Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 4 - 28 of 5707
PRESCOTT - The Prescott School District, working with the Office of the Superintendent and the Financial Oversight Committee, has been addressing financial shortfalls that threaten its future. As the school board works to save the district from dissolution, Prescott and neighboring communities have stepped up to save the Prescott School District. Here are some of the ways individuals or businesses can immediately help: Donate items for the Prescott Education Association's silent auction that...
WAITSBURG - Safety Always Matters is a fire and life safety program developed by the City of Walla Walla Fire Department to teach elementary school students how to respond to emergencies. Presentations are in collaboration with local fire departments and school districts. On September 23, members of the College Place and Walla Walla Fire Departments, and Walla Walla Fire District #4 presented the S.A.M. program to the Waitsburg Elementary School. "Not only do the kids love interacting with the...
DAYTON - The National Safety Council recognizes outstanding advances in safety through the Green Cross for Safety Awards. The awards honor community partnerships, programs, individuals, researchers and corporations that make a significant impact on safety issues through advocacy, innovation, and excellence. On September 15, Puget Sound Energy and Principal Engineer Ryan Severe were awarded the Green Cross for Safety Innovation Award at the NSC Safety Congress and Expo held in Denver, Colorado....
DAYTON-Columbia County is celebrating its 150th anniversary with many activities planned for Saturday, October 4. The lead agency for the celebration is the Port of Columbia. The Port’s Economic Development Coordinator, Shane Laib, said an opening day ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. in the Dayton Historic Depot courtyard at 222 East Commercial Avenue. Confirmed keynote speakers are Columbia County Commission Chair Marty Hall, Dayton Mayor Roger Trump, Town of Starbuck Mayor Zonia Dedloff, a...
The Waitsburg Historical Society hosted its annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 21. Cooler weather may have kept some visitors home; those who came were hungry. The Lions Club sold more bison burgers than last year, selling out. Before the rain began, the Historical Society honored the Gagnon Family as Pioneers of the Year. Almost the entire audience stood after family members were invited to the front of the stage. There were plenty of places to stay out of the rain, including the...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library at 6:30 p.m. on September 17, 2025. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, board members Pat Davidson, Grant Griffin, and Aneesha Dieu were present. Public Works Director Ryan Paulson joined the meeting an hour late due to a power outage affecting much of the city. As the first order of business, Wheatley swore in Jaelynn Chapman, a junior, as the student representative to the school board.The personnel report included the following hires: Elementary ASB Co-Ad...
Waitsburg - A busy weekend in Waitsburg included an all-ages block party, the Lions Club Salmon Feed, and the Waitsburg Historical Society Fall Festival. The first annual Royal Block Party was held in the alley behind the hotel, Ten Ton Studios, Plaza Theater, and Wolfling Coffee. There was food, music, alley bowling, and ring toss from 5 until after 9 p.m. Wolfling Coffee opened its back door for in-progress shop tours and a chance to meet owners Caitlyn Potts and Trevor Corbin. Next door,...
DAYTON - The Dayton City Council met on September 9, 2025. Mayor Roger Trump, council members James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Glenn Hagfeldt, Kyle Anderson, Shannon McMillen, and Joann Patras were present. Laura Aukerman did not attend. Port of Columbia Economic Development Coordinator Shane Laib presented plans for the 150th Anniversary (Sesquicentennial) of Columbia County celebration scheduled for October 4, 2025. The council expressed interest in the commemorative mural at the Palus Museum and was told the mural will be unveiled at the c...
WALLA WALLA - Twenty-four pets, including 12 cats and 12 dogs, went to loving homes during the Blue Mountain Humane Society's Adoption Event at Walla Walla Toyota on Sunday, September 14. Everyone who drove into the busy Toyota dealership was greeted with barks and smiles. The event is made possible with the support of Walla Walla Toyota, which hosts the adoption event, and media sponsor Elkhorn Media Group. Generous private and community sponsors covered adoption fees for many of the dogs and...
WAITSBURG - On Sunday, September 21, the Waitsburg Historical Society will host the Pioneer Fall Festival, with an afternoon of food, horse-drawn carriage rides, pioneer craft demonstrations, antique farm equipment, museum tours, and the "Vintage Style Show." The Style Show begins at 1:30 p.m. and will feature clothing from the late 1800s to the Roaring Twenties-a journey from hoop skirts that concealed a woman's shape to more modern styles that accentuated it. Generous volunteers will model...
WAITSBURG - This year, the Waitsburg Historical Society has selected the Gagnon Family as the Pioneers of the Year. Members of the family will be honored at Fall Festival on September 21 at the Bruce House Museum. The Gagnon family's deep roots in the Walla Walla Valley farming community date back to the arrival of Marcel Gagnon in 1855. He immigrated from Quebec to the United States and became a citizen at the age of 18 in 1849. Along with other retired Hudson Bay fur trappers, he settled in...
WAITSBURG - September is the American Library Association's Library Card Sign-up Month. The theme "One Card, Endless Possibilities" is a reminder that signing up for a library card can be the first step toward academic achievement and lifelong learning. Weller Public Library Director Sarah Roberts visited Waitsburg Elementary classes on Monday, September 8, to show students how library cards can give them access to books, ebooks, audiobooks, games, and other resources. Roberts also helped new...
