Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 651 - 675 of 864
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Public Works Director Dan Katsel is one of five Washington state award winning "water pros." The first week in May is National Drinking Water Week, the week when the state Department of Health (DOH) honors the work and dedication of water system operators who work to make Washington water some of the safest and best-tasting tap water in the world, according to a DOH press release. "It takes an incredible amount of knowledge, dedication and hard work to keep water systems...
DAYTON - In most cases, the best leaders are those who have spent time in the trenches themselves. That personal, practical experience helps make Dayton Developmental Disabilities Leadership Project (DDDLP) Leader Sherri Huwe and her team a valuable community resource. On Friday night, Representatives Maureen Walsh and Terry Nealey, joined local families and DDDLP team members in a reception at the Dayton Best Western Plus Hotel to raise seed money and brainstorm how to best meet the needs of...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg's City Council approved a Main Street Bridge Feasibility Study by the Army Corp of Engineers at their April 16 Council meeting. It is hoped that the study will eventually result in funds to help replace the Main Street Bridge, which is a flood hazard. City Clerk Randy Hinchliffe says the City has been researching ways to replace the bridge for "a very long time." The State won't help with funding because of the classification and project backlogs. The US Army Corps of...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg High School Principal Stephanie Wooderchak "saved the best news for last" as she announced, at the April 17 school board meeting, that Waitsburg High School has received the Overall Excellence Award in the state's 2013 Washington Achievement Awards - an honor reserved for the top five percent of Washington elementary, middle and high schools. WHS had held the title for four out of five years, since the award's inception in 2009. A total of 413 schools received recognition...
WAITSBURG - With just over a month until graduation, local high school seniors are scurrying to put the final touches on their senior projects. The projects - termed 'culminating projects' by the State -- are a graduation requirement for all Washington State seniors - at least through this year. A Yakima student - as her senior project - was instrumental in removing that requirement in a bill signed by Governor Jay Inslee on March 13. Because WHS saw the value in senior projects and initiated...
WAITSBURG - In a grudging decision, Waitsburg's School Board voted to hire an additional certificated teacher for the 2014-15 school year, with the District absorbing the cost of the nonstate funded position. The part-time position will allow the district to provide one class per elementary grade level - rather than the current combined classes - and the sixth grade class will move from the elementary school to Preston Hall. The decision was made in response to instructional and scheduling chall...
PRESCOTT - "Do we have the green light? Are we good to move ahead?" asked artist and Pomegranate Center founder and executive director Milenko Matanovic. Attendees at the April 15 Prescott Vacant Lot Project Open House responded with an enthusiastic round of applause. A $25,000 grant from the Pomegranate Center, along with their decades of experience working alongside communities to create gathering spaces, will allow Prescott to transform the empty, burned-out lot between the Tuxedo Tavern and...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg residents will see a six dollar increase in their next utility bill. The increase, which brings the base water rate to $33.90, was approved at the April 16 City Council meeting in order to meet imminent water line repair needs. The rate adjustment arrives on the heels of a 3% increase that took effect in January. City Clerk Randy Hinchliffe originally proposed an increase of $4.90 in December 2013 in order to fund needed line upgrades and well repairs. That proposal was...
WAITSBURG - Representatives from Southeast Area Technical Skills Center (SEATECH) have been visiting partnering districts to make high school sophomores and juniors aware of the programs they will offer in the upcoming 2014-15 school year. Construction of the new $11,519,000 SEATECH facility - built largely with state funds, at no cost to local taxpayers - is on track, and classes are scheduled to begin this fall. The Center, located on the Walla Walla Community College campus just off Isaacs...
to serve as a temporary PIO in Darrington, Wash., last week. Columbia County Commissioners gave their blessings as Ver Valen left her local post to work in the small town that was ravaged by the effects of the recent landslide on State Route 530 near Oso, Wash. Ver Valen currently works as operations manager for Columbia County Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications and as PIO for emergency management and the sheriff's office. She is a former editor of The Times. In 2012 the...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Celebration Days Weekend - May 17-18 -- is still in the planning stages, but one young lady has been hard at work, actively representing Waitsburg and Celebration Days for months. Queen Candidate Megan Morrison was selected to the Celebration Days Royalty Court in November and will be crowned Queen in a May 6 coronation ceremony. Morrison tried out for court in November and began her royalty duties in December by appearing in the Dayton and Waitsburg Christmas Parades and...
PRESCOTT - More than 20 people - ranging in age from single digits to those in their 80's - attended the first Steering Committee meeting of the temporarily titled "Vacant Lot Project." Through the project, Prescott area community members will work with nationally known artist Milenko Matanovic and the Pomegranate Center, to create a "gathering place" in the burned out lot between the Tuxedo Tavern and the Prescott Library on "D" Street. The project is funded by a $25,000 Pomegranate Center...
PRESCOTT - The WP Tigers Softball team took two wins in a double-header against the District 7 Liberty Christian Patriots at Prescott on Thursday, April 3. The Tigers came out strong in game one. The Patriots made two runs in the first inning but the Tigers held them there throughout the game. Hannah Grant hit a solo home run in inning three and Paige Wood had a tworun homer in the fourth. "We hit the ball really well and played outstanding defense," said WP Coach Angie Potts. "Jaidyn Brown did...
