Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 619 - 643 of 997
DAYTON -- Eric Van- Zandt, a 28-year-old Dayton man who was arraigned in Columbia County Superior Court last Thursday on 12 felony charges including theft of firearms and residential burglary, could be sent to prison for many years if convicted of these crimes. VanZandt was arrested on a warrant from Walla Walla County after a neighbor reported a fight at VanZandt's residence at 1531 S. Second St. in Dayton just before 4 a.m. on Jan. 29. According to the certification of probable cause, "three m...
WAITSBURG -- Three teenagers who attended Preston Middle School in Waitsburg are suspected of vandalizing and removing a Baby Jesus doll from the front of the First Presbyterian Church in December, according to law enforcement and school district officials. Two of the three have admitted to the acts against the Christian symbol that upset many in the community and both have written letters to the Rev. Bret Moser expressing their remorse. "I wasn't thinking," Moser quoted one of the letters to...
DAYTON - Former Columbia County fair manager Shane Laib disputes claims he was let go after his contract with the county expired last November, insisting instead that he chose not to continue with the organization because of personal differences with board members. But county commissioners are sticking by their version of events, saying Laib never expressed his desire to resign or to let his contract run out. Meanwhile, a revived fair board is trying to pick up the pieces and is working hard to...
WAITSBURG - To say the city of Waitsburg is stumped by the future of the collapsed bunk house east of the McGregor plant is putting it mildly. No one came forward to put in a salvage bid for its materials. The fire district doesn't want to burn it as part of a training exercise because it contains hazardous materials. And now it appears the city is in violation of its own code by just letting sit there. "It's been a worrisome issue," said Mayor Walt Gobel. "We may need to bite the bullet and get it squared away." The council voted unanimously...
WAITSBURG - Entertainment like Waitsburg has never seen is coming Feb. 4 to the fairgrounds. Mixed Martial Arts fighting is making its debut and organizer Rob Dodgin hopes to make this a monthly event if the turnout is as good as his two previous fights, which averaged 650 to 700 people. "The city of Waitsburg was really inviting and open to it," Dodgin said. The event will take place at the blue community building at the fairgrounds. Tickets are $25 if purchased in advance, and $30 at the...
WAITSBURG - If approved by the state Legislature, the Walla Walla Valley will get $10 million to build a center for high school students to get hands-on vocational training in construction, welding and manufacturing, natural resources and health care services. "It's another opportunity for kids," said Mick Miller, the superintendent of the Walla Walla School District. "It's a place for kids to go into greater depth in certain areas (they're interested in). " The Skills Center would be a new building at Walla Walla Community College. It would...
DAYTON - A recent shakeup in volunteers and personnel at the Columbia County Fair has generated a fair board with new members, a big fundraising challenge and without a fair manager. Former fair manager Shane Laib's contract expired in November for lack of a decision to renew it by a board reeling from resignations last fall, according to a county commissioner. Laib had served as the manager for two years and reportedly failed to turn over key documents necessary to run the organization,...
WAITSBURG - Despite reaching deep to maintain a perfect record this winter, the Dayton Bulldogs men's basketball team fell to the WP Cardinals 51-44 in one of the liveliest upsets of the season. The Cardinals, who pulled ahead early but fought in the end to hang on to their lead, managed to keep Dayton top scorer Garett Turner to just 9 points - far below his average. The other Bulldogs also had an off night, shooting dismally, but rallying in the last quarter to come within 4 points of evening the score....
DAYTON - Dayton School District's after-school program is losing its grant funding at the end of the school year and may be at risk for not being continued by the district because there's no way to fund it, Superintendent Doug Johnson said. For the past five years, Washington State University has funded Dayton's afterschool program through a 21st Century grant. The grant ends with the last day of school this year, Johnson said. The district wasn't in charge of the finances for the program, but Johnson estimates it cost about $75,000 a year to...
DAYTON - The Touchet Valley Arts Council will have crowds roaring with laughter in its newest musical theater comedy "Nunsense." The show, about five nuns who must raise money to bury fellow nuns who accidentally died of food poisoning, sing and dance and crack jokes the whole way to prove that nuns really can be funny. The show runs Friday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Liberty Theater. The show is not recommended for children under age 10. Bev Startin directs the show, her first...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council last week unanimously voted to deny its support of the revitalization of a flood control district that would use taxing powers to help prevent flooding in the Touchet and Coppei rivers. "If our people don't like raising out water bill $3.50, they're sure not going to like this," said Councilman Orville Branson. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city had previously two flood control districts, but both went defunct because of a lack of volunteers. Recently, a group of citizens, Allison Bond,...
WAITSBURG - Snow hit the Touchet Valley Monday morning and was expected to last through Wednesday evening worrying commuters and giving hope to kids that school will be delayed or canceled. Meteorologist Robert Cramp with the National Weather Service said a winter storm warning is issued from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 p.m. Wednesday, meaning residents should expect snow and freezing rain through Thursday. Cramp said the area may see 3 to 6 inches of snow between Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. High...
DAYTON -- One year after Shawn Kemp became the first former NBA star to visit Ski Bluewood, another basketball celebrity is destined for the mountain this season. A.C. Green, who started his career at the L.A. Lakers and retired from the Miami Heat with detours through Dallas and Phoenix, is expected to spend the day at the resort on Saturday, Feb. 4. "He's not really into the cold," said Brenda Ford, the Walla Walla-based co-founder of the 3BA International basketball league for which Kemp and...
