Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 271 - 295 of 997
WAITSBURG - Jack McCaw is one of those people that you don't have to exert much effort to interview. You simply ask a question or two, then sit back and enjoy as the entertainment begins. When I learned that McCaw had recently participated in an Honor Flight to Washington D.C., I decided to take advantage of my official "news reporter" status to hear all about it. He didn't disappoint -- in the course of 45 minutes I laughed, held back tears and was filled with an extra shot of good ole'...
DAYTON - At about 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, a couple of employees wear- ing jackets collected per- sonal item from the Farm Service Agency office next to Dayton's Post Office. But soon they were gone and the room was dark. A sign indicated the office would remain dark until congress acts. The inability of congress to agree on a budget exten- sion Monday meant that non-essential government offices and sites throughout the country will remain shut indefinitely. As The Times went to press Tuesday, n...
WAITSBURG - In a pleasant surprise, the weather cooperated beautifully and the sun shone pink on the hills, providing a perfect backdrop for the hundreds of fish lovers lined up at the Don Thomas Com- munity Building Saturday night. Nearly 600 people attended the annual Lion's Club Salmon Barbeque, all patiently awaiting that slice of pink perfection that only comes around once a year. "I don't know that I've ever had any better salmon," said Lion's Club President Larry Johnson. "They tweak the...
DAYTON - Robert Bridwell, 64, of Dayton, was charged last week with 35 felony counts relating to nude photos of underage girls he took with his cell phone. Bridwell, who was arrested September 16 after a long investigation by the Colum- bia County Sheriff's Office, was arraigned on September 19. He was charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, fourteen counts of dealing in depic- tions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and fourteen counts of possess- ing depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit...
DAYTON - The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance setting a one-year moratorium on the establishment of marijuana-related businesses in the unincorpo- rated part of the county after a public hearing during their regular September 18 meeting. Five days later, on Monday, the Dayton city council approved a similar ordinance, but one with a moratorium expiring after six months. According to Dayton Mayor Craig George, the city's time limit was set because their legal...
WAITSBURG - The 2013-14 school year kicked off with enrollment numbers higher than anticipated in Waitsburg, and even more incoming students expected in the near future. Superintendent Dr. Carole Clarke updated board members at last week's school board meeting and requested additional help to meet the increased demands. Earlier enrollment estimates for the 2013-14 school year projected 135 elementary students (grades K-6), 45 middle school students (grades 7-8) and 270 high school students. At...
DAYTON - On Monday, Columbia County Sheriff's Office personnel arrested Robert Bridwell, 64, at his home in Dayton, after a long investigation of possible child pornography activities. At approximately 7 a.m., Sheriff Rocky Miller and several deputies served Bridwell with a search warrant at his home in Country Village Court. There, they re- trieved a cell phone memory card, which allegedly con- tained nude photos Bridwell had taken of underage girls. Bridwell is being held at the Columbia...
DAYTON - Early this spring, Port of Columbia Manager Jennie Dickinson invited local food producers to a meeting on the subject of ag-tourism, with the goal of identifying and promoting food producers and products already available in Colum- bia County. That initial gathering of local "foodies" culminated in an entire weekend of food related activities known as The Heirloom Gardeners Food and Wine Weekend. The event, a joint effort of the Port of Columbia, the Chamber of Commerce and the Dayton...
WAITSBURG - While there is still a bit of reprieve before the dreaded "fall back" in time requiring that clocks be adjusted to accommodate the end of Daylight Savings Time, a more enjoyable step back in time is just around the corner. Waitsburg's annual Pioneer Fall Festival, a community celebration honoring local history, will take place Sunday, September 15. This year's festival kicks off at 11 a.m. with an outdoor nondenominational church service led by First Christian Church pastor Mik...
DAYTON - Dayton Ambulance, Fire District 3 personnel and deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a possible drowning Monday, at approximately 4:10 p.m. A 54-year-old man, who was unidentified at press time, was swimming in the Touchet River downstream from Dayton near the Touchet Valley Golf Course. The caller reported the man had been trapped under a man-made log dam in that portion of the river and was not conscious. Responders pulled the man from the water and transported him to Dayton General Hospital....
