Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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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...
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on July 12, 2024, at the port office. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson were present. The Commissioners first dealt with several administrative items, including a detailed examination of the monthly budget report and the 2023 annual report. There were no new leases to announce. Next, the meeting shifted to the public hearing on the Comprehensive Parks Master Plan. There was no public input, so the comm...
DAYTON - An innovative diabetes education program at Columbia County Health System shows promising results in managing diabetes for residents. Spearheaded by Ruth Yutzy, RN, a Diabetes Education Specialist, the program is part of the health system's broader effort to address chronic health conditions in the community. The diabetes education program offers comprehensive support and education for individuals diagnosed with diabetes. It aims to improve their quality of life through better blood...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Presbyterian membership has made it official; Heidi Lum has been named Pastor of the church. She takes over from Pastor Stan Hughes, who has been serving in a transitional role since April 2019. Lum, her husband Ellery, and son Matthew moved to Waitsburg last year after Hughes invited her to intern at the church. She met Hughes at the Presbytery of the Northwest after the Lums moved to Kettle Falls, Washington from Honolulu, Hawaii. Lum said she chose Washington to...
WAITSBURG - Wendy, Brian, and Coe Richards are inviting the Waitsburg community to join in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the surgery that saved their family. In July 1999, two-year-old Coe had already endured months of chemotherapy and hospitalization at Seattle's Children's Hospital before undergoing a liver transplant. A softball-sized tumor was found on his liver the prior December. Though the seven rounds of chemo managed to reduce its size by half, the tumor's position on the liver...
Six members of the Waitsburg Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star (OES) attended the annual Grand Chapter meeting in Wenatchee from June 23 – June 26. Those attending were Karen Palmer, Diane Rice, Sam Poulson, Susie Payne, Barbara Danforth, and Patricia Wilson. They reunited with many friends while there and everyone had a good time with lots of laughter and memories. However, the annual business meeting also held everyone's attention. The Worthy Grand Matron Judy Turchin's and Worthy G...
OLYMPIA — Councilmember Jillian Henze of Waitsburg was elected to the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Board of Directors by members representing 281 cities and towns in the state. The election was held at the AWC Annual Conference in Vancouver, Washington, held from June 18-21, 2024. Henze will represent the 34 cities and towns in Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties. “I’m honored, humbled and so excited to serve Waitsburg and its neighboring cities and towns in southeast Washington on the AWC b...
DAYTON - Mayor Roger Trump called the meeting of the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m., June 11, 2024. Mayor Roger Trump and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su'euga, Michael Smith, Laura Aukerman, Joann Patras, and Shannon McMillen met at City Hall. Kyle Anderson was not present. Sheriff Helm reported to the council that his department handled 632 incidents in May, including 90 traffic stops, 40 other traffic calls, two DUIs, and six traffic accidents. Helm said his office completed a...
DAYTON — Columbia County Health System (CCHS) is taking significant strides to enhance the health and well-being of the local community through its innovative Population Health Program. This initiative aligns with the national Healthy People 2030 campaign, which aims to improve health outcomes, eliminate disparities, and create environments that promote health for all individuals. Population Health is a national, comprehensive approach designed to improve the health of all individuals within a human population. The program focuses on three k...
WAITSBURG-Summer youth programs kicked into gear this weekend for kids in Waitsburg, Dayton, and Prescott. The Waitsburg Christian and Waitsburg Presbyterian churches offered Vacation Bible School to preschool through sixth-grade students from June 26 through 28. This year's "Breaker Rock Beach" theme was a hit with more than 40 kids who enjoyed the beach decorations, crafts, songs, games, and other activities. On Saturday, June 29, from 9 to 11 a.m., the two churches and Waitsburg's Firemen's...
Bar Bacetto and Gaudy Gals on Main are closing, and former city hall sale is moving forward. WAITSBURG -The last few years have seen significant changes on Waitsburg's Main Street. This June, the city lost two popular businesses, and several empty buildings are finding new owners. Mike and Erin Easton announced they would not reopen Bar Bacetto in July. The James Beard 2024 nominee for Best New Restaurant opened in October 2022 and offered Easton's signature pasta, cocktails, and excellent servi...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on June 19, 2024. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Ryan Paulson (on Zoom), Grant Griffin, and Superintendent Rich Stewart. Aneesha Dieu attended the final five minutes using Zoom. No members of the public were present at the meeting or on Zoom. The board approved the consent agenda, which included hiring Anna Fortier as an elementary school teacher, Shannon James as the annual advisor, and Sam Korslund as a bus driver. Two r...
