Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 451 - 475 of 792
In 2016 Washington lawmakers passed a bill called Ricky’s Law. The law allows mental health providers to order patients who are drug addicted into a locked detox center if he or she is an imminent danger to self or others. Ricky’s Law extends a law that already allowed health providers to confine people for mental health reasons. The law went into effect on April 1....
DAYTON— The Columbia County Commissioners have set a hearing to receive public comment about proposed changes to speed limits on some county roads. Public Works Director Andrew Woods said the proposal is for the speed limit on all primitive roads in the county, and some roads having steep grades, be set at 35 m.p.h. A reduced speed limit, from 40 m.p.h. to 35 on North Touchet Road, from the Dayton city limits to the South Touchet Road turnoff, is also proposed. Woods said that about 18 months ago, the commissioners were approached by a group of...
DAYTON—In late March, the Columbia County Commissioners met with WSU Extension Agent Paul Carter, who presented 2017 annual report. “It’s a bleak picture,” Carter said about cuts to WSU’s budgets, and possible regionalization of extension agents. Columbia County could lose its local extension agent if regionalization of services is put in place by WSU, said Carter. In that case one agent could be serving several counties remotely, Carter said. He said that despite the uncertain future, “It has been a pretty good year. We focus on the needs o...
DAYTON – Commissioner Merle Jackson formally announced last week he will not seek reelection to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners when his term is up at the end of 2018. He has served one term. He said he is finally going to take life a little easier, to enjoy travels with his wife Joelle, and visits with his sons Dave and Mike and their families. When he is not traveling, Jackson said he will be at home going through the barn, the basement, and the garage which are filled with the b...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board approved specifics for fall sports for the DW athletic combine, along with the coach selection process, at last week’s meeting. Football: Middle school practices will be held in Waitsburg, with all games in Dayton. High School JV practices will be in Waitsburg, with all games in Waitsburg. High school varsity practices will be in Waitsburg, and games will be split 50-50 between the two schools. Practices will begin at 3:30-3:45 p.m. and run until 5:45-6:00, depending on transportation variables. Volleyball: Midd...
DAYTON—Capital projects, the athletic combine and the makeup of the hiring committee for prospective coaches were topics at last week’s Dayton School Board meeting. Superintendent Doug Johnson said the district has enough funds allotted to address the remaining capital projects on its list. Yet to be accomplished this year are upgrading the phone system, repairing and replacing the heating system, and replacing the high school roof. Johnson said 75 phones are to be installed by Tri-Tech Communications on March 26, and cable drops for int...
DAYTON— Angie Sanchez, Managing Principal with Financial Consulting Solutions Group in Seattle, has been working with the City of Dayton for the past year to complete a water and sewer rate study. Speaking at last week’s city council meeting, Sanchez said, “The goal of the study is to provide counsel to help the community make informed decisions. Financial sustainability can be achieved over the long term.” The rate study used data which included the city’s population growth, along with utilities revenue, expenses, reserves, contingen...
DAYTON-Kristie Korslund was hired in February to take over for Vicki Zoller, who took a job in the county's Emergency Management Services Department in January.While Korslund is performing many of Zoller's outreach duties, she is also helping with the after school programs and providing general customer service. Korslund is also in charge of the Bookmobile, and will be taking books to the senior center every month, beginning in April. She said working at the library is a good fit for her. "I...
DAYTON—The first quarter of the year has been busy for the staff at the Columbia County Planning and Building Department. Planning Director Meagan Bailey outlined some of the projects her office is working on during a recent interview. Land Swap The planning office is working on an adjustment to Dayton’s urban growth area, involving a land swap. The plan is to incorporate additional land just outside Dayton’s east city limit into the UGA, which is expected to be developed in the next few years. A comparable amount of land just west of Dayton th...
DAYTON—Columbia County is currently one of only four counties in the state without an emergency medical services levy. That could change if a proposed ambulance levy is approved by voters in August. The levy would add 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value to county property tax rates in 2019. The proposed levy would affect all property taxpayers in Columbia County, including those in Fire Districts 1, 2 and 3. Fire District 2 residents in Walla Walla County would not be affected. A supermajority of 60% yes votes is required to pass the levy. If p...
DAYTON--The Board of County Commissioners has signed a two-year lease to rent space next to the Columbia County Courthouse, formerly occupied by Manila Bay Restaurant. The Commissioners will move their offices and meeting room into the new space this spring. The move is designed to make room for Columbia County District Court to move from its current location at the Port of Columbia to the courthouse. "The savings would be considerable, and it will be better for the Sheriff's response time."...
DAYTON--Last week, the Columbia County Friends of the Fairgrounds came before the Columbia County Commissioners with their vision for facilities improvements at the fairgrounds. “This is nuts and bolts. It is a work in progress,” CCFF President Julia Mead told the commissioners. She said around 200-260 hours of research has gone into the document, and 18-20 subcommittees have contributed to it. The CCFF has as its goal to make the fairgrounds self-supporting and generate revenue to the Parks and Recreation Fund, specifically to be used for fai...
DAYTON-The world of virtual medicine was on CEO Shane McGuire's mind during the regular meeting of the Columbia County Health System Commissioners last week. As reported earlier, CCHS already has three tele-health units on site: one in the Emergency Department and one in each of the two outpatient clinics, assisting clinicians in patient care. Now plans are in the works to add tele-psychiatry and tele-hospitalist services to the list. McGuire said he has been working in conjunction with the...
