Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 526 - 550 of 5642
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board convened their regular meeting, both in-person and over Zoom, at 6 PM, February 16, 2022. Present were Superintendent Guy Strot, Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Vice-Chair Grant Griffen, Zac Fabian, Korinda Wallace, and Aneesha Dieu. The meeting was well attended by the public, both in-person and online. The Consent Agenda, consisting of past minutes and several personnel changes, mainly in the coaching staff, was approved unanimously by voice vote. Before the first public comment portion of the meeting, McCowen gave an...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, February 17, for a regular monthly meeting. Board members Christy House, Stephanie Cole, Lisa Morrow, Carol Clarke, and Sarah Boudrieau were all present. Secondary Principal Stephanie Wooderchak had a short report this month, sharing that the ski days had beautiful weather so far, and the kids were enjoying their time at Ski Bluewood. Wooderchak said the Social Studies curriculum committee had been meeting to determine if there is a need for a...
WAITSBURG-Wine enthusiasts, art lovers, and musicians have all enjoyed the opening of the Royal Block, in Waitsburg last year. Preparing for the third book reading in less than a month signals the interest in the new venue from local authors and readers alike. The Times columnist Brad Trumbo debuted his book, Wingshooting the Palouse, earlier this month at the Royal Block with a book signing event. The evening was well-attended by readers, upland game hunters, friends, and curious folks drawn...
DAYTON—Columbia Pulp, LLC, announced in a press release on February 12 that it would idle operations, effective February 18. The decision will affect approximately 80 employees over the next several weeks. The reduction in workforce will affect employees at the company’s headquarters in Dayton and the production plant at Lyons Ferry “We made this very difficult decision while continuing to evaluate our strategic options,” said Terry Ryan, Columbia Pulp’s Interim CEO. “We are acutely aware that...
DAYTON- The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regularly scheduled meeting at 5:02 p.m., February 9, 2022. For the opening public comment period, Jorie Aukerman, a resident of Dayton for four years and Executive Assistant at Columbia County Health Systems, spoke on the need for a childcare center in Dayton. She is the mother of an eleven-week-old child and said she is very interested in hearing the Port's presentation about the childcare center. Aukerman said she hopes to remain in her...
DAYTON-At a Monday morning meeting on February 14, The Club President, Jim Pearson, presented to the Columbia County Commissioners on The Club, following its request for $5,000 from the Juvenile Justice Fund. The Club provides affordable afterschool and school break programs for more than 100 area youth. At its peak before COVID-19 restrictions, The Club had more than 200 members enrolled. Pearson told the commissioners that the past couple of years had been challenging for The Club, facing chal...
DAYTON—The City Council meeting went into session at 6:07 p.m., February 9, 2022. Mayor Zac Weatherford, Council members Teeny McMunn, Dain Nysoe, Laura Aukerman, Misty Yost, and Tiger Dieu were in attendance. The Columbia County Emergency Management Director Ashley Strickland reported that contracted maintenance on the communications systems should be complete by the next City Council meeting. The Consent Agenda was approved with Laura Aukerman abstaining because she said she did not receive a copy of the claim vouchers to review. Mayor Zac W...
Makaiwi Wachter is serving the Waitsburg, Dayton, Walla Walla, and Prescott area WAITSBURG-If that honey-do list just keeps getting longer, it may be time to change over to a handyman-do list. Coppei Creek Handyman Services is ready to lend a hand, whether your deck needs refinishing or the unruly TV cables are driving you crazy. Originally from the Vancouver, Washington area, Makaiwi Wachter pursued a career in hospitality, working in the food and wine industry. That field landed him in Dayton,...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg Community Health and Protection Committee met for its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 15. The six committee members, Jillian Henze, Bill Rodgers, Lanny Adams, Cameron Hedges, Jim Romine, and Terry Lawhead, tuned in to the Zoom meeting. Chairperson Jillian Henze started the meeting with a brief update on the COVID-19 situation in Walla Walla County, sharing that positivity rates seem to be going down in the area. As of Monday, February 14, there were 886 Walla...
This week the telephone lines at The Times offices were hacked. When dialing the old number, callers are connected to suspicious calling centers NOT affiliated with The Times. Please DO NOT call the old number (509) 337-6631 or give out personal information to these scam artists. Our new number is (509) 337-3042. Please, update your contact information. When called, we always answer the phone with a friendly “Hello, Waitsburg Times!” Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you aga...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board convened a regular work session at 6 p.m. on February 2, 2022. Although both in-person and Zoom participation by the public was available, the meeting was sparsely attended by the public. There were two topics on the agenda this evening for discussion. The first topic for discussion was the sexual health curriculum. This topic consists of sex education for grades five through twelve and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for kindergarten through third grade. Senate Bill 5395, passed by the Legislature and W...
WAITSBURG-Mature exercisers (those 60 years and older) will have fun improving strength and balance at EnhanceFitness classes offered at Waitsburg Town Hall. The one-hour classes are led by EnhanceFitness instructor Melissa Lambert, MS( Masters of Science in Kinesiology) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. There is no cost to attend the evidence-based group exercise and fall prevention program. The program empowers adults at all fitness levels to sustain independent...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Commissioners met Monday, February 7, for a regular meeting. Equipment use and acquisition, and real estate acquisition were a few of the topics covered. The commissioners were presented with a real estate acquisition firm recommendation, signed by the County Engineer and the acting Public Works Director, for needs related to three projects; Bowman Grade, Barnes Smith Bridge, and Starbuck Bridge projects; for the necessary right of way acquisition. Hiring a real e...
