Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 3412 - 3436 of 5667
WAITSBURG – United States Air Force Airman Caitlyn Jones, 2016 Waitsburg High School graduate and daughter of Collette Jones, of Waitsburg, has reached another educational milestone. Jones completed her Basic Military training in November and graduated from the Class 015 Dental Assistant Apprentice Course in March The intensive eight-week basic training included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Jones a...
WAITSBURG – A record high number of musicians from the Waitsburg High School band participated in the Southeast Washington Music Educators’ Association High School Honor Band in Colfax on Monday. Eight Waitsburg musicians participated, including Jacob Elder on tuba, Kevin Murphy and Bradley Sandau on tenor saxophone, Anna Miller on baritone saxophone, Kitty Lambert on alto saxophone, Leena Baker on clarinet, and Loren Negron on percussion. The first honor band rehearsal took place March 6 at Clarkston High School, where band members met wit...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg FFA Chapter has four State FFA Degree recipients and eight members who received proficiency awards. Members will receive their degrees and awards at the State FFA convention in May. State Degree recipients are: Tom House, Brandon Boudrieau, Jared Farley, and Devin Newman. The State FFA Degree is given to the top members of a State FFA Association. Recipients must meet a minimum of nine requirements, that include 180 hours of ag instruction, participation in a supervised ag experience program, demonstration of l...
DAYTON—The Washington State Department of Ecology has accepted the tri-county Southeast Washington Shoreline Master Program Update, with “no proposed changes”. “This is a huge deal,” said Columbia County Planning Director Kim Lyonnaise. “It’s really big.” Lyonnaise met with officials in Garfield and Asotin Counties in February 2014, about the possibility of collaborating on updates to their respective regional master shoreline plans. Because of similarities in topography and demographics, a...
Waitsburg Elementary School students enjoyed dressing up, reading Dr. Suess books, and participating in fun, Suess-related activities as part of Dr. Suess Day last week....
WAITSBURG – The City of Waitsburg received an unpleasant surprise when bids for the Main Street Bridge project were opened on Feb. 23. The lowest bid came in nearly $100,000 over the engineer’s estimate, leaving the city to re-evaluate their options. The cost discrepancy wasn’t due to a shortage of bidders. Twelve companies submitted bids for the job, with totals ranging from a low of $1,379,825 from Harry Johnson Plumbing and Excavation, Inc., to a high of $2,591,216 from Wesslen Const...
DAYTON—At their February 27 meeting, the Dayton City Council approved an agreement between the city and Columbia County for the city to provide code compliance services to the county. The City Code Compliance Officer’s weekly hours will increase by eight, and the county will pay the city $11,000 per year. Councilman Dain Nysoe said the city’s approach to code enforcement has been proactive, but the county “only responds to nuisance issues if someone complains.” Nysoe asked the County Planning...
WAITSBURG – The annual Waitsburg city government election process is underway. As The Times went to press, incumbent Marty Dunn had filed a declaration of candidacy for mayor as had prior council member and mayor candidate Debra Callahan. K.C. Kuykendall and Karen Gregutt had filed to retain their council seats. Candidates have through March 10 to file declarations. The top five council candidate vote-getters will receive council positions. Ballots will go out in the mail on March 17. Completed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on April 3 a...
Arraignments: Travis Rogelio Garcia, 30, Dayton; charged with unlawful imprisonmet – dv, coercion – dv, 4th degree assault – dv, possession of methamphetamine and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records indicate that sheriff’s deputies were searching for Regelio at his parent’s home after hearing testimony from the alleged victim at the prosecuting attorney’s office. The victim claimed that Rogelio, accompanied by Michelle Martinez (aka Sampson), entered the home where she was staying, cut her hair, and threatened...
WAITSBURG – WHS senior Emily Adams was honored at a Boys and Girls State Honor Night at Town Hall on Mon, March 6. The event was hosted by the Waitsburg American Legion Post #35 and the Legion Auxiliary, which sponsor Waitsburg students each year. Adams attended the 2016 Evergreen Girls State at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. last June. She said she left the experience with a much better understanding of how government runs and politics works, and made many lifelong f...
DAYTON-- Paul MacKay and his partner, Amy McGuire, have been busy putting their own touches on the Moose Creek Café and Bakery since MacKay bought it from Chuck and Raylene Sursley in January, 2016. MacKay is a financial manager, and McGuire looks to the day-to-day operations at the business Since their "very quick" opening in February, 2016, the two have expanded seating at the café to an outside patio, introduced some seasonal local produce, and added an additional restroom. They are now in th...
DAYTON—In his report to the Dayton School Board last week, Superintendent Doug Johnson discussed providing middle school students with baseball and softball programs through a joint effort with the Waitsburg School District. There has been “a sudden interest” in participation, by seventh and eighth grade boys and girls, Johnson said. He said the district is now searching for coaches, for both programs. Johnson also said that Principal Paul Shaber has found a solution to some trans...