WALLA WALLA - Sunday, June 23, was a big day for groups of settlers traveling from Independence, Missouri, to Fort Walla Walla. Traveling west with me was my great-nephew Gabe, whom we chose as our leader. My great-nephew Sam, niece Michelle, and sister Sandra joined us as we endured numerous hardships along the way. But we were determined to reach Fort Walla Walla. Our journey started at the general store in Independence. After purchasing a few needed supplies at the store: medicine, matches,...
DAYTON - All Wheels Weekend offered automotive fun for everyone from Friday, June 14, through 16. Over Father's Day Weekend, Dayton was filled with classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, and bicycles. There were cackle cars all day, and later, the noisy, adrenaline-pumping Drag the Gut featuring the roar of nitro-fueled cars. These restored vintage dragsters brought the noise to town. Later that evening, the Frog Hollow Band played music on the courthouse lawn, and the Presentation of Cars...
DAYTON-For the past few months, people have been peeking through the cracks in the shuttered windows of the former Weinhard Hotel on Dayton's Main Street, trying to see what's going on inside the newly rebranded Hotel Hardware. Owner and General Manager Padraic Slattery is the man behind the mystery, and he is eager to launch the hotel website and reservation platform in the coming weeks, inviting people in. When the hotel opens to the public this summer, guests can expect a four-star boutique...
DAYTON — The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on June 12, 2024, at the Lyon’s Ferry Marina. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. Watts arrived near the end of the meeting, saying he stopped to assist at a vehicle accident scene. There was no public comment during the first opportunity to do so. In the budget report, Dickinson said it was a low-expense month. Nothing unusual, she commented on the progress of the lighting project. Dic...
WAITSBURG - Girl Scout Troops 2127, 5381, and 5383 and Boy Scouts of America Troop 337 held a Flag Retirement Ceremony at the Waitsburg Cemetery on Flag Day, June 14. The ceremony began with the raising of the Flag of the United States. Emylee Willams, Lillian Carpenter, Shylo Hedges, Chelsea Faden, Sidian Stegall, and Katherine Roberts followed with retirement ceremony readings. "The Flag of the United States of America is an honored symbol of our nation's unity, its hopes, its achievements, it...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met for its monthly work session at 6:31 p.m. on June 5, 2024, in the high school library. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Ryan Paulson, Grant Griffin, and Superintendent Rich Stewart. Aneesha Dieu attended using Zoom. The board approved the consent agenda, which included approval of two overnight trips and approval of the 2024-2025 contract with Amy Cox for K-12 Principal. One trip is for students to attend the FFA National Convention on October 23 through 26 in I...
WAITSBURG/AN TIR KINGDOM-Waitsburg's Preston Park will be the weekend base for members of the Society for Creative Anachronism from June 7 to 9. The society is an international community in which members choose a pre-seventeenth-century period to research through immersive reenactment. Dame Katherine of Akornebir, once Baroness of Wastekeep, and known in present-day as Kathy Carpenter, encouraged anyone interested in history to come to the park, ask questions, borrow a tunic, and join the...
DAYTON - Area non-profits and charities, including Project Timothy, Blue Mountain Action Council, and the Walla Walla YWCA, appreciate the generosity of retired computer tech Gordon Gerlitz. After owning and operating GWhiz Computing for twenty years, Gerlitz now offers his considerable skills to help his community. Gerlitz has collected, refurbished, and donated over ninety laptops, tablets, and phones since he started this project in January 2022. He is now within five devices of 100, a goal...
OLYMPIA - In early May, Waitsburg Youth and Government sent a Youth Legislature Delegation to Olympia for the first time since 2019. Advisors Matt Elder and Heather Baker spent four exciting days with students Will Ahler, Mylie Jones, Chasity Paddock, Grayson Teal, and Lucas VanHoose at the state capital. Before traveling to Olympia, the students met weekly during their lunch break, preparing to debate issues that affect citizens in their state, propose legislation, and learn procedures they...
