Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Last week’s school district update in the Waitsburg Welcomes 2019 article incorrectly stated that the district would be seeking a levy in 2019. “It will be going to voters in 2020. I got ahead of myself,” said District Superintendent Jon Mishra, who requested the correction....
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg school counselor Rosy Nechodom wants parents to know about two opportunities for families taking place in February. Rodeo clown JJ Harrison will give a bullying prevention and intervention presentation on Feb. 6 and a Strengthening Families program will begin February 14. JJ Harrison While he likes nothing more than making people laugh, Ellensburg's favorite rodeo clown, JJ Harrison, has an important message to share. Harrison, who is a WSU alum and taught middle school f...
DAYTON--Robert Bryant, an independent auto repair mechanic, is opening an auto repair shop in Dayton this week. "It's a fact," said Bryant, who has been in the auto repair business since 1984. Bryant said he first worked in a Pendleton machine shop rebuilding engines, and he received training in auto repair while working at Round-Up City Dodge in Pendleton. That was followed by a brief stint operating his own auto repair business, "Mobile Technology". Bryant said he continued his formal...
Waitsburg students got a lesson in law enforcement on Wed. Jan. 10 as Walla Walla County Sheriff's deputies made an arrest right next to the elementary school playground. Joshua J. Hershaw, driving an older model limousine, was pulled over on an outstanding warrant and cited for driving while license suspended, third degree, and having no interlock device on the vehicle, according to Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider....
My Facebook feed is regularly filled with posts from people who have lost dogs, sighted loose dogs or picked up lost dogs and are looking for their owners. It's always fun to watch dog and owner reunited. This week, I've seen a post searching for the owner of a pair of glasses lost on Main Street in Waitsburg and another by a Mom whose young daughter lost a small purse near Caboose Park in Dayton. The young lady and her purse were quickly reunited. I often see people tagging friends and acquaint...
In this multi-part series, The Times visits with businesses, organizations and agencies to learn their plans for 2019. This week, we continue our walk around Main Street. In future issues we will wrap up Main Street and talk with off-Main businesses, churches, clubs and organizations. Waitsburg City Pool It's business as usual for the city pool according to pool administrator Kelly Steinhoff. If time allows, the City may apply another coat of liner, she said. Steinhoff does want to urge anyone...
DAYTON - Dozens of volunteers from Dayton, Waitsburg, Dixie, Starbuck and Walla Walla, many with no association to the Columbia County equine facilities, pooled resources and labor to remove the old soil and footing in the Columbia County Fairgrounds indoor arena and replace it with a professionally engineered footing. The value of the project is estimated at approximately $70,000, according to Friends of the Columbia County Fairgrounds President Julia Mead. "This project was truly an amazing...
DAYTON—Zac Weatherford was elected Mayor Pro-Tempore for 2019 by the Dayton City Council at their first regular meeting of the New Year. “I’m excited. Zac’s going to do a good job,” said Councilwoman Delphine Bailey who nominated him for the position. Mayor Craig George said that when he moves to Arizona in late spring, the council will have 90 days to appoint a mayor to serve until the end of the year. Affordable Housing The Port’s Economic Development Coordinator, Kathryn Witheringto...
A cowboy silhouette appears to be taking in the devastating scene of a house fire that destroyed the home of Joe and Kandis Cush at 740 S. 4th Street in Dayton in the wee hours of Monday morning. "The home is a total loss but everyone got out safely," said Columbia County Fire Marshal Clint Atteberry who said the official cause of the fire was a wood stove. Donation boxes and accounts for the family of three are in the process of being set up throughout Dayton. More information on family needs...
WAITSBURG – Local entrepreneur Dan Cole said he hadn’t intended to rid himself of more than one business, but when the right offer came along, he and wife Trina decided to accept. After 32 years in business, Cole sold Waitsburg Grocery, Inc. to Jamie Allen and Jesse Smit in September of 2018. On Jan. 1, he handed over the keys of Touchet Valley Communications, a Waitsburg Internet provider, to fellow entrepreneurs, Erik and Diana Young, of Prescott. “Erik approached me and said he heard I had sold the store and asked if I would be inter...
DAYTON-When the Hospital Board of Commissioners met in December, Columbia County Health System (CCHS) CEO Shane McGuire took the opportunity to thank them for their show of support since he has been at the helm of the organization. "You have been great visionaries and you have been very supportive with this community. It has been challenging, but it has been impressive. There are a lot of elements you have allowed me to invest in to enhance services," said McGuire. "We are growing programs, making investments, and bringing on staff." McGuire sa...
WAITSBURG – A Waitsburg woman has been formally charged with second-degree murder for the stabbing death of her boyfriend, Marcus J. Allessio, 25. Leslie Melgar Moreno, 25, of 206 Wheatland Drive in Waitsburg, is accused of fatally stabbing Allessio on Dec. 28, 2018. She was arrested and charged the following day. According to court reports, Walla Walla County Dispatch received a call from Moreno at approximately 3:35 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 28. Moreno allegedly told dispatchers that her boyfriend had a knife wound, was unconscious, and that she w...
DAYTON – Sheriff Joe Helm is pleased to announce the 2019 Columbia County Citizen’s Academy. The Citizen’s Academy will be held every Friday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for 11 weeks beginning Feb. 1, 2019 through April 19, 2019. The classes will be held in the training room of Columbia County Fire District #3 located at 111 Patit Road, Dayton WA. “This is a rare opportunity for the citizens of our community to learn more about the individuals who are protecting Columbia County and why they make the decisions they do. The intent of the Citizen...
