Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Disaster can strike at any moment. Pastor Cameron Hedges shared this reference guide from www.ready.gov to help you be prepared in the event of an emergency. After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for days or even a week. Being prepared means having food, water, and other supplies to last for five days to two weeks. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Download a printable...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) received more than 7,500 public requests to speak at the January 12 meeting. Many comments were in reaction to misinformation that spread like wildfire on social media platforms leading up to the meeting. Executive Director Michelle Davis made Board announcements. She reminded board members that many comments are objections to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). In October 2021, the SBOH convened a...
DAYTON- The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their monthly meeting Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The meeting was held virtually on Zoom. Two commissioners, Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts logged onto Zoom from the Port conference room. The third commissioner, Genie Crowe, attended remotely. The Zoom meeting was attended by over 40 community members. Executive Director Jenny Dickinson said she had sworn in new commissioners, Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts, before the meeting. Dickinson explained that rules mandate a board secretary be appointed....
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council convened its monthly meeting at 6 PM on January 12, 2022. Four new city council members, Laura Aukerman, Teeny McMunn, Marchand Hovrud, and Tyler Dieu, were sworn in at the January 12 meeting. Misty Yost and Dain Nysoe remain in their seats through 2023, and position six is vacant. Mayor Zac Weatherford announced the passing of City Council Member Byron Kaczmarski, leaving position six vacant. He also reported that Hovrud plans to serve on the council until her move from the area. The council elected Dain Nysoe to...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg Community Health and Protection Committee met Tuesday, January 18, with discussions centering around flood preparedness and response. Chairman Jillian Henze gave a brief report on the current COVID-19 situation in the area. As of Monday, January 17, there were 1,216 active cases in Walla Walla. Of those cases, 1,208 were in-home isolation, while eight were hospitalized. As of Tuesday, St. Mary Medical Center had only one ICU bed open and had implemented visitor r...
WAITSBURG-As area residents start to monitor the river every morning on the way to work, Pastor Cameron Hedges has been busy preparing for his first flood season in Washington. Hedges has been going through various FEMA training. He is learning how to prepare for and navigate a natural disaster, document volunteer efforts, and communicate with other response divisions. The pastor of the Waitsburg Christian Church, Hedges, said that there was no hesitation to say "yes" when the City of Waitsburg...
DAYTON-In 2019, Touchet Valley Golf and Recreation (TVGR), formerly known as the Dayton Country Club, created an aggressive five-year strategic plan for the golf course. The plan includes partnering with multiple organizations to fund and construct an underground irrigation system and potentially expand the existing golf course. The Underground Sprinkler System Installation project consists of planning and fundraising, irrigation reservoir construction, and underground sprinkler system...
WALLA WALLA, COLUMBIA COUNTIES—According to COVID-19 data collected by the New York Times, at least one in six Walla Walla County residents has been infected with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The New York Times COVID tracking uses data from state, local and regional health agencies, and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. On Monday, January 10, Walla Walla County reported 253 new cases over the weekend, marking a total of 790 active cases in the area. The county experienced an 85% increase in daily cases c...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board held its work session meeting at 6 PM on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. The work session meeting was held in person and on Zoom. All the directors were in attendance, opted to meet in person except for Grant Griffin, who chose the remote option. In November, the superintendent administered the Oath of Office to Aneesha Dieu, Jeffrey McCowen, Grant Griffen, and Korinda Wallace. The newly elected directors swore to support the Constitution of the United States and the State of Washington and faithfully discharge the d...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council will move meetings from the Lions Club building hosting an Open House before the regular meeting on January 19 at the new City Hall. Join the council at 106 Main at 6:30 p.m. to check out the new space and stay for the 7 p.m. regular meeting. City of Waitsburg staff moved to the new space in November 2021, after purchasing the space earlier that year. The new City Hall has dedicated office space, ample storage, and a small, attached shop where small machinery will be stored. Light refreshments will be a...
WAITSBURG-It's been a chilly past couple of weeks, with temperatures dipping into the negatives and the National Weather Service reporting as much as 18 inches of snowfall at the end of December. As a result, the streets of Waitsburg became packed with snow, which eventually turned into ice, making it difficult to leave the driveway and navigate the roads. According to Waitsburg City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe, the city does not provide snow removal services for several reasons. One is the...
WAITSBURG—After almost two years of inactivity, the Waitsburg Commercial Club (WBCC) is taking steps to return to business, acting as the city’s Chamber of Commerce and encouraging economic development. The club held two meetings in December. In March 2020, just before COVID-19 changed the way the world does business, Commercial Club members gathered and held an election for officers and board members. Club members present at the meeting elected new officers for president and vice president, secretary, and second vice president. Two new mem...
OLYMPIA—Washington state is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, and experts predict increased transmission in the coming weeks. While it is still too early to tell how much of the increase is due to Omicron, epidemiologists with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) agree it is most likely the dominant strain. While the state waits for complete data from county health departments, the highest single-day of new cases was reported on December 24, with 6,140 new COVID-19 cases. Despite the increase in testing for the holidays, offici...
