Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 211 - 235 of 997
DAYTON - According to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, only two incidents of thefts of items from cars were reported here between December 1 and January 10. That compares with more than 50 car prowls that were reported to have taken place in Dayton between September 1 and November 30 last year. And for one of the two recent reports, the vehicle's owner was unsure of when the theft took place. The sudden decline in car prowl reports coincided with the arrest of three men at the end of...
Local 4-H club teaches shooting skills & responsibility DAYTON - It's no secret that parents and other concerned adults in this country are spending a lot of time these days trying to decide on the best way to keep kids safe around guns. For a handful of adults in Columbia County, the answer is simple: Teach our youth how to properly handle and use guns. "There's no question that kids in our rural commu- nities will be exposed to firearms at some point in their life, whether at home or when...
DAYTON - When Co- lumbia Pulp announced plans in December to construct a multi-million dollar straw pulp plant near Starbuck, the company said it would take about a year to complete the permitting process before construction could begin. The Times spoke with Co- lumbia County Planner Kim Lyonnais this week to learn more about the hurdles the company must overcome this year. "From what I've seen so far, there haven't been any red flags," Lyonnais said. "But that doesn't mean there might not be so...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg's Field House - the old Whiskey Creek School Building that was moved to the athletic field and repurposed in 1931 - has been a hot topic of conversation at community forums, school board meetings and Lion's and Booster club meetings in recent months. "We've known for several decades that the facility is inadequate," said School Board President Ross Hamann, who is also a member of the Booster and Lions clubs. The rapidly approaching potential loss of $40,000 in don...
DAYTON -Ski Bluewood, celebrating its 35th year, opened just before Christmas to the delight of skiers from around the region and now everyone with their eyes on the mountain is hoping for more snow. "Though we have been a bit limited on our actual snow pack, the good news is that our groomed slopes have been skiing quite nicely," general manager Jody Ream said. "The cat operators have done a most excellent job with their many efforts over the past week. Sure we would love to have another foot...
WAITSBURG - One of Waitsburg's elementary school teachers got an extra- special early Christmas gift this year. In a press release issued by President Barak Obama on December 20, Kindergarten teacher Pa- mela Nolan-Beasley was named as one of two teach- ers in Washington State to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Beasley won the award for science while Nancy Pfaff of Redmond, Wash. won the math award. Win- ners of the honor receive a $10,000...
DAYTON - Columbia REA has donated $50,000 to the Dayton Development Task Force as part of a local tax incen- tive program that was recently approved by the state. The money will be used in the Task Force's efforts to im- prove the economic health of downtown Dayton. In return, Columbia REA will receive a 75% credit on their Public Utilities Taxes paid to the state in 2014. Columbia REA CEO Les Teal said he felt that the tax in- centive program was an excellent way for the co-op to make a difference in Dayton. "We're part of this community, and...
DAYTON - Cody Snider, 17, of Dayton, was found dead Saturday morning by a Columbia County employee near the Rock Hill Transfer Station here. The discovery was made shortly before 10 a.m., when the employee ar- rived to open the station. According to a press release from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Snider had apparently fallen approximately 150 feet from the top of the cliff above the transfer station. It was unknown when he fell, since the transfer station had been closed since...
DAYTON - A group of developers officially an- nounced plans this week to construct a large facility in Columbia County, near Starbuck, to produce pulp for paper products from wheat straw. Their company, called Columbia Pulp, hopes to have its pulp mill up and running in the fall of 2015. It would produce more than 400 tons of pulp per day and would likely employ more than 130 full-time workers. According to lead partner John Begley, Columbia Pulp has secured a 450-acre site along Highway 261 nea...
Due to holiday printing schedules, advertising and news dead- lines for the next two issues of the TImes - December 26 and January 2 - will be Monday at noon....
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School Board spent a good portion of their December 11 meeting attempting to establish a dollar amount to seek for the upcoming schools maintenance and operations levy. The levy request will be put in front of voters in February. The board unanimously agreed to ask for $532,000 in 2015 and $548,000 in 2016. The 2015 amount trans- lates to $4.08 per $1,000 of assessed property value, at 2013 assessed rates, which could change and lower that amount slightly. The 2016 amou...
