Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met for a regular meeting on September 16. Secondary Principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared that students and staff are doing well, and the school year is off to a busy but happy start. She said that roughly 95% of all student Chromebook use agreements had been completed. Google Classroom is still being incorporated into daily classroom use, but students are in full-time, in-person instruction. During the first week of school, Wooderchak said, there were m...
DAYTON-The Port of Columbia Commissioners met for a regular meeting on September 8 via Zoom. The Commissioners appointed Shawn Brown as chairman, filling the position left by the late Earle Marvin. "I want to reiterate that I so much appreciate Commissioner Marvin's service to the Port, and I have his wife and family in my prayers as they move forward through this difficult time," Brown said. Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson said that she reached out to Commissioner Marvin's...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met for a hybrid meeting on September 8, 2021. Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm shared that 57 traffic tickets were written over the past month, 38 were within city limits. He said that a new deputy is currently going through his Field Training Officer (FTO) program and that he is doing well. He said that the department hopes to have the new deputy working on his own as soon as training is complete. Sheriff Helm and County Prosecutor Dale Slack are currently p...
OLYMPIA —As students and educators head back into the classroom and restart the in-person learning routine, the Department of Health (DOH) provides behavioral health tips and resources for navigating the emotional responses that children, teens, and adults may have experienced during this exciting and stressful time. The COVID-19 Back-to-Classroom THINK Toolbox is a resource to help with adjusting to the return of in-person school and learning. THINK, which stands for Teaching with Healthcare Informed Neurological Strategies for Kids, is a t...
“My fellow Washingtonians, today marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in this country on September 11, 2001. As we remember this tragedy and honor our nation’s resilience, this time is also an opportunity to strengthen our national consciousness and consider what we can keep doing to advance freedom. “Twenty years is a long time, but all of us who lived through these events remember where we were that day. I was in our nation’s capital, serving in Congress, where I saw the smoke rise from the Pen...
WALLA WALLA—The Gang Intelligence Team, a division of the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office, working with multiple regional partners, arrested two men in the early hours of the morning last Thursday. The sheriff’s office has spent the past several months collaborating with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office in Griffin, Georgia, as well as federal law enforcement agencies. Intelligence generated from traffic stops in Walla Walla County led to a joint investigation into two local members of the Pagan’s 1% Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG). Th...
At least three dogs have fallen victim to toxic algae bloom on the Columbia River, just north of the Tri-Cities. The first report was received by the Benton Franklin Health District on Monday, September 13, and by the end of the day, the health officials were looking into the death of two other dogs who were swimming near Leslie Groves and Howard Amon parks. All three dogs are suspected to have been affected by Harmful Algae Bloom, or HABS, rapid growth of algae or cyanobacteria (blue-green...
WASHINGTON, DC—On September 9, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced significant enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support our small business communities still reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels. The SBA is ready to receive new applications immediately from small businesses looking to take advantage of these recent policy changes. ...
PENDLETON, Ore.—With the Lick Creek Fire 100% contained and in patrol status, Umatilla National Forest officials will reopen most National Forest lands within the Lick Creek Fire footprint today. Additionally, access will be reopened into portions of the Tucannon River drainage. The modified closure prohibits access on the Pomeroy Ranger District to some roads and trails within the Lick Creek Fire burned area, National Forest lands surrounding the Green Ridge Fire, and lands surrounding the Elbow Creek Fire on the Walla Walla Ranger D...
DAYTON—Fireworks have been an issue for city and county officials as fire conditions continued to worsen in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. Columbia County Commissioners held a public hearing on Tuesday, September 7, to discuss an ordinance to allow the county to impose emergency bans on fireworks should local fire conditions warrant it. Currently, Columbia County and the City of Dayton cannot impose a ban on firework sales and use, even if there is immediate fire risk due to drought or s...
DAYTON— County Commissioners approved a mandate that requires masks at the Columbia County Fair this weekend at a meeting on Tuesday, September 7. The mandate, signed by Dr. Lewis Neace, Columbia County Health Officer, will provide an added level of protection for exhibitors, guests, and facilitators. “As our cases continue to go up, we are looking at the fair,” Lanman said. “We need to do something at the fair, to make it clear that we have additional cases in our communities.” Lanman sa...
DAYTON-In November 2015, Norm Passmore's dental practice closed in Dayton, and treatment options for Medicaid patients became slim. Realizing the importance of preventative dental care to whole-body health, the Columbia County Health System administrators got busy. The result is the Columbia Family Dental clinic located on the Dayton General Hospital campus at 1012 South Third Street. Since the grand opening on June 30, Audra Morgan DMD, Michael Strang DDS, Registered Dental Assistant Cherie...
DAYTON-The community of Dayton recently lost two leaders from their community. Port of Columbia Commissioner Earle Marvin, and Kim Clark, General Manager of Ski Bluewood Resort, passed away unexpectedly over the past two weeks. The Port of Columbia announced the unexpected passing of Commissioner Earle Marvin on September 1, 2021. Marvin passed away on August 30 at a hospital in Portland after undergoing emergency surgery for a broken leg. Commissioner Marvin was in his tenth year as the...
