On 03-28-2023, Chelan County Deputies were dispatched to a reported assault in the 16000 block of Chumstick Highway shortly after 7 am. According to the initial report, Abel Wilkes had “flipped out” and was shooting firearms at his residence. When he was confronted by a neighbor, Wilkes allegedly pointed a rifle at the neighbor and told him to leave him alone.
The victim left the area and contacted deputies in Leavenworth to report the assault. Due to the nature of the incident, members of the Eastern Cascades SWAT Team responded to the call, arriving about 1030 am, and attempting to make contact with Wilkes. The Eastern Cascades SWAT Team consists of officers from the Chelan and Douglas County Sheriff’s Offices, the Wenatchee and East Wenatchee Police Departments and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wilkes was not compliant and actively resisted the officers’ attempts to place him under arrest, and a protracted standoff ensued. During the standoff, one of the SWAT Team officers discharged their duty weapon toward Wilkes. There is also evidence that Wilks discharged a firearm.
After the gunfire, Wilkes continued to resist arrest, barricading his residence against the efforts of the officers. Late in the afternoon, the Eastern Cascades SWAT Team was assisted by the Washington State Patrol SWAT Team, who eventually took over the scene around 11 pm.
Wilkes was finally taken into custody at approximately 5 am on 03-29-23. He was medically evaluated and did not have any visible injuries. He was booked into the Chelan County Jail on charges of Assault 2nd degree.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave with their agency, as is standard in these situations.
Due to the officer’s use of potentially deadly force, the incident is being investigated by the Central Basin Investigative Team. CBIT consists of officers from Adams, Grant and Kittitas Counties, the Cities of Moses Lake, Quincy, Ellensburg, Ephrata and Othello, as well as Department of Fish and Wildlife.
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority Director of Airports Trent Moyers testified before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation during a hearing to highlight the importance of commercial air service to residents and businesses across the Wenatchee Valley.
Moyers testified at the invitation of Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, who chairs the Committee. The Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and air transportation, held yesterday’s hearing to discuss ways to enhance consumer protection and connectivity in air transportation.
In his appearance before the Committee, Moyers detailed how the loss of air service since the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic has impacted the ability of Wenatchee residents to reach their destinations across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
“Today, service in Wenatchee and many small airports has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, largely due to a lack of airline capacity,” Moyers said. “The number of daily flights to our airport has gone from four in recent years down to one. The post-pandemic recovery of air service continues to be challenging in Wenatchee, but we know we're not alone.”
“In the Wenatchee Valley, 850 people drive, every day, to an airport other than Pangborn because connectivity from Wenatchee is limited. A single flight per day to Seattle means only 76 people can directly access air transportation to or from Wenatchee, without spending three hours driving.”
In her opening remarks at the hearing, Sen. Cantwell also highlighted the economic benefits of commercial air service to Wenatchee:
“Next to the airport, Microsoft is building a 41,000-square-foot data center that will employ 50 full-time employees,” Sen. Cantwell said. “This a $400 million investment that would not be possible without the airport connection to the larger Washington economy. So we have to have our communities like Wenatchee thrive. And for Wenatchee to thrive, they need good air transportation connectivity.”
Moyers highlighted steps Congress could take to support air service to small and rural communities, including providing greater flexibility for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program and increasing the share of funding the federal government contributes to airport infrastructure improvement projects.
Video of Mr. Moyers’ opening testimony is available here and a transcript is available here. A transcript and video of Mr. Moyers’ Q&A with Sen. Cantwell is available here.
Pangborn Memorial Airport is owned and operated by the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority. To learn more about current economic development projects taking place within the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority, please visit: www.cdrpa.org.
LINHUI YAN AGE 60
YAN YANG AGE 44
***Update 3-23-2023***
During the course of the investigation detectives were able to contact some of the victims of human trafficking in the case. They were offered and given any available resources they were willing to accept.
As of this day, the suspects Linhui Yan and Yan Yang have not been arrested, and their current location is unknown. There are still warrants for their arrest. Please contact the Columbia River Drug Task Force if you have any information on the location of the suspects.
There are no additional suspect or charges being considered at this time.
