Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 401 - 425 of 792
DAYTON-Clint Atteberry is well into his second year working out of the county Planning and Building Department as the Code Enforcement Officer for both the City of Dayton and Columbia County. Atteberry said he patrols all eight zones in the city, tackling one zone every day, looking for violations of Dayton's municipal code. He also investigates citizen complaints for both the city and county. "It's an ongoing process," said Atteberry. "We're doing everything by the code, and I'm doing as much...
Washington Army Guard pilot Chief Warrant Officer Melissa Coombs and her co-pilot, Major Ray Leonard, flew this Lacota UH-72 light utility helicopter to Dayton for the Aug. 7 National Night Out celebration in Dayton city park. They said the helicopter is used for homeland security, disaster response missions, and for medical evacuations. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police, emergency personnel, and community partnerships to make neighborhoods safer...
DAYTON-Vicki Zoller, President of the Friends of the Dayton Pool Committee, spoke to the Dayton City Council last week about work the committee is doing to help the community build an aquatic center in Dayton. The city pool was closed this year because of infrastructure issues, and youth in the Summer Recreation program have been swimming in the Prescott Pool, she said. Zoller said the committee used funds from grants to pay for their swim passes, and to bus them from Dayton to Prescott and...
DAYTON-Jim Pearson, Program Director at The Club, Dayton's new after school activity center, has been busy helping the team get the program up and running for a Sept. 4 opening. Pearson said building construction at The Club has entered its final phase. "Last week a lot of elements have come together," he said. Pearson said the goals for the program are to help students take pride in ownership, develop healthy self- esteem, and learn how to get along well with others. While students will...
DAYTON—Chaplain Terry Rice jump-started a conversation about end of life wishes when he presented “Five Wishes,” to folks at the Dayton First Congregational Church, on July 29. “The best time to plan is when things are going alright. Whether you are 30, or 70, this is a good time to talk,” said Rice, who has served with Walla Walla Community Hospice since 2011. Rice said Five Wishes is the brainchild of Jim Towey, a legal attorney for Mother Teresa. Towey lived in Mother Teresa’s Washington...
DAYTON-Newly elected Dayton High School Alumni Association President Cara Watts has some ideas about how to infuse the association's coffers with some much-needed cash so that giving back to DHS students can continue. "I don't think people understand how much the Dayton Alumni Association gives back," she said. Historically, the association has provided funds through membership dues, donations and memorials, for Youth and Government, FBLA, uniforms for Dayton cheerleaders, and scholarships for...
DAYTON--Because he is already a Certified Patrol Officer Connor Ehr will be patrolling Columbia county roads, as soon as he goes through orientation, and gets his new uniform, he said. "Luckily I don't have to go back to Academy. This will cut a lot of time for the Department," said Ehr. After graduating from Richland High School in 2010, Ehr said he did a short stint as a new housing plumber in the Tri-Cities before joining the Army. Ehr's basic training was at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri,...
DAYTON--Leonard Ruff, the architect responsible for building data processing centers in Quincy, Wenatchee, and in Douglas County, was on hand at a community information meeting last week to discuss a Bitcoin mining center being planned near Dayton. Columbia REA has signed a contract with Eastern Mineland LLC, of Bellevue, Wash., for its Bitcoin operation to be located next to the CREA substation on Patit Road, which is in a light industrial zone. The company is attracted to Dayton because of its access to green energy provided by the wind...
DAYTON--Patricia Sacha, Blue Mountain Station Marketing Manager has announced new plans for daily lunches at the market. "Our goal is to have soup, salad and sandwiches, and there may be occasional special items," said Sacha. "We'll use as much local ingredients as we can." Mary's Candy's and Catering had been providing lunches to the market, but they have closed their business. A new group of volunteers will be working out of the commercial kitchen at BMS to provide lunches during the days the...
DAYTON— At their July 18 meeting, the Dayton School Board adopted the district’s 2018-19 budget, which was based on a conservative estimate for student enrollment for next year of 394. At that meeting, Business Manager Paula Moisio said the district is on track to end the 2017-18 schoolyear with close to $400,000, which will be “depleted considerably” due to a $223,501 budget deficit for next year. Moisio said, “We will definitely be tightening up our belts, in every area we can. Then it will be open to ‘wait and see,’ until we get to mid-year....
DAYTON--Dan and Ginny Butler have announced a name change for Dayton’s new after school program, from “Boys & Girls Club of Dayton,” to “The Club.” They said they are taking the “best practices” of Boys and Girls Clubs into the daily operations and moving forward, which will allow for added flexibility to act immediately on community interests for the local youth. “The Boys and Girls Club of Spokane has helped by advising us to this date,” the Butlers said. “While our intent has always been to be a Boys and Girls Club in Dayton, we feel to...
DAYTON—At the regular meeting of the Dayton City Council on July 11, the council approved the following: Resolution No. 1345, Certifying that the city meets the requirements to apply and accept a public works assistance account low-interest loan for wastewater treatment facility land acquisition for up to $1 million. Repayment of the loan will be built into the rate structure, which could be spread over as little as five years, or up to 20 years, said City Administrator Trina Cole. Cole said that if no land is found for the treatment plant the...
STARBUCK-Phil Farmer, CEO of Columbia Straw Supply, said he and business partner, CFO Ben Rankin, were brought in on the straw supply side of Columbia Pulp's business by its CEO, John Begley, four years ago. Farmer said the principals knew, early on, there could be a logistical nightmare for rounding up 500,000 bales of straw each year, having it delivered to the scale, storing it, moving it around, and turning it into a continuous feed for the pulp mill. "The intent in creating Columbia Straw w...