DAYTON – Robert and Janet Phinney are inviting horsemen to join them for informal educational rides in the indoor riding arena, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, from 10 a.m. to noon on three upcoming Saturdays: March 11, 25, and April 1. The goal is to develop willing and trusting communication between horse and rider in an enjoyable manner. There is no charge for the initial open rides, but a $12 fee will be collected for the use of the facility. The Phinneys ask that no broncs or serious problem horses attend. Additional dates for r...
Celebration Days banners will liven up Main Street this spring WAITSBURG – Waitsburg's Main Street will pack a patriotic punch this spring when Celebration Days boulevard banners are hung from the Main Street light poles in April. The Celebration Days banner committee hopes to raise enough funds to purchase winter banners as well. The WCD banner committee worked with John Sasser, of Integrity Designs in Walla Walla, to create a design that both reflects the current Waitsburg Celebration Days a...
WAITSBURG – Last March, the Waitsburg Resource Center board purchased 60 emergency blankets and 100 hand-generated flashlights to aid the community in the case of disaster. The WRC will continue their emergency preparedness efforts by hosting a disaster preparedness course on May 6. Flood warnings from The National Weather Service for Walla Walla and Columbia counties in February have kept residents on alert this winter. To date, runoff from a high snow pack combined with exceptionally heavy r...
WAITSBURG – Inclement weather, combined with other factors, resulted in fewer than anticipated applications for the soon-to-be-open Waitsburg School District Superintendent position, according to retiring Superintendent Dr. Carol Clarke. In response, the superintendent search timeline has been extended. The deadline for applications has been moved from Feb. 17 to March 10. Preliminary interviews, originally slated for March 7-8, will take place March 21-22. Final interviews will be held March 28-31 with site visits, background checks, and c...
WAITSBURG – The cost of starting a neåw business in Waitsburg just got a little bit cheaper – at least for the next year. At their Feb. 7 meeting, the Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to waive the requirement for new businesses to pay a $50 registration fee. The suspension is good for one year – through Feb. 6, 2018 – as a good faith gesture to encourage business owners to do business in the city. An extension of the waiver is not anticipated unless the suspension “is wildly successful...
DAYTON--Anne Higgins, Columbia County Emergency Management Homeland Security Assistant, introduced an updated 2008 Columbia County Community Wildfire Protection Plan to stakeholders and landowners at a meeting last week at Fire Station District No. 3. “Over time things change,” said Higgins about work that has been done on the CWP Plan. The biggest change has been the effort to coordinate all local, state, and federal agencies in firefighting efforts, she said. Higgins said a $9,000 grant fro...
Waitsburg Elementary students raised approximately $1,200 for the American Heart Association through their annual Jump/Hoops for Heart event on Feb. 22....
DAYTON – Directors Jae Nichols and Tracy Barron said the audience at this year's TVAC Spring Variety Show should expect the unexpected. "A Spectacle of Miscellany" is a departure from the past tradition of choreographed numbers, and is a true variety show. "There's so much amazing talent in the community. There is much more talent than just singing and dancing that we haven't been able to showcase with the prior variety shows. Doing a true variety show has allowed more people to be part of t...
DAYTON--Drug Free Grant Coordinator Peggy Guiterrez, and ASB SHEO Club Advisor Jennifer Price accompanied students in Dayton's SHEO Club to Olympia on Feb. 20 for Prevention Policy Day. Representative Terry Nealey took them on a tour of House Chambers and showed them how the electronic voting system works. He also talked about the progress of three pieces of legislation concerning substance abuse and violence prevention. "That part of the trip was great," Guiterrez said. The next day, the...
DAYTON - "January was a bang-up month," Columbia County Health System CEO Shane McGuire told the Board of Commissioners at last week's meeting. McGuire was referring to the $1.7 million growth revenue for January, before accounting treatments. "Revenue for all of 2016 averaged only about $1.43 million per month, including the months before our rate increases were applied," said Hospital Controller Tom Meyers in his report to the commissioners. "This is a good start!" he added. In his picture of...
DAYTON – Internationally acclaimed musician Lauren Pelon will appear in concert at Dayton Memorial Library (111 S. 3rd St.) on Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m. In a unique concert titled The Living Roots of Music, Pelon traces the story of music and performs music from around the world on archlute, guitar, lute-guitar, lyre, recorders, gemshorns, cornamuse, krummhorn, schreierpfeife, shawm, rackett, pennywhistles, concertina, ocarina. hurdy-gurdy, bowed psaltery, Kiowa courting flute, eagle bone f...
It was a full house in Waitsburg's Town Hall on Friday night at the coronation dinner for 2017 Waitsburg Celebration Days Queen Cheyanne Shoun. Court advisor Ann Adams said approximately $2,300 was raised between the spaghetti dinner, dessert auction, and silent auction....
PRESCOTT – In September, long time music teacher Rebecca Wilson moved from the band room to the classroom and began teaching fourth grade at Prescott Elementary School. Jeremy Irland was hired as her replacement and is very much enjoying his gig as the district's new K-12 music teacher. Irland's down-to-earth attitude and contagious enthusiasm belie his impressive resume. The Canadian-born opera singer lived in California and Seattle before moving to our area in junior high, but says he c...
