On 7/30/23 at approximately 0930 hrs, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested 52 year old Darren D. Hunter, on charges of Rape 1st degree and Assault 2nd degree.
Hunter, who is currently living in Chelan, had recently moved to the area from Kent, Wa. While living in Kent, he worked as a middle school teacher until he was fired after pleading guilty to Assault 4th Degree with Sexual Motivation. He is currently not employed by any school district.
Details of the case are limited at this time due to it being an ongoing investigation.
Detectives have reason to believe Hunter may have committed additional unreported crimes. If you have any information that could be helpful to detectives please call the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (509) 667-6845.
Special Board Meeting
July 21, 2023, 12:00pm
Bumgarner Meeting Room, 142 Pedoi Street, Manson WA 98831
1. Call to Order
2. Flag Salute
3. Aspect Consulting contract amendment approval
4. RC Boat Racing Club
5. Adjournment
Grants awarded to 92 programs across the state
OLYMPIA — July 20, 2023 — The outdoors is one our most powerful teachers and now more children will have access to its lessons.
The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) grant program, awarded by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks), will provide more than $6.7 million for 92 projects dedicated to expanding outdoor recreation and education opportunities for underserved youth in Washington. NCLI also will leverage more than $6.8 million in matching resources from grant recipients, increasing the investment in youth education and wellbeing.
“The world comes to Washington to experience our natural wonders, but some who live and grow here face barriers to accessing these local treasures not far from home,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “The No Child Left Inside grant program is once again providing opportunities to under-served youth to have more young Washingtonians experience the outdoors, learn about the world around them and apply this understanding to improve themselves and their communities.”
These grants will support more than 47,000 kids, aged 5 to 18 and provide 1.8 million hours of vital time in nature. Of the children and teens who will benefit from this grant cycle:
“This program provides an invaluable resource to young people – access to nature,” Parks Director Diana Dupuis said. “We’re thrilled to be able to support formative outdoor experiences for more kids and in all corners of our state.”
NCLI continues to expand as more of Washington’s youth benefit from their experiences outside. This cycle, NCLI received the most grant applications in the program’s history, reviewing 174 submissions and $12.3 million in requests. This is the highest amount of funding requested and awarded in the program’s history. In the previous two biennia, the program received $4.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively.
“The NCLI grants are the most impactful education and recreation investments that the state makes,” Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, said. “They help increase access to adventure and learning for thousands of children every year, creating memories, skills, and knowledge that the kids will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
NCLI funding comes from the state general fund and was one of a dozen recommendations of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation in 2014. The task force was charged with finding ways to increase participation in outdoor recreation, which has significant social and economic benefits.
Many of the successful applicants already have begun their projects. Projects will wrap up in June 2025, with the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office likely accepting new applications in August 2024.
Projects and more information:
Learn about the 2023 project grants awarded here.
Learn more about the No Child Left Inside grant program here.
See our previous story: 25-year-old Jesse Robert Cadenas is missing
On 7/12/23 at approximately 2:27pm, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious complaint along the riverbank of the Columbia River near Rock Island Dam. The complainant, a subject on a boat, touring the river, reported seeing what he believed to be a human body along the riverbank. Deputies responded to the area and located a confirmed deceased human body partially submerged in the water. Deputies with the assistance of Wenatchee Valley Fire Dept recovered the decedent and transferred care to the Douglas County Coroner.
On 7/18/23 the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received notification from the Douglas County Coroner’s office, that they were able to positively identify the decedent as missing 25-year-old Rock Island resident, Jesse Robert Cadenas.
We appreciate all the assistance from the community and outside agencies in the search for Jesse Cadenas. We send our deepest condolences to Jesse’s family during this time.
Manson Community Council Meeting Agenda
July 18, 2023
Manson Parks Department @ 6 pm
o CALL TO ORDER pm Members Present: Kari Sorensen |Cindy Smith | John Frolker | Chris Willoughby | Pam Calhoun
o FLAG SALUTE
o TREASURER’S REPORT _$________________
o APPROVAL OF MINUTES from June 15, 2023 meeting
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
COMMUNITY COMMENT
MEETING ADJOURNED pm
EAST WENATCHEE – A contractor for the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin paving work on State Route 28 between East Wenatchee and Rock Island on Monday, July 17.
Central Washington Asphalt is the contractor for this paving project, which will repair and pave two sections of pavement. One is Sunset Highway between Hadley Street and Eastmont Avenue. The second is SR 28 between Third Street to north of Rock Island Dam.
The work will require lane closures, reduced speed zones and flagger-controlled traffic. The contractor will work Monday through Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. This project is scheduled to be complete in mid-October.
The contractor will also install new guardrail and sinusoidal rumble strips. Sinusoidal rumble strips are sometimes referred to as “mumble strips” and are like traditional rumble strips but are designed to lessen the external noise produced when vehicles travel across them.
Updates for this project will be shared on the WSDOT real-time travel map and on Twitter at @WSDOT_East.
(Lacey, WA) – Crime was up and the number of law enforcement officers was down in the latest Crime in Washington report for 2022. The rate of murders, violent and property crimes rose across the state, while the number of officers available to respond and serve our communities decreased again in 2022. The annual Crime in Washington report (link) tracks crime and arrest data from contributing law enforcement agencies throughout Washington. The report is compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
The report shows that there were 394 murders in 2022, an increase of 16.6 percent over 2021. This is the highest number of murders recorded since WASPC began collecting this data in 1980. Homicides have increased 96 percent since 2019. Crimes against persons, property and society all increased in 2022, and violent crimes showed an increase of 8.9 percent.
