Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1161 - 1185 of 5699
WALLA WALLA-The Walla Walla YMCA is currently open with significant Phase 2 restrictions in place. Only members may visit, locker rooms will have limited access, there is a health screening at entry, and reservations are required for most areas. In order to provide fitness opportunities for a greater number of people, the YMCA is now offering a Virtual Membership for a $25 monthly fee. The Y's online offerings provide a way for people to maintain their physical health from the shelter of their...
Ten Years Ago July 28, 2011 The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office is considering bringing a program to Waitsburg that would dispose of residents’ prescription and illegal drugs to keep them out of sewer systems and landfills, but an inability to fund and staff the program could prevent its fruition. Zooming by on Highway 12, it’s easy to miss the unassuming signs that mark the county line. “Entering Columbia County” reads the one going east. “Entering Walla Walla County” greets drivers heading west. For T. J. Hersey, running her father’s...
WALLA WALLA—Individual business owners in Walla Walla are all managing Governor Inslee's mask wearing proclamation in their own unique ways. Cugini's Italian Import Foods on Wallula in Walla Walla posted a sign noting masks were required, but clothing was optional! At Ellen's Cutting Edge Barbershop, notices on the door required masks, as well as a prior appointment to get a cut. I had been a frequent customer of Saager's since I moved to town nine years ago-as it was where I had my two young s...
DAYTON—Finances for the Columbia County Health System continue to be impacted due to the COVID-19 situation, which caused a significant reduction of patient services during the first months of the year, according to CCHS CEO Shane McGuire. An average of 771 patient visits were recorded at the Columbia Family Clinic, during the first three months of the year, but only 542 visits were recorded in May. However, the month of May saw an increase in patient volumes in several areas; including R...
Local horsemen spent their weekend at the Columbia County fairgrounds working with renowned horse trainer Buck Brannaman. The four-day horsemanship clinic was attended by 21 riders but did not allow spectators this year....
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met Wednesday, June 24 via conference call. All council members were present. The council discussed the six-year transportation plan, local coronavirus relief funds, and other items. The council reviewed the six-year plan as presented to them by city administrator Randy Hinchliffe. The plan, which starts in 2020 and ends in 2026, includes work on Main Street, Bolles Road, and city-wide maintenance. The total expenses over the six-year period is budgeted at j...
DAYTON—Doug Johnson is a man who loves kids and he will be involved with them, in some way, even after he retires at the end of June. Johnson has been in the field of education for over 41 years, teaching history to middle school students, serving as a school principal, and as a school superintendent. For the past year, he has performed a balancing act at the Dayton School District, as school superintendent and principal of the elementary school. Johnson stepped in to fill the vacant e...
DAYTON—Andrew Bassler, of Dayton, chose to combine his career and his love of fishing when he took the Education Coordinator position with the Salmon in Schools program. After four years of teaching local students about all-things salmon, he is ready to pass the torch to someone new later this year. “I didn’t really know much when I started,” the avid fly fisherman said. “It was as much a learning opportunity for me as it was for the kids.” Bassler said that serving as the Education Coordinator...
WALLA WALLA—Whitman College and Northwest Archives is creating a digital archive of the Walla Walla community’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. As our community begins to reopen, it is important to reflect on our experiences of the pandemic, including our experiences at work and school, our social and family interactions, and the changes to our routines. The college welcomes submissions in all languages from all members of the Walla Walla and regional communities. In partnership with the Walla Walla Mutual Aid Network and the Soci...
The Fourth of July is right around the corner. Each county and city in the area has its own fireworks ordinances. Are you aware of your local regulations? The City of Walla Walla allows fireworks to be lit within city limits starting at 9 a.m. on July 4 and ending at 12 a.m. on July 5. The City does have a small list of fireworks that are illegal within city limits, including skyrockets, missile-type rockets, firecrackers, jumping jacks, and chaser fireworks. For a complete list of rules and...
WALLA WALLA—At the Walla Walla City Council meeting held on June 24, plans were outlined for three, possibly four, virtual Town Hall meetings. The meetings will be held in July and August to address public concerns over a variety of law enforcement issues. Council members were all in agreement with the need to schedule the meetings “sooner, rather than later,” and opted for the virtual meeting plan due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The plan came as a response to local protests, rallies, phone calls, and over 1,891 emails received relat...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County’s application to move into a modified Phase 3 of the Safe Start Washington plan has been put on hold. Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman placed Walla Walla County’s application for a modified Phase 3 on pause Tuesday, June 30. Wiesman has requested the County monitor virus activity for an additional week. Walla Walla County Commissioners and the Department of Community Health submitted the application for a modified Phase 3 of the state’s Safe Start plan on June 19. Since that date, thirty-...
