters were called this morning to a commercial structure fire at cryptocurrency mining operation near Pangborn Airport.

•The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department responded to emergency calls over the weekend to three different residential fires around the city, two of them in the Sunnyslope neighborhood.•Two different open letters submitted by Confluence Health physicians and former leaders continue to raise concerns about the health system's planned cancer center.•The Wenatchee Jazz Workshop has become a musical tradition in the Valley since it was established in 2000.

•Grant County authorities have released the names of the five sheriff’s deputies who fatally shot a Moses Lake man on Monday evening.•Douglas County PUD commissioners declared a maintenance emergency at their Renewable Hydrogen Production Facility at Baker Flats on Tuesday, and authorized General Manager Gary Ivory to negotiate new contracts for its hydrogen electrolyzer system.•A Wenatchee man was sentenced this week to a diversionary mental health program in lieu of jail this week, after pleading guilty to charges of arson and reckless burning.

•A former Sterling Junior High custodian accused of sexually abusing a student pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of third-degree rape.•On Monday, a segment of 8th Street Southeast in East Wenatchee will be closed from South Mary to South Nile Avenue.•The Washington Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that Amazon must stand trial in a civil case accusing the online retailer of contributing to suicides.

•Authorities have identified the man shot and killed by Grant County sheriff’s deputies on Monday.•Douglas County has a new sheriff, effective March 1st.•The city of Wenatchee has officially launched its new utility billing payment website.

•One man is dead after a police-involved shooting northeast of Moses Lake.•The Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center’s application to renovate and expand its facility is under review by the city.•Washington is looking for federal help in its cleanup from December’s atmospheric river event.

•A Wenatchee mother and her 9-year-old son were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, and by this afternoon, they had been removed from the United States.•Young would-be surgeons suited up Saturday and started exploring in the Matters of the Heart event, held at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center.•Commissioners for the Grant County PUD could decide the fate of the Crescent Bar golf course as soon as tomorrow.

•An apartment complex caught fire Thursday afternoon in Wenatchee, burning one unit in a duplex and displacing a family of three. The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department responded to a call at 3:33 p.m.•The city of East Wenatchee will close a portion of Fifth Street Northeast next week to begin infrastructure projects in the area.•The Building Better Tomorrows Foundation is sponsoring an Instrument Drive to benefit local student musicians.

•Congressman Dan Newhouse was one of six Republicans voting yesterday to block President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada.•Chelan County leadership visited the remote Lake Chelan village of Stehekin this week to learn more about the status of Company Creek Road and other damages from the December storms.•The Town Nissan car dealership in East Wenatchee, owned by the Barros and Lisson families, is shutting down one month from now.

•U.S. Highway 2 is now fully open between Monroe and Leavenworth for the first time in two months.•Rivercom, the emergency dispatch service for Chelan and Douglas counties, is well on its way to a new funding stream.•The city of Omak and NCW Libraries reached an agreement after a dispute over the status of the Omak Public Library.

•The U.S. Army Ranger accused of committing a mass shooting outside a Gorge Amphitheatre music festival will be tried in military court, rather than in Grant County.•One Confluence Health pharmacist went above and beyond for a cancer patient’s treatment last week.•The selection pageant for Apple Blossom 2026 is drawing near, and NCWLIFE’s Eric Granstrom has been getting to know all ten candidates for the Royal Court.

• The city of Chelan has issued a draft environmental assessment, looking at the impacts of a proposed runway relocation at Lake Chelan Airport. •The Top 10 finalists for Apple Blossom Queen have been making the rounds in the Wenatchee Valley, and now the time for their final pageant is drawing near.•The empty seat on the Chelan Fire & Rescue Commissioner Board has been filled.

•The Washington State Department of Transportation says the Tumwater Canyon segment of Highway 2 is expected to reopen in mid-February, a month earlier than expected.•An injured construction worker on the site of the Majestic Apartment project in downtown Wenatchee was rescued via a ladder truck yesterday afternoon.•A man who ventured onto thin ice this week at Fish Lake had a stroke of luck…•Go Hawks!

•Students from the Eastmont School District left school for a demonstration today against U.S. immigration policy.•Douglas County has launched an agricultural land analysis to evaluate its agricultural resource lands.•A man facing federal charges from local bank robberies in September is now charged in local court as well.

•Chelan County has asked Gov. Bob Ferguson to seek federal help for engineering and construction assistance in Stehekin.•Wenatchee police are searching for a woman missing since mid-January.•A transit bus was T-boned Tuesday by a pickup driver just outside Moses Lake.

