Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON - The Friends of the Pool Committee in Dayton promotes and raises funds to ensure kids in the community get swimming lessons. Many Columbia County kids are at risk without access to swimming and water safety lessons since the Dayton Pool closed in 2018. "We have worked with the new school administration here in Dayton, resulting in Dayton school kids in grades 1 and 2 having been bussed to the Walla Walla YMCA in the last few weeks," said Chairperson Fred Crowe. "It was very successful,...
WAITSBURG - The Easter Bunny was back at Preston Park to hide eggs and give stuffed bunnies and ducks. The under-twelve egg hunters lined-up to wait for the city's siren to sound and star the hunt. They were quick to snap up hidden treasures, loading their baskets, and outrunning parents....
OLYMPIA — Starting May 7, 2025, Americans will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification to board domestic flights. This requirement also applies to accessing certain federal facilities. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, and states must create IDs requiring applicants to prove their identity and legal U.S. residency and have certain counterfeit-resistant features. The Washington REAL ID is the Enhanced ID or Enhanced Driver’s License. It is not mandatory to change to either; other forms of ID...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg Commercial Club held its annual meeting and awards dinner at Waitsburg Town Hall on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The guests enjoyed a Chicken Teriyaki dinner catered by Jennifer French, wine and beer, and desserts. The silent auction also included donuts, cookies, and other delectables. Commercial Club President Tiffany Baxter gave a presentation outlining the club's work over the last year. She nominated officers for this year, and the attending club members voted to...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners held its regular meeting at 5 p.m. on April 9, 2025, at the port’s conference room. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. Dickinson presented the director’s report. She said there were two new leases, a residential property and the Red Band Cellars units at the Rock Hill Industrial Park. Red Band signed a one-year lease for the three units with a one to two-year option and ended the lease for its tasting room at Blue Mountain...
WAITSBURG - The City of Waitsburg's former city hall building has a new owner. Chet Childers of Burbank, Wash., has taken ownership of the historic Main Street building. This was the second bid the Tri-Cities construction company owner has made for the building. Childers withdrew from his first offer after a 90-day feasibility study. His original offer for $175,000 included his vision statement for The Vault, a space that celebrates beer making and soaking. It would offer second-floor hotel...
WAITSBURG — Waitsburg’s Weller Public Library is facing cuts in services and possibly staffing from the loss of federal funding. The Institute of Museum and Library Services was one of seven agencies functionally eliminated by an executive order to continue reducing federal bureaucracy signed by President Trump on March 14, 2025. While libraries are funded mainly by city and county taxes, federal funding helps pay for workforce training and pilot programs. It helps provide essential library services, including computer and internet access, in...
DAYTON - Hotel Hardware invites the public to its official Grand Opening on Friday, April 11 and 12. The celebration will take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on both days. It includes New Mexican cuisine by Dave Hernandez of Cocina Barelas, wine from Tim Doyle of Marginalia Winery, and innovative cocktails at The Bobcat Room. Guests can check out the renovated hotel, The Bobcat Room, and meet Daniel Lopez, the Spokane–based artist behind the "Stand By Me" mural at Hotel Hardware. Hotel hardware i...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Celebration Days committee is pleased to announce Barbara Danforth as this year's parade marshal. She shares the honor with her late husband, Bob Danforth. Parade marshals are chosen for their commitment to making Waitsburg a great place to live, learn, work, and play.Barbara was the 1948 Days of Real Sport Queen and the Waitsburg Historical Society's 2023 Pioneer of the Year. She supports Waitsburg's FFA, a member of the De Nova Club, and was recognized for 70 years...
WAITSBURG - Returning from a trip to Tuscany, Tom and Judy Bennett brought their new-found love of Neapolitan pizza home to Walla Walla. In 2018, they opened Fiasco, a mobile catering business with a wood-fired pizza oven on a vintage truck. In 2022, the couple scaled up their enterprise by opening American 35 in Waitsburg's former American Legion building. They expanded the kitchen and dining room and opened the restaurant to Main Street with two large glass garage doors. But the real star of...
WAITSBURG —Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn called the city council meeting to order on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 7 p.m. at city hall. City council members Jillian Henze, Jennifer Bishop, Kevin House, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. Council members Jim Romine and Court Ruppenthal were not present. In public comment, representatives from the Touchet River Roundup, known as Woody’s Pig Roast, told the council they disagreed with a memo from the city administrator to the council. Hinchliffe recommended that the council not all...
WAITSBURG - The Corral Wranglers 4H Club and the Pen Pals 4H Club held a successful food drive on Monday, March 24. There was a lot of energy, laughter, and activity as the kids, their parents, and advisors took in donations for the Waitsburg Resource Center at the Banner Bank parking lot. Over the afternoon and early evening, they collected 795 pounds of food and hygiene items for the community....
WAITSBURG — The former city hall was back on the market after the last sales agreement accepted at the special council meeting on March 6 fell through on March 12. The offer accepted at the special council meeting was from Walla Walla residents Delbert and Cindy Steinhorst. The couple's bid was $150,000 for the city hall building and a second city-owned property off E. Sixth St. The offer had a relatively quick time frame, with a feasibility contingency date of March 15 and closing on April 1, 2...