WALLA WALLA - This year, the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days lived up to its theme "Hotter than Ever" with high temps and blazing excitement at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds from August 27 to 31. Despite the heat, crowds came to enjoy the show animals, carnival rides, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities. "The Sea Lion Splash!" and the "All-Alaskan Pig Races" were big hits. The farm center's hands-on activities for kids, were updated with the addition of a combine harvester...
WALLA WALLA COUNTY - The Waitsburg and Prescott School Districts are starting the 2025-26 school year with changes in leadership. Monty Sabin has stepped into the roles of superintendent and elementary school principal at the Waitsburg School District. Prescott's K-12 principal, Jeff Foertsch, was selected by the school board to replace Justin Bradford as superintendent. Sabin, a Washington native, brings 26 years of administrative experience to the district, last serving as superintendent for...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School Board held its regular business meeting on Wednesday, August 20, at 6 p.m. Superintendent Monty Sabin, Board Chair Christy House, and board members Charlie Barron, Julie Karl, and Abby Grende were present. After adopting the agenda, the board entered an executive session to discuss candidate interviews for the open board seat. The session ended, and the board voted unanimously to appoint Tylor Abel as School Board Director for position 3. Secondary Principal Joe...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on August 20, 2025. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, the Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, board members Pat Davidson, Grant Griffin, and Ryan Paulson were in attendance; Aneesha Dieu was not present. The board passed the consent agenda, which included the new student handbooks. There was discussion on the implementation of the new no-cellphone policy, which Principal Cox described as a “zero tolerance” policy. Cox said an assembly would be held at the start of school on Tu...
WAITSBURG - After surveying Waitsburg residents in 2022 and 2023, the Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District identified a city pool as a top priority. The district was joined by Rural Youth Enrichment Services, Waitsburg Commercial Club, City of Waitsburg, and the Walla Walla YMCA to develop the five-year plan to relocate the city pool. After the district and city agreed to locate the new pool on city property on the north side of the Touchet River, the district selected WMS Aquatics to...
DAYTON-Local winemaker Dave Harvey is running for Dayton City Council, Position 1, against the incumbent Laura Aukerman, who has served on the council since 2022. When asked to talk about the most pressing issues facing the city, Harvey responded, saying the city is facing "skyrocketing" costs for services provided by the county for law enforcement, municipal court, and emergency dispatch. The city's share is around $700,000 this year. The contract between the city and the county for those servi...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners met at 5 p.m. on August 13, 2025. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present, and Johnny Watts joined using Zoom. To accommodate all the members of the public who wanted to attend, some watched on Zoom from the port’s office. The high turnout was likely due to the sale of the railroad and right-of-way property. County Commissioner Marty Hall was the first to speak during public comment, stating that he believed the sale would be a disservice to both the co...
DAYTON – The Dayton City Council met at 6 p.m. on August 12, 2025. Mayor Roger Trump and council members James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Glenn Hagfeldt, Laura Aukerman, Kyle Anderson, Shannon McMillen, and Joann Patras were in attendance. During public comment, one resident said they were concerned about two properties they felt were fire hazards due to tall, dry, overgrown weeds. Another citizen called the city’s water bills an obscenity and asked for city assistance to find landscaping alternatives to dead grass. He said, in relationship to fi...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council met on Tuesday, August 12, at City Hall. Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Kevin House, Cindy Bishop, Mayor Marty Dunn, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were in attendance. Court Ruppenthal was absent. The council unanimously approved the Capital Facilities Plan update for 2025. Resolution 2025-794 was passed authorizing Hinchliffe to sign documents for the transfer of property from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The property at the end...
LYONS FERRY, WA - The 12th Annual Swim the Snake was held on Saturday, August 9, at Lyons Ferry Marina. The event raises funds for a regional non-profit, youth educational programs, and a summer swim team. Almost 50 participants swam and paddled the 0.7-mile course between Lyons Ferry State Park and Lyons Ferry Marina, and some made it round-trip. Hannah Holman swam three legs for 2.10 miles. The Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council organizes the event with local...
WAITSBURG — Since 2021, Columbia Walla Walla Fire District #2 has been looking for a full-time fire chief. The commissioners, volunteers, and community members have worked on a job description that would best serve the community. In February, the board hired Assistant Fire Chief Matt Spring to take over as chief. Spring is a Waitsburg resident with deep roots in the community and firefighting. “I grew up in a household watching my father work as a firefighter, then a fire chief, my entire childhood,” said Spring. Spring began volunteering in Wa...
DAYTON - On August 2, The Scotsman, a new wedding and community events center in Dayton, officially opened. Emma Schutt, Kelli Schutt, and Gerrit DeVos did the honors at Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony sponsored by the Port of Columbia in celebration of their achievement. Guests were invited to tour the remodeled space and meet local vendors, including Hotel Hardware, Tipsy Boards, and Fifth & Willow, that are available for events at the new venue. DeVos, owner of DeVos Builders, said it...
WAITSBURG - The week of July 28 was busy for many Waitsburg youth. A play in Dayton, a band concert in Walla Walla, Vacation Bible School in Waitsburg, and a basketball skills camp in the Tri-Cities. The Red Truck Tour, from the Missoula Children's Theatre, brought "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to the Liberty Theater in Dayton. Two MCT directors worked with over 40 kids, including eight from Waitsburg, to learn lines, choreography, and build stage skills. In only one week, the students...