DAYTON - This journey seemed simple enough. I found an interesting piece of information on the Columbia County website about its jail. Not only is it in the longest-operating courthouse in the state and turning 125-years-old in 2012, but the jail cells in the basement are from the brig of a ship. This is the way many great newspaper feature stories begin. We take a tidbit of interesting or weird information and we expand on it. And as journalists work, we ask for help all the time. We need help...
WAITSBURG -- As clear as day, Craig Funabashi remembers the first time he saw his grandmother's Story & Clark Victorian pump organ. He was six and visiting the Seattle area with his parents from Long Beach. As they would for many years to come, he and his family traveled up to Whidbey Island for his grandmother's Sept. 5 birthday and family reunion. They would meet at the cabin where Vangee Johnston kept the ornate wooden instrument and played many old- time Ragtime favorites for her grand kids...
PRESCOTT - Th e Krutsch Family came to Prescott last month to call the Prescott Community Church their new home. And even though they've never lived in a town as small as Prescott, they're adjusting just fine. "We're excited about pastoring and getting to know this community," said Mike Krutsch, the church's new pastor. Mike moved here with his family on Dec. 29 from Denver, Colo. Mike is 41 and his wife Kim is 39. They have two children, Kyle, 5, and Callie, 3. Steve Hoffman, the chairman of...
DAYTON - One break-in and one attempted break-in to rescue dogs at the Dayton dog pound near the city's water treatment plant recently, said city staff. On Christmas Eve, a member of the city's Public Works Department noticed the gate at the pound had been pulled back enough to free one of the dogs, said Sal Benavides, the assistant superintendent of the department. On Jan. 3, another breakin at the pound was attempted. Benavides said someone tried to use bolt cutters to release a dog, but it looked as though the bolt cutters weren't large...
DAYTON - A recent break-in and possible sighting of the elusive squatter who has been breaking into vacant homes in Dayton has spurred the Columbia County Sheriff's Office to step up patrols in the area, Sheriff Walt Hessler said. The sheriff's department believes at least one transient has been breaking into vacant homes and staying overnight and stealing valuables. The department released a general description of the man last month, who has been sighted by several witnesses, but not closes enough for a police sketch. Authorities describe him...
DAYTON - State funding for the Drug Task Force that helped bust last summer's big marijuana grows and helped reduce the availability of drugs in the Touchet Valley was eliminated last month. The drug task force ceased operations Dec. 31. It began in 2005. Walla Walla and Columbia counties were part of the South Eastern Narcotics Team that also included Asotin and Garfield counties. The state provided $1.5 million per year to different agencies through a grant for the task force. About $ 5 7 , 4...
DAYTON - Columbia County's 2012 budget is slightly higher than in 2011, but because of state funding cuts, a few integral departments will be losing a substantial amount of money from the previous year. "We're trying to maintain our level of service, even though we're in (a tough) economic situation," Auditor Sharon Richter said. The 2012 budget, passed Dec. 28 by the county commissioners, has an amount of $3,587,498. This increased just slightly from the 2011 county budget that had an amount of $3,516,682. There will not be any layoffs at the...
WALLA WALLA - For nearly 50 years, horse-loving women in the Walla Walla Valley have had a place to call their own. In 1962, the Valley Girls Barrel Racing Association was created to bring together the best barrel racers of all ages in the area. Many of them hail from the Touchet Valley, including Kelli Currin and her daughter Shayla, who have been active in the barrel racing and rodeo scenes. The Currins live in Dayton. Kelli has been racing since she was young and brought up her daughter in...
WAITSBURG - The Baby Jesus figure from Waitsburg's Presbyterian Church was found hanged by a tree near the church Monday morning. Pastor Bret Moser of the church said the recent incident is a violent crime and is asking the community to help find the suspects. Moser said a neighbor saw spectators in front of the church on Main and Fifth streets taking photos Monday morning about 8 a.m. and upon realizing the hanged figure, alerted Moser and removed it. Deputy Brian Bush with the Walla Walla...
DAYTON - On the eve of the year-end holiday season, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office is warning homeowners that an elusive burglar is still at large in the Dayton area. The sheriff has also released a general description of the man, who has been sighted by several witnesses, but not close enough for a police sketch. Authorities describe him as a "tall, white male, between the ages of 25-50." The suspect has been targeting vacant homes inside the city limits for the past several months, forcibly entering them, stealing personal property and...
WALLA WALLA - About 160 positions were eliminated at the Washington State Penitentiary recently, affecting many valley residents. Chad Lewis, spokesman for the Washington Department of Corrections, said the cuts made two weeks ago are the result of an analysis earlier this year that showed the state could reduce the budget for corrections as well as the custody levels at different prisons. As of last Monday, there are 32 prison employees residing in Dayton, 14 in Prescott and 49 in Waitsburg, according to Shari Hall, a public information...
TACOMA -- The WP Cardinals claimed the 2B 11-man football state title with a 33-7 victory over the Morton/White Pass Timberwolves last Saturday night in the Tacoma Dome. The undefeated Cardinals became the second WP team to win a state title this fall after the Tigers won it for soccer. Only two other teams in the state - Odessa and Davenport - accomplished this before in football and volleyball, according to sports historians. The road to the dome is a journey that began long before the...