•The man found guilty of shooting his former girlfriend to death on Badger Mountain Road three years ago appeared from prison by video yesterday to have two of his convictions vacated.•Roughly 188,000 people are now in line for a share of a $1.3 million dollar settlement from the Chelan-Douglas Health District.•Douglas and Grant County sheriff’s deputies cooperated Monday to arrest two people suspected of breaking into a property in the Palisades area.

•An Okanogan County man charged with the murder of his infant daughter was arrested Friday in Iowa.•A 49-year-old Chelan woman is dead after being struck by a pickup truck while she was walking on Highway 97 near Pateros.•The Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority says Dollar General has backed out of talks to build a retail development at the port’s Cashmere Mill District.

•Sheriff's Emergency Management coordinator Sgt. Jason Reinfeld said the body of 33-year-old David Gimlett was found Thursday in Peshastin Creek by a Chelan County Volunteer Search and Rescue team member.•Chelan County sheriff’s deputies and partner agencies were involved in a dramatic winter rope rescue earlier this month.•The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office will no longer accept cash or check payments for Concealed Pistol Licenses and DUI cost recovery fees.

•Vehicles in a tow yard alongside Highway 97A caught fire Wednesday evening in Entiat.•A man who shot and killed a Quincy teenager in 2022 must be resentenced for the murder.•The Badger Mountain Ski Hill is experiencing financial woes due to this winter’s lack of snow.

•An employee on a contractor crew hired by the Chelan County PUD has died along Lake Chelan after a utility pole collapsed underneath him.•The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is seeking help locating 33-year-old David Gimlett, a Leavenworth man who has been missing since last week.•A DUI wreck outside of Omak injured three people on Tuesday night.

•The Wenatchee Valley ski community came out today to honor a local legend Otto Ross.•A Wenatchee man faces possible hit-and-run charges after allegedly striking a group of hikers with his pickup on Saturday, injuring a father and his 8-year-old child.•The East Wenatchee City Council is proposing changes to the city’s banner display policy.

•East Wenatchee police say a teen driver led them on a high-speed pursuit early Saturday morning, endangering bystanders and eventually crashing in the 800 block of Valley Mall Parkway.•Chelan County sheriff's deputies say they apprehended a suspect Friday night in a shooting that left one man wounded in downtown Chelan.•A winter rockslide closed a portion of Highway 155 in Grant County on Saturday, cutting off access to Steamboat Rock State Park for westbound travelers.

•A structure fire and a vehicle falling into an irrigation canal kept Wenatchee Valley firefighters busy on Thursday.•A Chelan County state legislator is speaking out against a bill that would bar Washington police departments from hiring any officers who joined ICE during the Trump Administration.•Another piece of the Confluence Parkway bypass project pulled into Wenatchee early this morning.

•A group of Chelan County Sheriff’s deputies have filed an $8 million tort claim against their employer, alleging Sheriff Mike Morrison demoted them for supporting his predecessor during the 2022 election.•The Ninth Street railroad crossing is closed until Friday morning while the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway completes track work.•A Grand Coulee man is charged with five counts of first-degree assault after allegedly firing a rifle at a group of boaters on the Rufus Woods Reservoir of the Columbia River.

•Chelan County is now among the Washington counties in line for federal disaster assistance, following December’s atmospheric river event.•East Wenatchee police say they’ve made two arrests in the theft of newly-delivered Amazon packages from a residential front porch.•A state representative from Quincy defended the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, in a hearing on a Washington bill that would govern access to workplaces for immigration agents.

•Grant County sheriff’s deputies say they’ve apprehended an international scam artist who allegedly defrauded a local man out of more than $100,000 dollars.•Okanogan County sheriff’s deputies say they had to shoot and kill a dog that emerged from a suspect’s care and attacked them Monday.•Wenatchee Valley residents joined together for yet another public demonstration Monday in Memorial Park.

•A commercial semi truck driver is now charged with DUI after allegedly smashing his Freightliner into a state Department of Transportation snowplow on Interstate 90 near Kittitas.•An Ephrata man is dead and a fellow driver charged with DUI and vehicular homicide after two pickup trucks collided head-on Sunday northeast of George.•A Saturday structure fire in Grand Coulee destroyed a mobile home despite firefighters’ efforts.

•Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 39-year-old Ephrata man overnight for allegedly shooting another man early Thursday morning.•Wenatchee police say they’ve cracked a December robbery in which a customer made off with the contents of a cash drawer from the Union 76 gas station at Ferry Street and South Mission.•Stevens Pass Ski Resort has suffered from the unusually warm and wet winter.