03-01-2023 Press Release
The Columbia River Drug Task Force reports a long-term human trafficking investigation that has resulted in the service of five search warrants at various locations across the state. In 2022, CRDTF detectives were made aware of two local massage parlors which were a front for prostitution. Over the course of the investigation, two suspects were identified as a part of this human trafficking organization and warrants were issued for their arrest. The charges include: leading organized crime, promoting prostitution, and money laundering. These individuals have been identified as 60-year-old Linhui Yan and 43-year-old Yan Yang out of Tacoma.
On 03-01-2023, CRDTF detectives led a joint operation involving the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Wenatchee Police Department, East Wenatchee Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Kennewick Police Department, South Sound Gang Task Force, Department of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security.
Search warrants were served at the following locations: 400 block of North Mission Street in Wenatchee, 300 block of North Chelan Ave in Wenatchee, 6200 block of Clearwater in Kennewick, 3600 block of Tyler Street in Tacoma, and 2000 block of 1022nd Street in Tacoma.
This is an ongoing investigation, additional details will be released when available.
***Update 3/24/2023***
The victim in this case has been identified as 42 year old Adrian Antonio Norfleet from the Seattle area. Detectives believe this is an isolated incident and there is still no threat to the general public.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is still asking for the public to call the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 509-667-6845 if they have any information related the victim or this investigation.
3/20/2023
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office reports on March 17th, 2023 Deputies were dispatched to a report of a body discovered in the16000blk of Camp 12 road in Plain, Wa. Chelan County Sheriff’s Office detectives and The Washington State Crime Lab responded to the scene to investigate.
The deceased person is a black male, approximately 5’11” tall, medium build, and 25-40 years of age. The identity is unknown at this time. Detectives are investigating this as a homicide and asking for the public to call the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Tipline at 509-667-6845 if you have any information related to this investigation.
Due to this being an active and on-going investigation, this is the only information being released at this time.
OLYMPIA – Spring is here, and with it – the deadline to remove studded tires before end of day Friday, March 31. The Washington State Department of Transportation encourages all drivers to plan head now to avoid a potential fine of $137, which could be issued by the Washington State Patrol starting as soon as Saturday, April 1.
Studded tires are legal in Washington from Nov. 1 to March 31. There is no individual exception or “out of state waiver” to the studded tire dates.
“Studded tires cause between $20 million to $29 million in damage to state-owned roads in Washington each winter and also damage city and county roads,” said WSDOT Maintenance Operations Manager James Morin. “We urge motorists to explore all their traction options, including non-stud, winter-tread tires which are different from all–season tires. These tires are legal year-round and don’t damage our highways.”
State law gives WSDOT the authority to extend the deadline when circumstances call for it, most commonly when a forecast indicates widespread snow and ice. While late season storms are possible in the mountain passes, there are no forecasted statewide conditions that would call for an extension to the deadline. For mountain travel, WSDOT recommends drivers use approved traction tires and carry chains, if necessary.
Real-time road conditions are available before heading out. Travelers are encouraged to stay up to date on changes by using WSDOT’s social media and email alert tools.
Washington and Oregon share the same studded tire removal deadline. Other states may have different studded tire removal dates, but the Washington law applies to all drivers in the state, even visitors.
More information about studded tire regulations in Washington is available online.
AGENDA
Chelan Fire and Rescue
Thursday March 23, 2023, at 3:00 P.M.
232 East Wapato, Chelan, WA
The CFR Board of Commissioners will conduct the meeting in person at the fire station, you are welcome to join via Zoom. The public is welcome to join by following this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87284665516 Meeting ID: 872 8466 5516 or dial +1 253 215 8782
Proposed Chelan Fire and Rescue agenda pending Board approval.
Flag Salute
Roll Call:
Regular Meeting Call to Order:
Honorary Dan Wright
Approve Agenda:
Public Comment:
Consent Agenda:
• Revenue and Expenditure Report: February 2023
• Payroll: January 24, 2023, to February 20, 2023 / Paid 03-03-2023 for $157,704.45
• General Account Vouchers: 02-03-2023 Transaction #147 to 160 for $5,050.64; 02-17-2023 Transactions #179 to 201 for $20,635.41 and 02-24-2023 Transaction #215 to 227 for $13,619.32.
• Capital Account Vouchers: 02-18-2023 Transaction #202 to 204 for $56,143.20.