Along with the new mandate in Washington state to wear a cloth face covering, fraudulent flyers and wallet cards have been circulating citing exemptions for individuals from the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Washington State Emergency Management Division notes that although there are exemptions these efforts are being used by people as a reason to walk into any business they choose without a mask. The governor’s mask mandate does have exemptions, including people with certain disabil...
DAYTON—The Touchet Valley Trail Steering Committee has released a detailed concept plan for the trail which is in the planning stages between Dayton and Waitsburg. The committee conducted a weekend of workshops, a semester of design work, and several virtual review sessions in the process of developing the plan, which currently has no funding attached. The plan incorporates all public comments received during last year’s survey, and from numerous public and private meetings about the trail. Aft...
WALLA WALLA-Two U.S. Army Corps employees at Little Goose Lock and Dam created a device that removed debris blockages within the dam. Mechanical Engineering Technician Jay Haugen and Maintenance Worker Kreg Buryta combined their talents in 2019 to design and fabricate a tool that could be used to remove debris from orifices (openings) within the dam. Logs, trash, and other debris adversely affected the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon and steelhead along the Snake River. Successfully c...
DAYTON—This is year two of the Dayton Country Club’s five-year strategic plan to achieve financial independence and sustainability for the Touchet Valley Golf Course, said Sean Thurston who has led the charge for securing grants for Club projects. The primary goal in year two is the installation of an underground irrigation system, which will reduce labor expenses and decrease electrical expenses for the County while increasing the quality of the golf course and fairgrounds. Saving water for...
MILTON-FREEWATER, Ore.-Lampson's U-Pick Blueberries adjusted capably for the coronavirus by instituting an appointment system to manage the number of people picking in the fields at one time. Eight cars are let in at 15-minute intervals and owner Clark Lampson assigns people to a row of bushes distanced from other pickers. Pickers of all ages wore masks while they chatted and picked Duke blueberries, a variety known for its large, slightly tart berries, as I visited on a recent weekday. The...
DAYTON—The Board of County Commissioners on Monday announced the discontinuation of non-contracted services to the City of Dayton in the areas of Emergency Management and Dispatch and Law Enforcement for non-criminal and non-emergency calls. Non-contracted services include calls such as dog bites, abandoned vehicles, and city code violations. The reason the County gives for the discontinuance is due to unresolved contract negotiations with the City. The County claims fees to the city have not b...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County’s application for entry into Phase 3 appears to be in jeopardy (see story, page 5) due to Monday’s announcement from health officials that twelve additional COVID-19 cases were reported since Friday, June 19th’s total. As of Tuesday, June 23, the county has 29 active cases all of whom are under home isolation. The county has had three deaths from the virus to date. City of Walla Walla Development Services Director Elizabeth Chamberlain speaking as Liaison for Unified Command, remarked in a video shared to Faceboo...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Public Health Department has reported nine positive cases of COVID-19, stemming from the same household. None of the nine people are over 60 years of age, but one of them has been hospitalized. Of the nine cases, two live in Benton County, where they are being managed by the Benton Franklin Public Health Department, according to Martha Lanman, the County Public Health Director. There was an increase of testing by Columbia County Public Health staff after a man v...
PRESCOTT-Prescott Pool Manager Kyra Hartley is a highly experienced lifeguard and swimming instructor and she recently stepped into the role of Pool Manager at the Prescott Pool. A double major in business administration and psychology at the University of Puget Sound, she may need skills in both areas to manage the changeable situation for outdoor recreation this summer. Hartley took steps this spring to get her lifeguards Red Cross re-certified by working with Walla Walla YMCA's Director of...
DAYTON—The Board of Columbia County Commissioners has agreed to ask voters for help with funding the Flood Control Zone District (FCZD), again, this year. Proposition 1, asking voters to approve a permanent general excess levy of $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed value to help fund the Flood Control Zone District, will go before voters again in the November General Election. If passed, the levy will generate an estimated $100,000 each year to be used by the FCZD for grant matches and a program that will include a sandbag program for public use. Floo...
Pat Largent joins the ranks of the nonagenarian, a fancy word for 90, this month. Where the chronological age of 65 is in our culture is considered a senior citizen and 70 plus is considered by some accounts elderly, I am supposing Pat would be considered 'elderly.' As I recently watched Pat, with her cane, stepping down the sidewalk in Waitsburg I began to recall times with Pat over the years. This amazing woman is someone for whom the word elderly just doesn't seem appropriate. Although...
WALLA WALLA— Walla Walla County Commissioners decided at a special meeting on Thursday, June 18 to apply for a modified Phase 3 of Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan. Phase 3 of the state’s plan allows outdoor recreational gatherings to be limited to 50 or fewer people, the county’s application modifies that to 25 or fewer people. Travel in Phase 3 would allow all non-essential travel to resume, Walla Walla County is requesting a modification to allow essential travel and limited non-essential travel for Phase 1, 2, or 3 permissible activit...