The total number of commissioned officers statewide was 10,666, down from 10,736 in 2021, while the total population of the state increased by 93,262. Washington again is ranked 51st out of the 50 states and District of Columbia for the number of officers per thousand residents. Reported cases of officers assaulted was 2,375 in 2022, an increase of 20.7 percent.
Other data may show crime has decreased in some parts of the United States but overall crime in Washington has continued to rise. The data in this latest report should be used by policy makers to continue to develop balanced approaches that respect victims of crime and increase safety for all Washingtonians.
CIW 2022 Facts at a Glance
• The total population for the State of Washington is 7,865,768.
• Full-time commissioned officers totaled 10,666.
• There was a total of 2,375 assaults on law enforcement officers. Two officers were killed in the line of duty.
• Motor vehicle theft rose 34 percent.
• There were 394 murders.
• Domestic Violence offenses made up 45.9 percent of all Crimes Against Persons.
• A total of 544 hate crime incidents were reported.
• 1,444 arrests for Drug/Narcotic Violations was down from 2,163 in 2021
The Crime in Washington 2022 report is compiled with data from 231 state, county, municipal, and Tribal agencies and is designed to give residents, elected officials, and law enforcement data-driven information about crime in their communities. The numbers are derived from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) submissions. The data should not be compared to the FBI Crime in The United States 2022 report which will be published later this year. The Washington State Uniform Crime Reporting Program forwards the crime data to the FBI in the NIBRS format; however, the FBI may convert NIBRS to a Summary Reporting System format, use estimations, or omit agencies that have not submitted all twelve months for 2022.
*****
Read the report HERE. (PDF)
Read Sheriff Morrison's response to the report HERE. (PDF)
Regular Board Meeting
July 13, 2023, 4:10pm
Bumgarner Meeting Room, 142 Pedoi Street, Manson WA 98831
1. Call to Order
2. Flag Salute
3. Agenda Additions and Deletions
4. Public Comment
5. Approval of Minutes
a. June 08, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes
6. Financial Review
a. Review Monthly Financial Report
b. Review and Approve Monthly Voucher
7. New Business
a. Drones in public parks
8. Old Business
a. Updates:
i. Old Swim Hole development project
1. Geotech approval
ii. Manson Bay Marina planning project
iii. Leffler Field soil remediation planning project
1. Archaeological update
b. Director’s Report
IX. Adjournment
Next Regular Meeting: 4:10pm on August 10, 2023 at 142 Pedoi Street, Manson WA, 98831 (unless otherwise posted).
Hybrid in-person/virtual meeting takes place July 18-19 in Olympia
OLYMPIA – The July 18 and 19 meeting of the Washington State Transportation Commission will include updates on Road Usage Charge research, the I-5 Interstate Bridge replacement project between Vancouver and Portland and efforts to help cities and counties address climate change.
The meeting takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18, and from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, at the Washington State Department of Transportation Headquarters Building, 310 Maple Park Ave. SE, on the Capitol Campus, and the public is invited to attend. The meeting will also be streamed on TVW. Those wishing to participate virtually may register on the commission’s website. Virtual and in-person public comment is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 19. Written comments can also be submitted via email to
On Tuesday, commissioners will hear the results of a recently completed Road Usage Charge enrollment simulation conducted with over 1,000 Washingtonians. They will also hear from the Washington State Department of Commerce on its program to help local jurisdictions address climate change in their comprehensive plans. Also on Tuesday, Commerce and WSDOT officials will discuss Vehicle Miles Traveled reduction efforts, including guidance on potential policies to reduce the total miles driven statewide. This work supports statewide emission reduction goals.
Other topics to be covered at the Olympia meeting include:
For more information about the commission and a complete meeting agenda, visit the commission’s website: wstc.wa.gov/.
Commissioners took their posts on July 1
OLYMPA – The Washington State Transportation Commission has elected new leaders. Deborah Young, of San Juan County, is the new chair and James “Jim” A. Restucci, of Yakima County, is the new vice chair.
Young has served as the commission’s vice chair for the last two years and replaces Commissioner Roy Jennings, who served as chair for the same amount of time and remains on the commission until the end of his term in 2025.
Young has been on the commission since 2015 and is serving her second six-year term. She has served on the commission’s subcommittee on ferries, which includes oversight of the commission’s Ferry Riders’ Opinion Group (FROG) survey panel made up of over 25,000 members. She also serves as an ex officio member of the Ferry Advisory Committee on Tariff (FAC-T), which provides input and feedback to Washington State Ferries on fare proposals. Young has additionally served on the subcommittee leading the update of the state’s 20-year transportation plan. After working in the utility industry for over 20 years and serving on land conservancy groups, Young now lives on Lopez Island, where she operates a small farm.
Restucci is from Sunnyside and was appointed to the commission in 2018. He has been a longtime local elected official and is serving his fifth term on the Sunnyside City Council, currently as deputy mayor. He previously served four terms as mayor. He is also the chair of the Yakima Valley Transportation Policy Board and past president of the Association of Washington Cities. On the commission, he has served as chair of the Autonomous Vehicle Workgroup since 2018. In his private life, he is the chief executive officer of a technology services company, which he founded in 2002.
The commission elected Young and Restucci during their May meeting. The two-year leadership posts were effective July 1.
MVT WebCam 