Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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PRESCOTT - After losing Izzy in January, Tawnya and Mickey Richards have decided to begin another dromedary journey. Izzy left a big hole in the community and the Richards family's hearts. Hearing how his friends and neighbors felt about the sweet boy, Mickey knew they missed Izzy. However, finding a new camel was not only about the community. Mickey misses his friend of 17 years. Mickey asked Tawnya what she thought about a new camel. She was on board but asked if they could look for a baby...
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on March 13, 2024, in the port office. Commissioners present were Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. The meeting was called to order and opened for public comment. Several citizens spoke of Bryan’s remarks from the last meeting about Dickinson after Watts and Bryan declined to offer her a new contract. Most commenters supported Dickinson; some called for Bryan to resign, and others asked for more professional con...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met at 6 p.m. on February 13, 2024. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen were at Dayton City Hall. Public comment opened with Katie Roughton again speaking about the city withdrawing from the rural library district. She suggested city tax dollars paid into the library district could be redistributed to city services like the EMS and Fire Departments. Funds from levies are specific and cannot be reallocated. James Byrd spo...
WAITSBURG-Rosy Nechodom, the school counselor for the Waitsburg School District, is in her second year as a mentor in the Sources of Strength program. The Walla Walla Health Department provides the district with a grant to fund the program. Sources of Strength is a best-practice youth mental health program using peer social networks to prevent suicide, violence, bullying, and substance abuse. It prevents adverse outcomes by increasing well-being, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and...
WALLA WALLA - The YMCA is known as "America's swim instructor." It is dedicated to teaching children of all ages and backgrounds how to have fun safely in and around water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE), as one of the nation's largest providers of outdoor recreation, shares the Y's commitment to water safety. Locally, the USACE provides the Y with life jackets for its water safety training. The Y is also an American Red Cross-designated training partner, serving pools and communities...
WAITSBURG - "Remember... Only YOU can prevent forest fires," which originated in 1947, is a slogan that children everywhere associate with Smokey the Bear. The Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign was created in 1944 and is the longest-running public-service advertising campaign in U.S. history. There is a lot of interesting information at smokeybear.com, which asks you to celebrate 80 years of Smokey by exploring Smokey's history throughout the generations. Weller Public Library's...
DAYTON — Neighbors United for Progress (NUP), a nonpartisan political action committee in Dayton, has been awarded the Candace Morgan Intellectual Freedom Award 2024 by the Washington Library Association. NUP president Elise Severe accepted the award at the WLA Annual Conference on March 2 at the Spokane Convention Center. The award is presented annually to “an individual or group for their efforts to defend, champion, support, or educate others about Intellectual Freedom in Washington State.” The award recognized NUP’s successful effort...
DAYTON/PRESCOTT —The Club, which offers after-school and out-of-school programs, is working with community stakeholders to develop a water safety component as part of its summer program. Representatives from The Friends of the Dayton Library (FDL), Dayton Hospital, Kiwanis Club, and Prescott Joint Parks and Recreation met on March 7 to discuss the program. Club Program Director Shakira Bye told the group that there was a safety issue for kids in the community who do not have access to swim lessons. She said that until a pool is built in D...
DAYTON - The Dayton School Board met in the Elementary School library at 6:30 p.m. on March 7, 2024. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. The school board approved the consent agenda, approving the WIAA Spring Sports Cooperative between Dayton and Waitsburg for the H.S. boys and girls golf and track and field programs. Also on the consent agenda was a leave of absence for an employee,...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Middle recognized Preston Hall students with February's Pep Band, Perfect Attendance, and PRIDE Awards at an assembly on Friday, March 8. Emcee Rosy Nechodom presented Shawna Hilton, Joy Nechodom, Rosalynn Harvey, Olivia Kiefel, Carter Barron, Colt Boudrieau, and Gage Mynear awards for their participation in pep band during the high school home basketball games. The school acknowledged Sophia Castillo, Verbena McLaughlin, Abel Creeley, Colt Boudrieau, Laila Long, Jake...
WAITSBURG-"What is it about this piece of art that offends you?" That question inspired Joseph Roberts' decision to start a monthly discussion called Art Talk. Roberts and Tiina Jaatinen are the team that founded the hotel and wine bar Royal Block in downtown Waitsburg. The high ceilings and gallery lighting make the space perfect for displaying artwork from Robert's extensive art collection. "Encouraging artists to strive on their path was one of the reasons that led me to collect art," Roberts...
DAYTON-Ellen Brigham is happy to step into her new role as the director of the Dayton Memorial Library. "I'm just really excited to step into this new year with a fresh slate of ideas and positive outlook going forward," she said. Library Science is the perfect field for her, she said with a smile. "It was just a childhood dream of mine. When you're little, you look at the library and think it's a perfect place to sit and read. I never really let it go." As a busy adult, she doesn't have as...