POMEROY--The Columbia Pulp Pilot Plant, located at the Port of Garfield in Pomeroy, is a hub of activity. "It's busy here, which is good. It's what we want," said Kyler Lovgren, maintenance manager at the plant. Lovgren said that about 20 people are currently working at the pilot plant. "It's moving fast. A couple of months ago we had hardly any equipment, and now it looks like this," he said pointing to all of the workers and complicated machinery. So far, Lovgren said, there have been no...
DAYTON-The Dayton School Board has approved Superintendent Doug Johnson's recommendation of Kristina Brown for Dayton Middle and High School Principal. "Kristina has a strong desire to support teachers as they seek instruction strategies...I believe Kristina will be a strong member of our school team," said Johnson. Board President Dan Butler said Brown was one of a field of 10 candidates for the position. He said three candidates were interviewed, with two advancing to the final interviews on...
DAYTON--Stephanie Kubej and Kristina Brown are the two finalists for the Dayton secondary principal position, and they spent the day last Thursday getting acquainted with students, staff and teachers, and the community. Kubej hails from Spokane, where she is an interim elementary principal at Balboa Elementary School. She has served as an assistant principal in the Spokane School District, two years as dean of students and PBIS Coordinator in the Bellevue School District, and has 17 years of...
DAYTON-Former Waitsburg Christian Church Pastor Mike Ferrians will become the new manager of Dayton's Liberty Theater at the end of this month. He will replace Kirsten Schober. Schober says she is leaving to enjoy a little time off before exploring interests she has in community development. Schober has been the theater manager since 2011. She took the job after a stint as the executive director of the Kirkman House Museum in Walla Walla. She also managed the Liberty Theater in Ellensburg in...
DAYTON – The last of four Community Health Conversations took place in Dayton last week and drew a crowd of about 17 interested citizens from around the community. Catherine Veninga, from the Community Council in Walla Walla, led the discussion, saying, “Today is all about the data.” Veninga presented data for established goals in demographics, education, economy, natural environment, and safety. Columbia County Public Health Director Martha Lanman presented the goals in the category for health and wellness. The goals are: The ability to acces...
WAITSBURG-When the ballots are counted in August for the proposed emergency medical services levy, Jay Penner wants to see one-hundred percent of voters in favor of it. Penner and his wife, Jackie, farm wheat, dried peas and a small chickpea called Billy Beans in Columbia County, north of Waitsburg. On October 3, 2016, EMS personnel from Fire Districts 2 and 3 responded to an accident on their farm that has placed Penner in a wheelchair for life. Penner said that on that morning, he went out to...
DAYTON – A request by Cobalt Cannabis Co. for a condition use permit to develop a marijuana grow facility in northern Columbia County was the subject of a public hearing on Monday. If the CUP is approved, the facility will be located at 402 Paulson Road. After concerns were expressed by neighboring landowners about potential liability from pesticide spray drift, the business owner and applicant, Meri Bush, said she has revised her plans to limit the facility to an indoor grow only. Her application originally stated that an outdoor grow area w...
DAYTON – During last week’s regular meeting, Dayton School Superintendent Doug Johnson told the school board that no athletic director has yet been hired for the Dayton/Waitsburg athletic combine, and there is still work to be done to hire some coaches. Round one of the hiring process for the middle school/high school principal position has been accomplished, and the next round will take place with meet-and-greets for the two finalists on June 28. Johnson said several summer facility projects are underway, including replacing the boilers and...
DAYTON—Speaking at the June Dayton City Council meeting last week, Planning Director Meagan Bailey said dividing the city into eight zones has made code enforcement easier. Vehicles and RVs parked in the right of way is the biggest current problem, she said. Council member Matt Wiens said enforcing obstruction on sidewalks from RV tip outs is problematic for the Sheriff’s Department. He said RCWs and WACs exist, but there is no penalty attached. This issue will be referred on to the city planning commission for correction, Mayor Craig Geo...
DAYTON-There is now a two-way race for the District 3 Columbia County Commissioner seat in this year's November election. The winner will replace retiring commissioner Merle Jackson beginning in January. Dayton native Dain Nysoe, who currently serves on the Dayton City Council, has filed to run against Chuck Amerein, who announced his candidacy earlier this year. Nysoe filed as a Democrat, and Amerein, as a Republican. Nysoe said economic development is at the top of his list of priorities. "Our...
DAYTON--Family and friends crowded the Dayton High School gymnasium on Saturday to hear the Class of 2018 Salutatorian Morgan Riley and Class Valedictorian Emma Sierra deliver their speeches and grant well wishes to the graduating seniors. Salutatorian Riley thanked the parents, community members and teachers of DHS for supporting the Class of 2018. Riley said that if her feelings are any indication, graduating and going out into the world is probably the most terrifying thing for all the new...
DAYTON— Columbia County Commissioner Merle Jackson has said it before, and he said it again last week, “How do we ever dig ourselves out of the hole if everybody keeps giving away our money?” The county has only two principle sources of tax revenue – property taxes and sales taxes – and the county commissioners have been seeking adequate revenue to cover the cost of essential services and pay for special projects. The commissioners had been anticipating a one-time bump in sales and use tax from construction of Columbia Pulp’s new straw pulp mil...