• Minutes: February 15, 2023
Fire Chief Report: (Chief Asher)
• 2023 Budget & Financial Report - February 2023
• February Emergency Response Report / Operations / Community Risk Reduction / Apparatus Update
Assistant Fire Chief Report (Asst. Chief Sherman)
• Volunteer Recruitment / Training
Firefighters Association Report (Ron Simmons)
Unfinished Business:
New Business:
• Resolution 2023-01 Surplus 1993 Seagrave Pumper
• Resolution 2023-02 Surplus Miscellaneous Items
• National Fire Academy – Assistant Fire Chief Sherman – Travel Approval
Special Events:
• KOZI – Community Connection Thursday, March 16, @ 8:10 a.m. – Assistant Fire Chief Sherman
Board for Volunteer Firefighters:
Public Comment:
Commissioner Comments:
Executive Session:
Adjournment:
OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Transportation is searching for a missing plane in rugged forest land near Queets that abruptly dropped off radar Monday evening.
WSDOT Air Search and Rescue was notified of a missing 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane piloted by Rod Collen on Monday evening. Search efforts began that night and has included air searches on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday when the weather permitted safe flying conditions. Law enforcement and others have been patrolling roadways in the last known position area as well.
Collen left the Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35 p.m. on Monday; and a few minutes into the flight the plane’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system was either turned off or malfunctioned and the plane was no longer visible on normal tracking systems the air traffic controllers use. With the help of a specialized radar forensics team, primary radar returns were located that placed the aircraft near the coast between Lake Quinault and Queets. The final radar plots show the aircraft made a very rapid descent to the ground. Collen was the only one in the plane.
No signal has been detected from the plane’s Emergency Locator Transmitter since it went off radar, but search officials have narrowed the search area to a 36-square-mile section of forest land with rugged terrain and some logging activity. The amount of snow on the ground has hampered searchers’ ability to spot the plane from the air. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Quinault Natural Resources crews have patrolled roads near the areas but the section is too large and rugged to send in ground search crews until the search can be narrowed to a more specific site.
The area where the plane descended is on Quinault tribal land near Queets near the Jefferson and Grays Harbor county line. The area is on the Olympia Peninsula along Washington’s coast.
The search remains active, but crews are waiting for new developments or a weather change before flying search aircraft again. Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Monday or spotted anything in the area should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details. The plane’s tail number is N24289. At this time search officials do not need volunteers to conduct either air or land searches as that may overlap or hamper already searched areas or new missions.
The search has been conducted with an aircraft from WSDOT as well as Coast Guard crews out of Port Angeles. WSDOT also is coordinating with the Quinault tribe, Jefferson and Pierce county sheriff’s offices, the Tacoma Police Department and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.
Updates on the search will be posted on the WSDOT blog. Email updates from WSDOT are also available online by signing up and selecting the Emergency news “air search and rescue” option. Barring new developments – which would be announced on the blog – the next update is planned for 10 a.m. Sunday, March 12.
WSDOT, by statute (RCW 47.68.380) is charged with the coordination and management of aerial search and rescue within the state. The agency works in conjunction with volunteer search and rescue groups, law enforcement and other agencies, such as the U.S. Navy, in carrying out such searches.
Virtual meeting takes place March 14 and 15.
OLYMPIA – The March 14 and 15 meeting of the Washington State Transportation Commission will include discussions on the Right of Way Safety Initiative for those living homeless on state highway right of ways, on-demand transit and the current health of Washington’s bridges.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. both Tuesday, March 14, and Wednesday, March. 15. The meeting will be virtual using Zoom. Those interested in attending can register on the commission’s website. TVW will broadcast the meeting live.
Three state agencies – the Department of Commerce, the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Washington State Patrol – received funding from the Legislature in 2022 for an initiative to find solutions for people experiencing homelessness and living on state highway right of ways. The commission will hear an update on Tuesday about this work being done in partnership with local governments and nonprofits.
The commission will also receive an update Wednesday on the status of Washington’s bridge inventory. A panel will discuss whether funding for bridge maintenance is keeping up with the needs at both the state and the county level and the impact of preservation funding on bridge lifecycle sustainability.
Other highlights of the topics to be covered at the commission’s two-day meeting include:
The commission will take public comment at 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15. Those wishing to speak can sign up during the meeting by posting their name in the Q&A box on-screen. Written comments can also be submitted via email to
For more information about the commission and a complete meeting agenda, visit the commission’s website: wstc.wa.gov/.
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