DAYTON-The Dayton Historical Depot Society is currently showing a collection of 10 paintings and drawings that were owned by late Darlene Broughton. They are on display on the first floor at the Dayton Historic Depot until the end of the month. The watercolor, oil, and pen and ink drawings depict a few of the many historic buildings in Dayton. Works created by local and regional artists Vivian Eslick, Richard Hashagen, Mary Ann Nyborg, Gerald Snapp, Patti Eaton, John Remington and Lucy Jones...
DAYTON-Terry Bartlett is planning an April 1st opening for his new Italian "Trattoria-style" restaurant on Dayton's Main Street, to be called My Dad's Place. Bartlett and his wife Lu Ann have recently moved to Dayton from Corvallis Ore. and are bringing with them some special sauce recipes Terry developed for the pasta, pizza and sandwiches he is planning to serve at the restaurant. Bartlett said he will source local products for use in the restaurant, including the wheat flour for the pasta....
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board voted unanimously Monday night to reverse their previous action not to proceed with the full athletic combine with Dayton. The special board meeting was held after the Dayton School Board last week urged Waitsburg to reconsider its earlier decision. On Feb. 14, the Waitsburg board backed away from the combine, after members and administrators had attended a contentious Feb. 12 advisory committee meeting in Dayton in which several members of the public angrily said they opposed the combine. On behalf of t...
DAYTON-Since moving to Dayton last July, the Port of Columbia's new Economic Development Coordinator, Kathryn Witherington, has not wasted time getting involved in the local community. Witherington is currently serving on the City of Dayton Planning Commission. And she played the role of Janet in the recent production of Two Across at the Liberty Theater. "I'm excited to jump in and take the challenge," Witherington said about her new job at the Port, which will begin on March 1. Witherington...
Snapdragon owner Vicky Beckmeyer is creating piggy banks for a Dayton pool fundraiser DAYTON-Business owners and citizens in Dayton are invited to have some fun with old-time piggy banks and help out the Dayton city pool at the same time. Vicky Beckmeyer, owner of Dayton's Snapdragon Floral and Gifts, is working with the Dayton Chamber of Commerce on a fundraiser to help with the operation of the pool. She has made a variety of ceramic piggy banks for the project. Twenty of the pigs will be...
Dayton- Allen Litzenberger, of Tucannon Development, LLC, was invited to last week's meeting of the Port of Columbia Commissioners to discuss his company's progress on constructing Building No. 2 at the Blue Mountain Station. Port officials impressed upon Litzenberger, the importance of completing the project, to their satisfaction. "We don't have the power to build it out," Litzenberger explained to Port officials. Litzenberg was referring to electrical power. He said his company would "never...
DAYTON-- "It was pretty busy," said Jordan Raftus about the Feb. 10 opening of 365 Recreational Cannabis, which is located at 36711 Hwy 12 in Dayton. Raftus who is the store manager said sales were brisk, especially for "buds", which are the flowering parts of the cannabis plant. Inside the store, buds with exotic names like Blackberry Kush, White Widow, and Seattle Sour Bread are displayed alongside marijuana infused edibles, drinks, and topical lotions, as well as vapes and other...
DAYTON--"Yes, that is our bowling alley," said Dan Butler showing the County Commissioners the architectural drawings for the new Boys and Girls Club in Dayton, at the Feb. 6 commissioners' meeting. Butler and his wife, Ginny, bought the former bowling alley on W. Cameron St., in Dayton, last May. Construction on the Boys and Girls Club is due to begin this month, and the facility will be open for business on Sept. 4, said Ginny Butler. She said the Wolfe Architectural Group in Spokane donated...
DAYTON--Warmer, milder weather is going to allow county crews to start spring maintenance, earlier than usual, said Public Works Director Andrew Woods at last week’s meeting of the Columbia County Commissioners. County crews are to begin digging ditches, cleaning culverts, cutting brush, and applying herbicide to the shoulders of paved roads in the next few weeks. Road grading has begun in the north part of the county, which is pretty typical, Woods said. He said the county is going to purchase dry calcium chloride and use county labor to a...
Exhibit at Dayton Historic Depot features historic maps of Dayton and Columbia County DAYTON- Tamara Fritze, Museum Director of the Dayton Historic Depot Museum is putting the finishing touches on an exhibit of early maps of Columbia County, which are open for public viewing now through the end of the year. Three Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from 1898, 1909, and 1916, military road maps, and maps of Huntsville, Starbuck and Columbia County produced by George Baker, who owned the title company in...
DAYTON—When the Columbia County Commissioners met last week, Public Works Director Andrew Woods gave an update on progress toward reinstating the county’s recycling program. “The grant funds are there,” he said. Woods said his department is waiting for the “thumbs up” from the state Department of Ecology so bids can be solicited for some fencing that needs to be done, before the county can accept recyclables at the new recycling station at the county’s transfer facility. “We’re waiting to hear back. As soon as they say ‘yes’ we will get...
DAYTON-When Corey Suffield graduated from Dayton High School in 1998 he was looking for a career in video production. Twenty years later, Suffield operates a successful computer repair business in an office inside Suffield's Furniture, his parents' furniture and appliance store on Dayton's Main Street. While that is not surprising, considering that Suffield has been fascinated with "electronics, computers and motor control stuff" for as long as he can remember, it is pretty remarkable that he...
