Week of February 19, 2026
Week of February 19, 2026
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on February 11, 2026, in the Port conference room. All Commissioners were present in the Port conference room: Mike Spring, Johnny Watts, and Scott Hudson. Also present was the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. Dickinson broached the need to expand the port’s conference room to accommodate the public at well-attended meetings. Currently, overflow attendees can view from the hallway or watch via video feed from the main office. Dickinson suggested expanding...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m. on February 10, 2026. Trump, council members James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Glenn Hagfeldt, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Shannon McMillen, and Dave Harvey were present. The council approved Resolution 1585 to authorize a funding agreement with the Department of Ecology for the design of the new wastewater treatment facility. The council also approved Resolution 1586, authorizing the Mayor to sign a grant agreement with the Transportation Improvement Board for the...
Waitsburg High School’s wrestling team competed in the 1B/2B State Qualifying Wrestling Tournament meet at Freeman High School on February 13 and 14. The top nine athletes in each weight class qualified for the WIAA State Wrestling Tournament to be held on February 20 and 21 at the Tacoma Dome. Cardinal senior Jarod Hankins placed 6th and will be the lone Cardinal representing Waitsburg at the State Championships. Hankins won two matches by pin and lost three by pin. Senior Graycen Teal’s season ended with one win and two losses. In his...
The Waitsburg Middle School girls basketball team beat Rogers, 26 -16, on February 9. Ryleigh Fabian hustled on both offense and defense and scored 12 points, rebounded nine, and had three steals. Kaitlyn Paul scored eight points, and Jaylynn Gleason had six rebounds and three steals. Oaklee Adams and Laila Long scored two points each for the Cardinals. Audrey Kiefel and Reagan Fabian contributed three steals each. The Lady Cardinals took a 5-0 record to Richland on Wednesday, February 11,...
WALLA WALLA — The Washington State Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is offering two nursing scholarships for those pursuing a career in the field of nursing. The Alexandra Schencking Memorial Nursing Scholarship and the Glenna Hale Memorial Scholarship are exclusively for tuition and book assistance. Application deadline for both is May 1, 2026. The Eastern Star Training Awards for Religious Leadership (ESTARL) application is open to those pursuing religious training. All areas of religious leadership will be considered. Application deadline...
DAYTON — The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will host a public event at the Dayton Public Library, Delaney Building. The informational event will be held on Thursday, February 26, at 7 p.m. The focus will be on policy changes and management of the Tátwin Wildlife Area (formerly the Rainwater Wildlife Area). There will be a short presentation and a question-and-answer period. The public is invited to...
DAYTON — “Sentimental Value” is nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In the movie, sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star. Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father - and deal with an American star dropped right into the...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg High School senior Karissa Potts has signed papers to join the Navy and will leave for nine weeks of boot camp on June 29. When Potts was in the seventh grade, she considered joining the Coast Guard after high school. After researching job training, boot camp, and benefits, including healthcare and housing, she decided the Navy would be her choice of military service. Potts went to the recruiting office, gathered more information, and a week later, returned with her mom,...
Waitsburg High School FFA program has been busy since January with competitions and has more activities and competitions planned through March. On January 28 at Oakesdale, FFA members competed in the AG Marketing Plan category, with one team earning third-place honors. The team of Olivia Kiefel, Kayla Kuykendall, and Carter Barron will compete at the 96th Washington FFA Convention at Washington State University in May. The AG Mechanics team competed at Walla Walla High School on February 12,...
Fifteen Years Ago February 17, 2011 Blurred from a quick takeoff in the rafters of the old Loundagin building on Waitsburg's Main Street, a barn owl flies over contractor Nat Farnam who has been trying to "evict" the squatter and his friend for more than two weeks. Mary Laughery of the Dayton Historical Society helps colleagues set up the new Green Giant exhibit at the depot. The exhibit, honoring the history of the Green Giant Cannery in Dayton, runs from March through October. Twenty-Five...
Waitsburg Elementary students participated in the annual Kids Heart Challenge on Friday, February 13, in the high school gym. The students rotated through stations, participating in activities such as jumping rope, hula-hooping, bowling, and basketball. A heart-healthy snack was served at one station. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade received donations from family and friends and raised over $ 3,000 for the American Heart Association. Kennedy Henze was the top money raiser,...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg High School's leadership class and FFA Advisor Nicole Abel have enrolled in the peer-to-peer program, "Teens in the Driver Seat". The program began in Texas in 2002 as an initiative under the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. "Teens in the Driver Seat" is available to high schools in 28 states, including Washington, which introduced the program in 2021. The teen driving program promotes traffic safety by addressing specific risks for teen drivers. Risks identified by...
I am Somebody! I am Somebody! I may be poor, but I am Somebody! I may be young, but I am Somebody! I may be on welfare, but I am Somebody! I may be small, but I am Somebody! I may have made mistakes, but I am Somebody! My clothes are different, My face is different, My hair is different, But I am Somebody! I am Black, Brown, or White, I speak a different language, But I must be respected, protected, never rejected, I am God's child! I am Somebody! The version of "I Am Somebody" by Rev. William...
Thursday, Dec. 11 Breakfast Pancake on a stick Lunch Chicken Alfredo Breadstick Fruit and Vegetable Friday, Dec. 12 Breakfast Breakfast Burrito Lunch Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza Fruit & Vegetable Monday, Dec. 15 Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Lunch Hamburger Tater Tots Fruit & Vegetable Tuesday, Dec. 16 Breakfast Biscuits & Gravy Lunch Nachos Fruit & Vegetables Wednesday, Dec. 17 Breakfast Ultimate Breakfast Round Lunch Turkey Sandwich Fruit &...