WAITSBURG - It's a rare occasion when the field on the west side of the Highway, on Waitsburg's south side, receives more attention than Izzy the camel's turf on the east. But such was the case last week. Dozens of Waitsburg students joined Mc- Gregor Company staff and Ag Center for Excellence representatives in an FFA-hosted Nutrients for Life Field Day in Perry Dozier's field on Thursday afternoon. FFA Vice President Kimmie Hamann spearheaded the event as the culminating activity in Waitsburg...
PRESCOTT - What do historical fiction, science fantasy, romance and stories of the supernatural hold in common? In this instance, it's the author - Prescott's very own Susan Matley. Best known by locals as Cimarron Sue, Matley spends her days rehearsing music with her husband Bruce (aka Nevada Slim), and honing the craft of writing. Matley has had several short stories published and recently sold her first book - a science fantasy novella - to WolfSinger Publications. Born and raised in Port...
Parade marshal nominations sought WAITSBURG - Celebration Days is just around the corner and this year's parade will include a new pre-parade event. A Kiddie Parade will light up Main Street at 9:30 a.m. on May 17 - followed by the traditional 10 a.m. Celebration Days Parade -- to kick off the weekend events. Because this year's parade once again falls on Armed Forces Day, "Celebrate America in Waitsburg" has been chosen as the theme. Young entrants are encouraged to decorate bikes, trik...
WALLA WALLA - It’s difficult to think of Joanna Lanning without thinking of animals. The two just go together. Those who know her can affirm that truth. When Lanning is scheduled to lead the children’s message at church, the question is not what she will talk about, but what animal she’ll use to demonstrate her point. To say she is a favorite of the children is an understatement. As an animal enthusiast, nurturer and natural teacher, her work at the Pioneer Park Aviary in Walla Walla is perf...
GARFIELD - The WP Tigers softball team consistently out-hit Gar-Pal in a March 27 double-header, but dropped both games by one. WP got off to a slow start in the first two innings of game one and made errors that allowed Gar-Pal to score early. "We were able to put together a nice rally in the third inning that started with a base hit by Analise Salazar followed with doubles by Loegan Harshman and Heidi Miller. Samantha Fedderson and Paige Wood followed behind them with singles and they were...
WAITSBURG - Cheryl Skiffington, manager of Columbia County Health Systems Dayton and Waitsburg Clinics, spoke at the March 18 Commercial Club Meeting to give an update on the Waitsburg Clinic. Providers at the Waitsburg Clinic include Dr. Kyle Terry and nurse practitioners Dawn Meicher and Kortney Killgore-Smith. Terry - also Chief-of-Staff at Dayton General Hospital - attended medical school in Utah and completed his internship and residency at the Kaiser Foundation in California. He ran a...
WAITSBURG -Both the City of Waitsburg and Walla Walla County show significant drops in crime across the board in 2013. Walla Walla County Sheriff John Turner gave an update at the March 17 Waitsburg City Council Meeting, and said he is proud of a department that is "doing a good job." Turner presented the Sheriff's Office year-end report, noting drops in assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle thefts in Waitsburg in 2013. "This is a good trend and we'll do everything we can to keep that...
PILOT ROCK - The Lady Tigers softball team won one of three games played at the March 21-22 tournament in Pilot Rock. The Tigers faced Umatilla in Friday night's first game of the tournament, walking away with a 14-3 mercy-rule win. "We initially struggled with Umatilla's young pitcher because her speed isn't something we're used. It was hard for the girls to be patient at the plate and let the ball get to them. This game gave us a good opportunity to work on several things offensively. On t...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg attorney Mike Hubbard recently worked with the City Attorney’s Office to draft a shared access agreement regarding the new tenant who has taken residence in the upstairs of Hubbard’s Main Street building. The agreement was presented to the council at last week’s meeting, and resulted in a motion to tighten the language and bring it back next month for a vote. Hubbard recently rented the top floor of the Hubbard Law Office building to an artist who plans to use the spac...
PRESCOTT -- High spirits, warm weather and a semi-sunny afternoon made for an ideal kickoff to high school softball season at Saturday's Jamboree between Waitsburg, Dayton and Touchet. Teams played three innings each and took advantage of the non- league event to try players in new positions and get a feel for the upcoming season. First up was WP against Touchet. Touchet was ahead 2-0 at the end of innings one and two, but WP pulled out a win, scoring four points in the bottom of the third...
WAITSBURG -- As baseball season begins, the Waitsburg School Board was thrown a curve ball with a proposal that "came out of left field" according to Board Chairman Ross Hamann. Prescott School Superintendent Brett Cox -- on behalf of the Prescott School Board - recently submitted a proposal requesting several changes to the current athletic combine agreement between Waitsburg and Prescott. District 9 WIAA Executive Director Bob Kirk was on hand at the March 12 Waitsburg School Board m...
WAITSBURG - Weller Public Library is successfully navigating the waters of technology while working to bring their patrons on board. Earlier this year, the library provided local residents with access to the Washington Anytime Library, where members may access thousands of eBooks and audiobooks 24-7. This month, the library invites patrons to increase their technological literacy through the use of the Microsoft IT Academy (ITA) - providing free access to a wide range of Microsoft online co...
