Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WALLA WALLA - There was something for everyone at the Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days in Walla Walla. This year's The G.O.A.T. theme brought a country superstar headliner, PRC Rodeo, and a sold-out demolition derby. Fair Queen Makenna Barron cut the ribbon in front of the main gate on Wednesday, August 28, to open the 158th annual fair. Headliner Martina McBride with Cody Beebe kicked off the weekend's entertainment lineup. Musical performances continued throughout the three days on the Pepsi...
WAITSBURG - A Waitsburg couple is pleased with the community's response to their efforts to bridge the divide during these fraught political times. At his wife's suggestion, Tom Elstrom searched online for a tee shirt that combined the "Let's talk!" imperative with the symbols representing the two major political parties. Finding nothing, he bought some digital art and had a tee shirt shop add the type and create a single shirt. The response was phenomenal as he wore the shirt around town and...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Friends of the Pool, Parks and Recreation, and Rural Youth Enrichment Services held a Rhythm and Fun Festival at the fairgrounds on Saturday, August 24. Over 100 people came to hear the live music, have dinner, play carnival games, and watch young banjo and fiddle contestants. The fundraiser for the pool raised $3,600. Kate Hockersmith brought her community of bluegrass musicians to the Don Thomas Building with the first Jasper Mountain Opry Youth Festival. A large circle...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on August 21, 2024. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Grant Griffin, and, over Zoom, Ryan Paulson. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley and Business Manager Jana Eaton were also present. Zac Fabian and Aneesha Dieu were not present. The board passed the consent agenda, including hiring Vikki Griffin as a food service assistant, Judy Ketterling as a high school science teacher, and Stacy Startin as a bus driver. The approved consent also included a $...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on August 14, 2024, at the port’s conference room. Commissioners present were Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. There was no public comment during the first opportunity to do so. The commissioners handled the usual administrative items, including approval of past minutes and the monthly budget. The commissioners briefly discussed next year’s budget, due this November. This fall, a federal financial audit of the port...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., August 13, 2024. Mayor Roger Trump and all council members were at City Hall, including Teeny McMunn, Michael Smith, Laura Aukerman, Joann Patras, Kyle Anderson, James Su'euga, and Shannon McMillen. Ryan Rundell, speaking for Columbia County, reported July dispatch numbers. The city had 433 law enforcement calls and 172 for the county. There were five city fire calls and eleven for the county. EMS calls were 26 for...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg FFA Chapter was recognized as a Superior Chapter and a State Gold National Chapter after meeting goals set forth by the National Chapter Award Program. The chapter qualified in the top ten percent in the State of Washington as a Gold Chapter and competed for National FFA 3-star, 2-star, or 1-star rating. Waitsburg's chapter was highlighted for its activities in its best nine categories, including growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. The...
WAITSBURG - Following a special school board meeting on Aug. 16, the Waitsburg School Board voted to select Dr. Carol Clarke as interim superintendent for the 2024-25 school year. This decision comes a little more than two weeks after the board accepted the resignation of former superintendent David Woods, who told staff he was leaving the position due to health issues. Clarke is a retired Waitsburg School District Superintendent who retired in June 2017. She has more than 40 years of...
LYONS FERRY - The eleventh annual Swim the Snake, an open-water swim and paddling event, was held on Saturday, August 10, at Lyons Ferry State Park and Lyons Ferry Marina. This event is a fundraiser for the Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council, a regional non-profit that supports local competitive youth summer swim programs in Southeast Wash. The popular event was first held in 2013. Twenty open-water swimmers and seven paddlers enjoyed the warm summer day, refreshing...
WALLA WALLA – Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) hired Michelle McCleary as BMAC Services Coordinator for Columbia and Garfield Counties. McCleary will serve the region out of BMAC's office in Dayton, primarily providing housing support and connecting Columbia and Garfield County residents to other BMAC services. "We are delighted to have Michelle join our Dayton office so we can improve our outreach and services in Columbia and Garfield Counties. With her knowledge of the region and BMAC, we l...
DAYTON - The Touchet Valley Café at Dayton General Hospital once served staff, visitors, local students, and the public. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the café has been closed to the public. In a recent letter to the editor in The Dayton Chronicle, a community member questioned why the beloved café remains closed. The writer reminisced about meals at the café, and particularly the clam chowder on Fridays. They wrote that reopening the café could benefit the hospital district fina...
WAITSBURG-This summer, ten student-athletes from Waitsburg and Dayton participated in the NFL Flag Football program sponsored by Walla Walla Parks & Recreation. The non-contact sport helps youth become familiar with sportsmanship, dedication, and discipline. Participants received an official NFL reversible jersey with registration. The kids played for the Rams in the grades 2 and 3 age group. The six-week program ran from July 1 through August 8. The players practiced on Mondays and Wednesdays...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council workshop meeting to order at 3 p.m. on July 30, 2024. Trump, council members Teeny McMunn, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, James Su’euga, and Shannon McMillen were at City Hall. Laura Aukerman joined the meeting late on Zoom, and Joann Patras was absent. The council discussed complaints received from residents about fireworks discharged before and after the legal window, including concerns about large fireworks. The council considered the city’s fireworks regulations and the she...
