WENATCHEE — Wenatchee Valley College alum Dante Jester will give a free public lecture Wednesday, Oct. 14, on how communities can prepare for extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

EAST WENATCHEE — Residents, businesses and nonprofits hurt by the Chelan Hills Fire can now get in-person help applying for federal disaster loans at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in East Wenatchee.

High school seniors and other students planning college or job training can now apply for financial aid for the 2027-28 school year.

WENATCHEE — Wenatchee Valley College will mark longtime facilities worker Tom Martin's retirement with a free night of music Friday, Oct. 9, that also serves as the first event in a new Coffeehouse performance series.

WENATCHEE — Chelan County elections staff and the Washington Secretary of State's Office will test the county's vote-counting system at 10 a.m. Oct. 15, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.

WENATCHEE — Jennifer Faulconer and Nathan Cacka, both certified public accountants who joined Cordell, Neher & Company in 2013, become members of the Wenatchee accounting and financial advisory firm Oct. 1, while longtime member Timothy Dilley steps into an advisory role.

LEAVENWORTH — Motorists traveling through Leavenworth should expect slowdowns, closures and heavier-than-usual foot traffic due to the Leavenworth Marathon Oct. 3.

EAST WENATCHEE — An increased presence of emergency vehicles and personnel at Pangborn Memorial Airport all day on Oct. 1 will be part of a planned regional training exercise, the Chelan-Douglas Regional Port Authority announced.

CASHMERE — A resident’s complaint about stormwater crossing Rank Road prompted a pointed discussion at the Sept. 28 Cashmere City Council meeting, with city officials defending previous drainage work while acknowledging the problem remains unresolved.

CASHMERE — Cashmere will begin enforcing existing rules governing scooters, electric bicycles and motorized mini bikes while developing additional regulations as needed, following renewed safety concerns at the Sept. 28 City Council meeting.

CASHMERE — Cashmere is coordinating with three other small cities on a response to proposed increases in Chelan County prosecution charges, seeking alternatives to a rate that could nearly triple its annual bill.

CASHMERE — Cashmere will hold a budget workshop after the Nov. 3 election so council members can weigh spending decisions with a clearer picture of whether voters have approved Proposition 1.

Washington's minimum wage will go up 60 cents to $17.73 an hour on Jan. 1, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced Sept. 30.

WENATCHEE — Pinnacles Prep, a tuition-free public charter school in South Wenatchee, will open applications for the 2027-28 school year with an apple cider-pressing party Oct. 16.

WENATCHEE — Link Transit is joining Switch Your Trips WA, a statewide challenge that asks people to replace driving alone with walking, biking, carpooling or riding the bus during October.

WATERVILLE — Former Douglas County Prosecuting Attorney Walter Gordon Edgar will return to the office Oct. 1 following his appointment by the county Board of Commissioners.

WENATCHEE — Anglers may keep coho salmon on the Columbia River from Priest Rapids Dam upstream to Rock Island Dam through Oct. 15, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

MOSES LAKE — Cybersecurity experts with backgrounds at Microsoft, Starbucks, Oracle, the U.S. Air Force and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will speak Oct. 7 at a free cybersecurity summit at …

WENATCHEE — Chelan PUD will hold free activities, treats and giveaways from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday Oct. 5-9 at its Service Center, 203 Olds Station Road in Wenatchee, as part of Public Power Week.

LEAVENWORTH —  Schedule changes for recycling and yard waste in Leavenworth are coming this fall. At the Leavenworth Recycling Center, winter hours will go into effect Oct. 3. It will be …