DAYTON—The Green Ridge Fire, burning just thirty miles east of Walla Walla in the Blue Mountains, tipped over 41,000 acres of burned land during the weekend. Firefighting efforts have secured 40% containment as of Tuesday, September 7. On Monday, firefighters continued to knock down flare-ups that have popped up with assistance from helicopter water drops. Firefighters continue to patrol established fire lines and conduct mop-up operations, and will continue to monitor hotspots as the fire e...
In just a few days, cows, curly fries, and farm critters will take over the Columbia County Fairgrounds for a "Blue Ribbon A-Fair." For the young horsewomen from Rocking D Riders 4-H club, the fair began early after the Columbia County Fair Horse Show was moved to an earlier weekend to solve time and space constraints. Having the show held on a weekend before the fair allowed fans and riders to distance themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic safely. Under the guidance of 4-H leader Shelli Bryan...
MALDEN-Residents, family, friends and supporters of the town of Malden in Whitman County held a day of Remembrance and Celebration on Monday honoring a year of recovery efforts to rebuild their community. Pictured here are local youth and adults retiring the flag that survived the devastating 2020 Babb Road Fire, including members of the volunteer Pathfinders from the Upper Columbia Academy who gave hundreds of hours of work helping residents. Numerous other volunteers, donors and agencies have...
COLUMBIA, WALLA WALLA COUNTY—A letter shared online by Walla Walla County Commissioner Jenny Mayberry on Monday, August 30, expressed that local health officials are concerned about a potential employee and volunteer exodus over vaccine mandates. On August 9, Governor Jay Inslee announced a mandate that required all healthcare providers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18, 2021, or be terminated from their position. The mandate includes all professional firefighters, v...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board called an emergency meeting on Monday, August 30, to discuss switching to remote learning for middle and high school students. Columbia County Public Health officials agreed with the decision to go remote for secondary students, Superintendent Guy Strot told meeting attendees. “This is a good opportunity to try and get cases back under control, instead of letting it grow to a much larger issue,” Strot said. Over the weekend, Superintendent Strot said that one v...
DAYTON—On Aug. 12, The Times reported on the vaccination rate for the Columbia County Health System employees, which stood at about 52 percent. Columbia County Health System (CCHS) CEO Shane McGuire said some of the 218 employees had reacted strongly to Governor Jay Inslee’s Aug.9 proclamation that health care workers be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. A few have resigned in response to the mandate. However, he said ongoing support is being provided to help CCHS healthcare workers with their decisi...
Get out and explore with the Blue Mountain Land Trust this fall, with one of the many upcoming, outdoor-oriented classes. Explore: Stand-Up Paddleboard, September 11 Spend the afternoon paddling up the lower Palouse River on a stand-up paddleboard or kayak with Adventure-Fit, a local outfitter. Before entering the water, Greg Jacob from Adventure-Fit will provide instruction on how to stand-up paddleboard and kayak, followed by a leisurely paddle as a group. The paddle will begin at Lyons Ferry...
WALLA WALLA—The rapid increase in COVID-19 cases primarily among unvaccinated individuals hinders timely access to a broad spectrum of healthcare in Walla Walla. This is coming in the form of long wait times, delays of some non-emergency surgeries, and a higher likelihood of patients being transported to other hospitals searching for an available staffed bed. As COVID-19 rises, Providence St. Mary Medical Center and clinics also face staffing challenges from caregivers becoming ill, struggling to secure childcare, having sick family members, o...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) warns against using Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug commonly used for humans and animals, to treat or prevent COVID-19. Ivermectin, first discovered in 1975 and commercialized in 1980, began making COVID-19 headlines last year, after Australian researchers reported that the drug could inhibit in vitro coronavirus replication in large doses. The drug has been permitted as treatment in some of the worst-hits areas of the world, including S...
WASHINGTON — As the coronavirus pandemic eases its hold in some areas of the country, most schools will be calling students back to the classroom soon after months of virtual learning. The American Red Cross wants to make sure your student is safe as they head back to school for the upcoming year. “Parents and kids are both eager to get back to normal and return to the classroom as a new school year starts,” said Alex Dieffenbach, Red Cross Northwest Region CEO. “But let’s not forget to make safety a top priority.” The American Red Cross offer...
WALLA WALLA —Walla Walla County Board of Health (WWBOH) seeks member applications for the Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB). The CHAB’s primary responsibility is to assist the WWBOH and the Department of Community Health (DCH), including the following: • Provide input to the local board of health in the recruitment of local administrator/director and local health officer • Use a health equity framework to conduct local health needs assessment and health improvement planning efforts. • Promote public participation in these efforts ...
UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST—The Green Ridge Fire, burning in the Umatilla National Forest thirty miles east of Walla Walla, had consumed more than 40,000 acres as of Tuesday, August 31, and was 39% contained. Gusty winds on Monday challenged the strength of containment lines, however, the lines held throughout the day. Fire officials said that the winds aided fire crews by directing the fire to burn pockets of fuel within the containment area. Crews continue to make progress on direct containment efforts in the southeast corner of the fire a...