DAYTON-Hail, fire, and drought are all words that make farmers shudder. Thankfully, farmers in the Touchet Valley can have a little more peace of mind, thanks to Obenland and Low. Pomeroy residents Tara and Adam Hodges are the owners of Obenland and Low Agency, offering small and large farm insurance, equine insurance, and home and auto insurance. The original company was founded in 1921 by C.E Obenland and became Obenland and Low in 1981. The couple purchased the agency in 2013 and has...
DAYTON-Old phones, computers, and tablets are getting a second chance, thanks to an unofficial project created and run by Dayton's Gordon Gerlitz. Gerlitz, who recently came out of retirement after owning and operating a computer business for nearly twenty years, has been collecting phones and other pieces of technology that were sitting around, unused. He spends a few hours of his day wiping hard drives and removing any trace of the previous owners. Next, he installs software updates as needed....
WALLA WALLA-Blue Mountain Humane Society announces today the appointment of Amanda Wernert as Chief Executive Officer. "I'm very honored to be joining the Blue Mountain Humane Society and working with BMHS' incredible staff and volunteers to further the organization's mission of bringing pets and people together," said Amanda Wernert. "We are excited about having Amanda lead us into the future of Blue Mountain Humane Society. She brings to the position a wealth of experience at impressive...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg Business Commercial Club met Thursday, January 27, for a regular meeting. Led by former president Joy Smith, the meeting focused on financials, bylaws, and moving forward. Smith provided a brief banking update for the club. The club is currently waiting for the final decision for at least one grant, and a small donation to the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Foundation was outgoing, as was voted on at the last meeting. Smith said that nearly $2,500 in dues had been col...
DAYTON - The Dayton School Board held a special meeting at 6 p.m., January 26, 2022, to complete business from last week’s regular meeting. Due to increased community COVID-19 cases, the regular meeting had been limited to consideration of bills and vouchers requiring council approval. As a part of board organization, the first order of business was to appoint board members to sundry additional duties. The board elected Aneesha Dieu to the Legislative Representative position without opposition. The Board Chair made the following appointments f...
'If you see a need, plant a seed' has become the driving force behind Dayton's Bulldog Brigade. Organizer Peggy Eakin was the speaker at the January 27 Dayton Kiwanis Club, and she is on a mission to gather volunteers for just about everything in Dayton. Eakin started her presentation emphasizing community support, expressing her excitement to speak to club members who had once made it possible for her granddaughter to visit Washington D.C, take her first flight, and see the world outside of...
WAITSBURG—As the number of COVID-19 cases associated with local schools dropped this week, the Dayton and Waitsburg School District superintendents made the calls to bring back in-person learning starting February 1. The Dayton School District announced the switch to remote learning for all secondary students on January 25 after the rapid rise of student cases in grades 6-12, paired with many of the staff and teachers out sick, forced the decision. The district continues to monitor COVID-19 cases in the school and community. As of Monday, J...
DAYTON—As of February 1, 2022, the new behavioral health crisis line for Columbia County is (509) 876-0626, as Comprehensive Healthcare begins providing behavioral health crisis services to Columbia County. “Comprehensive Healthcare has been delivering services for 50 years, and in that time, we have been able to build a strong network of providers and community partnerships,” said Jodi Daly, Ph.D., President and CEO. “By expanding that dynamic, high-quality care to Columbia County, we are able to support individuals experiencing a behavio...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, January 20, at 6 p.m. The meeting was held in person and via Zoom. At the beginning of the meeting, school board members received gift bags, flowers, and treats from various classes and organizations within the district. The Waitsburg High School, Honor Society members, served up fresh-baked cookies and punch, and each board member was given a hand-drawn card from Waitsburg's fourth-graders. "We just want to recognize the hard work these are...
COLUMBIA COUNTY—The Columbia County Commissioners met for a regular workshop meeting on Tuesday, January 25. The commissioners started the meeting with a ten-minute executive session, during which direction was taken, but no action was taken. Public Works Director Charles Eaton took the floor, speaking about appointing an acting director, effective February 1, following his resignation. After discussing the position with Eaton, the commissioners appointed Amber Phinney as the acting director. Phinney, who is currently the department’s business...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met Wednesday, January 19, for a regular meeting. Waitsburg resident Terry Jacoy spoke during public comment, asking the council to reconsider the $10 utility tax implemented last year to help fund flood repair projects. Mayor Marty Dunn started the meeting with Resolution 2022-743, a note of appreciation to Dr. Roger Hevel, who was not able to attend. The mayor spoke of the many contributions Dr. Hevel and his late wife Laura Jean have made to the community. The two have donated to the Weller Public L...
On February 11, Waitsburg City Council will consider bids for two properties, including 147 Main Street, which until recently housed City Hall. The building is one of two properties the City has decided to surplus. The bidding process is described in the legal notice by the city. The council will consider the bid amount and the proposed use for the property. Most of the wooden structures on Main Street were destroyed in a fire in September 1880. Using locally sourced brick, new buildings...