Superintendent David Woods resigned On Thursday, Aug. 1, the Waitsburg School Board held a special meeting to address the immediate resignation of Superintendent David Woods, who had served in the role since July 1, 2023. The board appointed Waitsburg School Board Chair Dr. Carol Clarke as acting superintendent. The board decided to begin the search for an Interim superintendent. Clarke retired as the district's superintendent in 2017 and has served on the school board since December 2021. She...
WALLA WALLA - Walla Walla Community College is celebrating the launch of its new Audio Engineering program with a fun-filled, two-day Open House and Jam Session later this month. On Aug. 7 and 14, from 1 to 5 p.m., students and visitors are invited to WWCC's Walla Walla campus to check out the new audio lab in the Professional Technical J Building, where WWCC students will be able to learn about audio engineering, audio recording, digital audio, and live sound. WWCC submitted the new Audio...
DAYTON— The Economic Development Steering Committee met for its monthly meeting on July 2, 2024. Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson presented updates on port business retention, recruitment, and development. Lyons Ferry Marina is transitioning new concessioners with the help of the prior operators, who will stay on through the summer as mentors. The Jasper Mountain Reserve is open and offers outdoor recreation on the privately owned 330-acre nature reserve. It is open to the public for hiking and camping with day or annual p...
WALLA WALLA – Columbia REA has chosen two local organizations to receive its More Powerful Together Community Grant for the 2024 award year. The 2024 MPTG will be presented to Walla Walla County Fire District #8 for the purchase of a new HVAC system and electrical upgrades to a new facility. The second recipient is Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District #2, to purchase three thermal imaging cameras and a rescue training manikin. Columbia REA has a long history of supporting its communities, contributing to more than 100 different o...
DAYTON—Ryan Rundell and Marty Hall are running unopposed for four-year terms on the Board of Columbia County Commissioners, representing Districts 1 and 2, respectively. When elected in November, January 1 will be the start of Hall’s second full term in office. Hall looks forward to continuing the daily tasks associated with his position on the board and wants people to know about three of the most important accomplishments during his time in office. In a prepared statement, Hall said the cou...
WAITSBURG - At its June meeting, the Waitsburg City Council discussed the condition and future options for the grandstands at the city's fairgrounds. The council was to vote on a a resolution to raze several structures at the city propery, including the grandstands. During public comment on the resolution, Friends of the Fairgrounds, Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District, and community members asked the council not to approve the action until a full fairgrounds plan has been completed by Parks...
DAYTON — Since opening in 2017, the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center at Columbia County Health System (CCHS) has become a beacon of hope and healing for residents in Southeastern Washington. This state-of-the-art facility specializes in providing advanced treatment for chronic and non-healing wounds. The CCHS wound care center is part of a network of over 600 facilities partnered with Healogics, a national provider of advanced wound care services. With a commitment to evidence-based treatments and patient-centered care, the wound care center b...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the Dayton High School Library at 6:31 p.m. on July 17, 2024. School board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, board members Zac Fabian, Ryan Paulson, and Aneesha Dieu present. Grant Griffin was not present. The session was Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley's first board meeting. The board passed the consent agenda, which included the resignations of Danica Porter, H.S. science teacher, and Susan Richter, food service assistant. Wheatley also announced Tanya Patton's resi...
WASHINGTON DC - Waitsburg students Alyssa Hollingsworth and Cedar Stegall attended the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) in Washington, DC, from July 9 to 13. Tracy Barron traveled with the girls as chaperone. The National FFA Association-sponsored event provides members with a premier leadership experience while exposing them to the rich history of Washington, DC. The WLC inspires FFA members to become changemakers in their communities. Each day of the conference focuses on a different...
Keep communities safe by reporting foodborne illness and food safety concerns OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) launched a new tool that makes it easier to report food poisoning and file a food safety complaint. Beginning today, DOH encourages everyone in Washington to share food safety concerns through the state’s online Foodborne Illness Notification System (FINS) at https://tinyurl.com/4murn397. Foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, is caused by eating or drinking contaminated foods or beverages. Alt...
WALLA WALLA - The American writer Edgar Allan Poe is considered by many as the master of macabre. The Gesa Power House Theater in Walla Walla, presented The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy, a chilling cocktail experience presenting four of Poe's stories. The stories were presented by historians and paired with four themed cocktails. The 90-minute sold-out experience was limited to a small number of guests on July 18-19. The darkened stage was lit with a few lanterns during the speakeasy as Poe's...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., July 9, 2024. Dayton Mayor Roger Trump and Council Members Teeny McMunn, Michael Smith, Laura Aukerman, Joann Patras, Kyle Anderson, and Shannon McMillen were present at City Hall. James Su’euga was not present. Sheriff Joe Helm updated the council on last month’s calls to his office and reminded them that the National Night Out will be held at City Park from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Helm promised plenty of free food and drinks. Anderson Per...