DAYTON—Support for the Port of Columbia’s broadband infrastructure project is crucial to prividng high speed, reliable, up to date internet to the residents of Dayton and Columbia County. Anne Walsh, speaking on behalf of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, spoke at a December 14 meeting, encouraging the commissioners to support the project, which is being overseen by the Port of Columbia. The total cost of the project totals $2.5 million, and could provide reliable, high speed internet to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in Dayton. The Port ha...
DAYTON—New policing laws and how they affect local law enforcement was the topic at a town hall presentation by Columbia County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday and Wednesday nights last week. The discussion offered an in-person and an online option for all attendees., and the same information was shared both nights. Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm and County Prosecutor Dale Slack led the discussion both nights to explain the recent legislation HB 1310 and HB 1054. The bills were passed to cre...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met on December 15 for the year’s final meeting. This was the last meeting for outgoing council members Karl Newell and Karen Gregutt. Roughly 15 community members attended the meeting. During public comment, library board member Marie Gagnon provided an update on the Weller Public Library improvements. She shared that a ceiling project was nearly done, and a wiring project that was started last month was nearly halfway complete. All wiring work is being don...
The Dayton City Council convened its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on December 15, 2021. All members of the city council were present except for Byron Kaczmarski. The city council discussed Resolution 1484, which would allow the mayor to execute an interlocal agreement with Columbia County for shoreline planning and master plan updates. Councilmember Mike Paris moved to approve, and Misty Yost seconded. Council passed the resolution unanimously. Next, the Council considered approving a new contract with the union representing the city’s public w...
DAYTON-Touchet Valley Ladies Golf joined efforts to fund the irrigation project at the Touchet Valley Golf course. On December 15, Cherie Hinchliff from Touchet Valley Ladies Golf presented a $2,000.00 check to Sean Thurston, Touchet Valley Golf and Recreation treasurer. This donation was given to help fund the new irrigation project at the Dayton golf course, which will benefit golfers of all ages. The club hosts Junior Golf each year, offering young golfers in our community a free week of...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board held its final regular meeting of the year on December 15, 2021. Board member Stephanie Cole was unable to attend. The meeting started with the newest board member, Dr. Carol Clarke, being sworn in by Superintendent Mark Pickel. Clarke will hold the seat formerly filled by Pam Chapman through the remainder of the school year. Secondary Principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that two Waitsburg High School students, Megan Forney and Brayden Mohney, were...
The Dayton School Board held its monthly meeting using Zoom at 6 p.m., December 15, 2021. All board members were present for the Zoom meeting, David Bailey (Chair), Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Jeffrey McCowen, and Fred White. Fred White made a motion to approve the consent agenda, comprised of the minutes for the November 17 and December 1, 2021, meetings, and recommendations to hire Jerry Dedloff Jr. as a custodian and Angie Whaley as the youth & government advisor. Also included in the consent agenda was approval for a stipend for the...
WAITSBURG—A worldwide pandemic, heavy flooding, staff shortages, supply chain issues, and a shortage of funds made for a difficult past two years for the City of Waitsburg. Mayor Marty Dunn and City administrator Randy Hinchliffe sat down with The Times to reflect on the last two years and plans for the next. This year began with public meetings restricted to Zoom or other virtual matters, something that Mayor Marty Dunn said was a learning experience. He said the city council handled everything well and adjusted to the situation as it c...
WAITSBURG-Kindness is alive in Waitsburg. It seems like a prerequisite to becoming part of the community. It comes in all shapes and sizes, in acts big and small. From receiving an unexpected smile on a bad day or heading up an event, kindness is everywhere. The year started strong, with more than 2,000 pounds of food distributed to Waitsburg and surrounding community members. The Waitsburg Christian Church, then led by Pastor Matthew Wyatt, helped organize the day-long event, partnering with...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia commissioners held their last regularly scheduled meeting of the year at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 08, 2021, via Zoom. Commissioner Shawn Brown called the meeting to order. There was no public comment. The Board approved the minutes of the last meeting and addressed the monthly budget report. The Port Director, Jennie Dickinson, announced the Port received $55,000 in tax revenue from the County. The Port received from the County a bill for the primary election for $7820, which is about twice the past election c...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, December 2 for a special meeting. Immediately after adopting the agenda, the board broke for a 15 minute recess. The board recognized long-time member and chair, Ross Hamann, who announced earlier this year that he would not be running for re-election. Hamann served on the board for nearly 20 years. Superintendent Mark Pickel presented Hamann with a plaque that featured the Cardinal logo that Hamann drew years ago. The Cardinal has since become...
DAYTON – The Dayton School District Directors held a meeting, using Zoom, on December 1, 2021, at 6 p.m.. All members of the board were present. As the newly appointed board member, Zac Fabian participated in the board for the first time. Mr. Fabian joined the superintendent, Guy Strot, to take the oath of office. The superintendent postponed discussing the strategic plan until the January meeting when the newly elected board members would join the board. Strot walked the board through a presentation of charts and graphs showing the survey resu...