WAITSBURG - Waits- burg's City Council replaced the city's one-year morato- rium on recreational marijuana sale and production - which expires this month - with a marijuana zoning ordinance during Monday night's City Council meet- ing. The ordinance was ap- proved as presented, with an amendment providing for collective gardens. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe presented a draft ordinance limiting the processing, production and sale of recreational marijuana to the city's industrial zones....
WAITSBURG - A high speed car chase through Waitsburg's city streets cul- minated with a wreck in a wheat field and the K-9 unit capture of a hiding offender. The driver, Skyler Glasby, 25, and passenger Phillip Fetner, 29, were both ar- rested at the scene. On Dec. 14, according to a Columbia County Probable Cause report, a Columbia County Deputy was return- ing from the transport of a prisoner to Walla Walla County when he spotted a 1997 Mercury heading in the opposite direction. The officer re...
DAYTON - The Co- lumbia County Board of Commisioners voted 2-1 last week to not move forward with renovation of the youth building at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. Dur- ing their regular meeting on December 4, the motion to stop the project passed, with Commissioners Mike Talbott and Dwight Ro- banske voting in favor of the motion, and Commissioner Chuck Reeves voting against. Talbott and Robanske both said they were con- cerned, not only about the cost of the renovation, but also about the...
WAITSBURG - On Jan- uary 12, 1970 "hellip; a small group of Waitsburg people, after recognizing a need, met together to see if an ambulance service could be started in Waitsburg. It could, it was, and it still con- tinues to be a vital part of our community, serving Waits- burg and surrounding areas. We are very proud of the Waitsburg Ambulance Ser- vice and the volunteers that keep it going." Those words are taken from a president's letter written by Waitsburg Ambulance Service (WAS) Board...
DAYTON - The Dayton Schools and the Columbia County Sheriff's office will hold a joint public forum next week to provide information about school safety and law enforcement, and to invite public input on those issues. The forum will be held De- cember 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Dayton High School. Columbia County Sheriff Rocky Miller said the forum is part of his effort to encour- age public input on how the Sheriff's office is doing and what improvements are needed. " I ' ve been walk...
DAYTON - Three men were arrested here last week and charged with posses- sion of stolen property and various drug offenses. All three are suspects in a rash of burglaries from vehicles that have been reported in Day- ton in the past three months. On September 27, Ryan P. Timmons, 26, was ar- rested at a home on E. Commercial Street and booked into Columbia County Jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, vehicle prowl and possession of sto- len property. On September 30, Ken- neth...
WAITSBURG - Volunteers from the Waitsburg Fire Department spent a good chunk of Thanksgiving weekend cutting down the com- munity Christmas Tree and setting it in its place of honor in front of the Plaza Theater on Main Street. They also decorated the Main Street light posts in preparation for Waitsburg's 28th annual Hometown Christmas event. A tradition, by its very defini- tion, is born of sameness. And while Hometown Christmas always maintains the familiar comfort of a well-loved tradition,...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School District is conducting an online survey to gain public input prior to a potential ballot measure for a replacement Maintenance and Operations levy next year. The survey is available on the Waitsburg Schools' web- site at www.waitsburgsd.org. Participants can also get a printed copy of the survey at the district office at 184 Academy St. The district is requesting that surveys be completed by December 11. Next year, the Waitsburg School District is planning to ask taxpayers in the district to approve a new levy...
DAYTON - The Dayton School District is inviting citizens in the district to attend one of three public "facility forums" to learn more about proposed major upgrades to school facilities and to provide feedback. The forums will be held in the high school audito- rium at 6 p.m. and last about 90 minutes. They will be held on the following dates: - Wednesday December 11 - Thursday December 19 - Wednesday January 15 The meeting agendas will include: - Review of the Study and Survey completed by BLRB Architect/Engineer- ing - Potential renovation...
DAYTON - The Columbia County Sheriff's Office re- ported late Tuesday that deputies have arrested a juvenile male they believe is connected with the threatening note that delayed Dayton schools last week. The subject was arrested Monday and formal charges are still pending. No further information was available at press time, and the case is still under active investigation. Dayton schools opened two hours late on November 25, after a school custodian found a threatening note on the high school entrance early that morning. Deputies and fire...