WAITSBURG — Mayor Marty Dunn called a special meeting of the Waitsburg City Council for March 6, 2025. The purpose of the meeting was to review and vote on three bids submitted for the purchase of the old city hall building at 147 Main Street. The council accepted the bid from Delbert and Cindy Steinhorst, past Waitsburg residents f who made an offer of $150,000. The offer is for the city hall building and a second vacant lot property on 6th Street the city has for sale. The second property is an oddly shaped, 1.15-acre lot on East 6th Street....
WALLA WALLA - Carrie Hendrix, musican, luthier, inventor, photographer, and educator is one of the ten Waitsburg artists exhibiting in the "Straight Outta Waitsburg" exhibit at the collective gallery. Hendrix will bring her inventive camera obscuras to the collective for its 'Sundays at the Gallery" on March 16 between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. This is a chance for artists and photographers to learn her techniques to create pinhole camera images with a digital camera. Hendrix invites the public to...
WAITSBURG - This year, the Cardinals' Wrestling welcomed its first girl competitor to the team. It was a first for Karissa Potts, a junior who only took up the sport this year. "When I started wrestling, I knew absolutely nothing. I wasn't perfect-still not-but in just a few months, I've grown so much and learned more than I ever expected," said Potts. "Wrestling pushes you physically and mentally, and yeah, it's tough, but it's also addicting. Even on the hardest days, it's fun, and I can't...
WAITSBURG — Due to increasing print production costs, I am transitioning “The Times” from a print to an exclusively online publication beginning February 6, 2025. The transition will allow the paper to continue covering local news and support businesses, non-profits, schools, and healthcare systems in the Touchet Valley. “The Times” is committed to providing accurate, fair, and relevant information to its readers and community. I purchased the paper at the end of 2018 when the previous owners planned to close the publication after they coul...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District(WPRD) board has received the feasibility study it commissioned from PBS Engineering and Environmental in 2024. The purpose of the study was to determine if a pool could be rebuilt at its current location or on one of two alternative sites. The completed study shows a new municipal pool could be built on the alternative site on the north side of the Touchet River. On January 2, the WPRD board voted unanimously to pursue building the new...
WAITSBURG - Nicole Abel and her Waitsburg Ariculture Education students offer fresh cut trees to local businesses and clubs to decorate for the Festival of Trees. The students put up the trees before Hometown Christmas and pick them up again after New Year's Day. The trees are decorated with battery powered lights and unbreakable but creative ornaments to bring color and cheer to the downtown streets. Trees also compete for recognition as the Hometown Christmas fan favorite. The trees were cover...
WAITSBURG - Tom and Judy Bennett brought wood-fired pizzas to Waitsburg in 2022. After buying the former American Legion Post 35 from winemaker Charles Smith, the pair has remodeled, added outdoor seating, and hosted trivia, axe-throwing, burlesque, and live bands. The couple is now adding international travel to the fun. Partnering with The Table Less Traveled, the couple is offering a one-of-a-kind trip to southern Italy to explore Neapolitan pizza's roots. The trip is open to six to 14...
DAYTON — This year, Bluewood Ski Resort offers two-hour snowmobile adventures for riders aged 18 and over. The guided tour covers 64 miles through Bluewood’s backcountry in the Umatilla National Forest. The 2024 Polaris Snowmobiles can be booked for single or double riders and are included in the price with helmets and goggles. Boots, jackets, bibs, and gloves are available for rent—$ 30 for all, $10 per piece. Prepare for your adventure by wearing adequate winter clothing, including winter socks and snow boots, waterproof gloves, snow pants...
WAITSBURG - Growing up in Western Montana, Dave Tipton said he has photographed landscapes and wildlife since the 5th grade. With a passion for wildlife, he found himself wanting to capture everything he encountered outdoors, keeping a constant eye on the weather patterns. His travel includes Canada to Belize, thourhgout Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. He focused much of his attention on Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Glacier Park National Parks. Tipton's appreciation for the ever-changing o...
WASHINGTON — Every day, internet thieves make millions of attempts to take advantage of consumers online. Banks and other financial institutions warn their customers to be constantly aware of scams. They offer information on their websites and online help for customers who get unsolicited or confusing calls or emails from their banks. Three of the most common scams used by cybercriminals during the holidays are: Package Delivery Scams – An estimated three billion packages were shipped last holiday season. Package delivery is an opportunity for...
DAYTON - The Dayton Historic Depot Museum announced the return of the Holiday Market at the Depot during the town-wide Christmas Kick-Off event on Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30. This annual market will showcase handcrafted goods from local artisans and vendors, offering unique holiday gifts and treats for visitors of all ages. The Market at the Depot will feature local vendors offering handcrafted gifts, many priced under $40, making it the perfect opportunity for holiday...
WAITSURG - The Waitsburg Community Health and Protection Committee will test the city's flood siren at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19. The siren, routinely heard on weekdays at noon, will be set off in a wavering sound pattern at 10 a.m. for approximately a minute, simulating a flooding event. During the test on Tuesday, the Walla Walla County Emergency Management Alert system will send test messages via text, email, messaging, and on cell and landlines to Waitsburg residents while the siren...