WAITSBURG – In a 2018 budget recap, Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn listed completion of the Main Street Bridge as one of the most important projects completed in 2018. Looking forward, the Waitsburg City Council approved a 2019 budget of $1.98 million, slightly lower than last year’s $2.17 million budget, at its Dec. 27 meeting. While “substantially complete” in 2017, the Main Street Bridge project was finally checked off as officially complete in 2018. The roughly $1.8 million, three-year project...
Council members Mayor Marty Dunn, KC Kuykendall, Kevin House, and Kate Hockersmith were present. Terry Jacoy and Jim Romine were absent. Following a public hearing, council approved the 2019 final budget. (See story on this page.) Danielle Carpenter provided a Parks and Recreation Board update. Discussion on the possibility of changing the current City election process to fall in line with election laws of the state. Passed a resolution allowing the city administrator to submit a grant application to the Washington State Military Department...
WAITSBURG – With a new year ahead, and the paper under new ownership, The Times thought it would be fun to take a walk around Waitsburg to learn what local agencies, businesses and organizations are anticipating in the coming year. In this multi-part series, The Times will work its way up and down Main Street, check in with off-Main businesses, and talk with churches, clubs and organizations to learn their plans for 2019. The series kicks off this week with a Waitsburg School District update f...
DAYTON – In January, the Space Gatos, Columbia County's 4-H Robotics and FIRST Lego League Team, advance to the State Finals in Spokane, after winning the Community Connection Award at FIRST Lego Regionals in Pasco. Their coach, Jeanne Walter, said this is the third year the robotics team has advanced to the final competition. They are one of only six teams out of a field of 28 to do so. Teams compete in Robot Design, Project Presentation and Core Values, and Robot Mission Games. This team h...
DAYTON-If you think Victoria has a secret, wait until you meet Sylvia Charles in the Touchet Valley Art Council production of Nana's Naughty Knickers. This fast-paced romp, co-directed by Leah Stockton and Bev Startin, is a story about a twenty- something girl, named Bridget Charles, who comes to stay with her grandmother in New York City for the summer and discovers that her Nana, Sylvia Charles, is running an illegal boutique out of her apartment. Apparently, Nana is selling handmade naughty...
On December 28, Netflix Tweeted that over 45 million Netflix accounts (45,037,125 to be exact) had already tuned in to watch Bird Box, the latest Netflix original movie starring Sandra Bullock. That's more than one-third of the 130 million worldwide Netflix account holders. In 1998, the Copyright Term Extension Act (AKA The Mickey Mouse Protection Act) extended copyright protections by 20 years (from 75 years to 95 years), meaning no new works have entered the public domain for the past 20...
All day, every day, we use things. While this sounds ridiculously simple, think about it: when you make a tuna fish sandwich, you grab the can opener, scoop tuna into a bowl with a spoon, stir in mayonnaise, spread the filling on with a knife, and cut the final product in half on a cutting board. When any of the elements you use – spoon, knife, bowl, cutting board – is beyond boring and ordinary, it adds a jolt of beauty to the experience. "There is a satisfaction that comes with a com...
One of the perks of having your older kids home for the holidays, at least around my place, is the ongoing discussion of which movies are worth seeing. Preferred genres and styles run the gamut among myself and my offspring so it’s fun to find a flick that makes everyone’s “like” list. My nineteen-year-old recently recommended Hunt for the Wilderpeople that I felt deserving of review. A bit of research reveals that it premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was shown throughout New Zea...
WAITSBURG-Times owner and publisher Ken Graham has sold the newspaper to Waitsburg resident Lane Gwinn. The sale was effective Jan. 1. Gwinn is also owner of the 10 Ton Press art studio on Waitsburg's Main Street, as well as the building that houses the studio and 10 Ton Coffee. "I know Lane is committed to maintaining strong news coverage in Waitsburg and throughout the Touchet Valley," Graham said. "I'm confident The Times will be in good hands for years to come." Gwinn becomes the ninth...
DAYTON-Tony Waldo, Operation Manager for Columbia Pulp, spoke about the Lyons Ferry Straw Pulp Mill at the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update meeting, on Dec. 19. Waldo said that construction of the facility has been a little behind schedule, but it will be operational late in the first quarter of 2019. "All the buildings and equipment have been set," said Waldo. "Right now they're working on piping and wiring, and instrumentation." Waldo said 60-100 skilled people will...
DAYTON—At the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy update meeting on Dec. 19, community leaders discussed some of the projects in the Dayton area in the works, and progress that is expected in the next year. Dayton Development Task Force and Dayton Chamber of Commerce Dayton Chamber of Commerce Director Melissa Bryan said the Main Street Approach framework used by the Dayton Development Task Force is working, as people can see in improvements to the building facades, the r...
DAYTON—Craig George, President of the Columbia County Public Transportation Board of Commissioners announced that General Manager Dwight Robanske resigned at last week’s Board meeting. George said Robanske, who has been on paid administrative leave since October, tendered his resignation, effective Friday, December 14. Robanske had been placed on leave while various claims made within the transit agency were being investigated. George said Robanske received his regular paycheck on Dec. 18. In addition to that he will receive pay covering the ti...