DAYTON—The Friends of Dayton Memorial Library is hosting an innovative evening of conversation on Thursday, March 7, from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Set up in a café setting, the event for Columbia County residents will be held at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Dayton. The topic of the evening’s discussion will be “Books in Libraries,” exploring the challenges facing the public and school libraries in Columbia County. The Walla Walla Civility Project (WWCP) will provide the format and facilitate the event designed to enhance personal...
OTHELLO-A weekend getaway to the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and the nearby town of Othello offered solitude under big skies, vibrant sunsets, and subtle sunrises. Fields of honking geese are a reminder that the 26th Annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival on March 22 – 24, 2024, is just around the corner. The three-day event offers lectures, photography workshops, guided tours by bus, boats, and bikes (bring your own bike), and walking and hiking through the Columbia National Wildlife R...
Council member Charles steps down WAITSBURG - Mayor Marty Dunn called the city council meeting to order at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. Council members Cindy Bishop, Kevin House, Jim Romine, Jillian Henze, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were in attendance. Hinchliffe introduced representatives from the Washington State Department of Commerce to present the city with a 2023 Governor's Smart Community Award. The Smart Project Award was given to the City of Waitsburg for its...
WAITSBURG - On February 11, the Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Project (TVAMP) began recording local musicians for a new album to be released on CD. This is TVAMP's fourth production, preceded by two CDs for the Blue Mountain Troublemakers and one for Switchgrass Delta. TVAMP Project Leader Kate Hockersmith said, "We have so many wonderful local musicians in and around Waitsburg, and for years I've wanted to record local singer/songwriters. In early February, Mike Easton of Bar Bacetto,...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on February 21, 2024. Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. The board approved the consent agenda, including hiring Danica Porter as the Middle School Head Softball Coach. Dayton FFA Trap Shooting Team members presented plans for an overnight field trip to the Wenatchee area. Six Dayton students expect to p...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council workshop meeting to order at 3 p.m., February 20, 2024. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen met at City Hall. The workshop agenda included discussing requests to change the golf cart policy, updating the code of ethics, and the relationship between the city and the rural library district. The council discussed a request to change the golf cart policy, including the costs and liability of all...
DAYTON – At the beginning of the year, Ace Automotive began its journey offering domestic and foreign car repair at 527 Cameron Street in Dayton. Andres Lara, 34, bought Jay Ball's garage after working there for seven years. Jay's Garage offered serice for close to ten years at the Rock Hill Industrial Park. The Port of Columbia County signed a three-year lease with the new owner in December last year. "Jay and I had been talking for a while about his retiring and selling the place to me," s...
A two-to-one vote changed the Port Director position from contract to month-to-month, "at-will" DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held its regular meeting at 5 p.m. on February 14, 2024, at the port's office. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. The commissioners approved the last meeting's minutes. In the budget review, Dickenson said the year ended in great shape, and the port spent a little less than it took in. D...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m., February 13, 2024. Councilmembers Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, Shannon McMillen, and Mayor Trump were present in City Hall. In the public comment, Katie Roughton referred to her remarks at the January council meeting suggesting a voter referendum on whether the city should withdraw from the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD). Roughton said she was concerned that “appointed people” (the Libra...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg elementary students and parents went above and beyond this year, raising over $9,500 for the American Heart Association participating in the Kids Heart Challenge on February 14. Last year, Waitsburg students raised $6,329. Schools nationwide participate in the annual Kids Heart Challenge, where students participate in heart-healthy physical activities and raise money for the American Heart Association. Waitsburg's kindergarten through fifth-grade students spent Valentine's...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met at 6:30 p.m. on February 7, 2024. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. Ryan Paulson did not attend. The board approved the consent agenda, including accepting the resignation of Jim Su’euga as MS Girls Basketball Head Coach and hiring Andee Thurston for that position. The board approved Tamira Culley as the MS Girls’ Basketball Assistant coach, and Des Jones was approved as a volunteer coach for the MS Girls Baske...
PRESCOTT - One of Touchet Valley's most beloved residents passed away on January 24, 2024. Izzy the Camel brought so much love to his owners, Tawnya and Mickey Richards, and their family. They shared that joy with others, bringing him to events, parties, birthdays, and parades throughout the state. Izzy was a public figure who took his job seriously. He posed for pictures, accepted snacks, and planted many kisses on his adoring fans. Reprinted from The Times June 25, 2015 issue. Izzy's big break...
WAITSBURG -After rounds of competition beginning last September, four Waitsburg students have come out on top and will participate in the National Great Shakes Competition. Carter Barron, Chloe McCaw, Verbena McLaughlin, and Wyatt Parish will travel to the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, in March. As a bonus, since Waitsburg students did so well at regionals, Olivia Kiefel, Jaylynn Gleason, and Lilian Carpenter will also attend the national competition as wildcards. Twenty-five Waitsburg...