DAYTON - Dayton City Planner Karen Sharer says that Dayton does not currently have a marijuana moratorium in place, but the possibility is under review for consideration. The city is in the process of determining how to best respond to the policy mandates and is drafting a letter to be presented at the Sept. 23 City Council meeting. "We are evaluating the situation and trying to figure out what is best for the City," said Sharer. "We are in the process of putting together a letter and bringing all the issues before the council on the 23rd. W...
WAITSBURG - Last December the Waitsburg City Council placed a temporary moratorium on the production and sale of marijuana within city limits. The moratorium was established in order to allow the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) time to respond to the passage of I-502 and develop policy for the legalized growth and sale of recreational marijuana. "People who want to set up shops are going to look for spots with no rules in place," said City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe. "That's why it was important for us to get something in...
DAYTON - Anyone hoping to buy, sell or grow pot in the Touchet Valley area under Washington state's new law legalizing marijuana, may have to wait a while. Walla Walla and Columbia counties, whose voters opposed Initiative 502 last year, are drafting ordinances placing a moratorium on such activities until the state's Liquor Control Board has its act together and the rules are clear. And while those ordinances apply only to unincorporated parts of the two counties, their cities are makin...
DAYTON - The Columbia County Fairgrounds has been full of hustle and bustle this week, getting ready for this week's county fair. This year's theme is "Sew It, Grow It & Show It at the Fair." Open class and exhibits will be displayed in the Pavilion and Youth Building The fair runs Friday through Sunday. Friday night's feature is a motocross event, followed by a street dance on the Midway with the band Vintage. Saturday will be the 4-H BBQ and the Livestock Sale during the day. Saturday n...
DAYTON - The Columbia County Commissioners will hold a Public hearing September 18 to consider a new ordinance placing a moratorium on marijuana- related businesses in the county. According to a release issued by the Commissioners' office, the board has drafted a measure "Declaring an Emergency, Establishing an Immediate Moratorium on the Siting, Establishing, and Operating of Any Structures or Uses Related to Marijuana Production, Marijuana Processing, or Marijuana Retailing, and Medical Marijuana Collective Gardens and Dispensaries, and t...
WAITSBURG - "I've always been intrigued by trains. In fact, I would jump the train that ran behind the store and ride it to Dayton so often the crew got to know me and would invite me to ride up front with them," said Wade Wolfe, recalling memories of his childhood in Huntsville. Born and raised in Huntsville and a graduate of Waitsburg High, Wolfe is the as Pioneer of the Year honoree at this year's Fall Festival. The twists and turns of life have resulted in Wolfe living in all four c...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg City Council members ap- proved the proposed sidewalk repair policy at their August 21 meeting. The policy allows the city to partner with homeowners in sharing the cost of sidewalk repairs. The new policy allows the City to use its own labor force to demolish, prepare, pour and finish damaged sidewalks, with the home- owner obligated to pay only for the cost of materials. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said he already had people waiting to take advantage of the program. The next step in the process is an overall...
DAYTON - Clay and Rachel Hutchens, of Dayton, have been selected as the new tenants for the W. W. Day Trust Farm on the Whetstone, north of Dayton. The selection was announced last week by U.S. Trust Farm and Ranch Services of Spokane. The income beneficiaries of the farm are the Dayton School District and the Columbia County Hospital District, who share equally in the annual distribution of income. The farm's current tenants are Steve and Phyllis Schreck, who have Managed the Day Trust farm for 35 years. The Schrecks will plant the winter...
DAYTON - Portland General Electric, which begins construction of the new Tucannon River Wind Farm next month, has an- nounced that hunting will be prohibited within the wind farm boundaries during the construction period. According to company spokesperson Brianne Hy- der, the restriction will begin September 1, and will be lifted on June 1, 2015, upon completion of the project. Hyder told The Times that, once the wind farm is in operation, PGE expects to landowners within the proj- ect...
DAYTON - John Smiley, a retired hospital administrator from Prosser, has begun work as part-time interim CEO at Columbia County Health System in Dayton. He takes over for Dale Polla, who agreed to resign August 1 after less than a year on the job. Smiley spent about six months as CCHS's interim CEO in 2012, after the departure of Charlie Button and prior to Polla's hiring. "Smiley is highly respected in the state," said CCHS board chair Lisa Naylor in an interview. "He knows everybody and he...
