Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG—Emotions were high as parents and caregivers voiced opinions about the recent mask mandate at the Waitsburg School Board meeting on August 23. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that middle and high school business offices were now open, and staff would be available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. School registration was August 23-26. Ice cream socials and open house events were also held this week for middle school students to give them a chance to meet teachers, learn...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met on August 18 for a regular school board meeting. Dayton School District had its first day of the 2021-22 school year on August 24. Before the business meeting, Superintendent Guy Strot spoke on recent mask mandates, which went into effect on Monday, August 23. Strot said that, aside from health-related risks, the school district had multiple reasons to comply with the mandate. According to Strot, the school’s insurance company has stated that they will not ins...
On Monday, August 23, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and older. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full approval in the United States. The FDA ruling should help overcome vaccine-hesitancy in some unvaccinated people who have stated this as their primary concern. According to the FDA, the approved vaccine will now be marketed as Comirnaty to prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and old...
UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST-Good news in the Blues, the Green Ridge Fire has seen minimal growth over the past few days, aided by weekend rainfall and cooler weather. On Tuesday, August 24, the Green Ridge Fire had burned 39,471 acres, and was 35% contained. Officials report that fuel moisture encouraged less than 50 acres of growth on Monday. While containment did not increase, firefighters are becoming increasingly confident that additional portions of the fireline in Divisions M and K will soon...
DAYTON—A 2020“Washington Child Care Industry Assessment” sponsored by the Washington Department of Commerce characterizes Walla Walla and Columbia counties as childcare “deserts.” This means 96-percent of families in Columbia County and 18-percent of families in Walla Walla counties do not have the childcare they need. In 2020-21 three in-home providers in Columbia County closed their doors, pushing the county into a childcare crisis. The issues for parents who seek care for their children...
Help wanted signs are showing up in storefront windows across the nation, with 9.3 million job openings being reported in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists have been studying this most recent employee shortage and the effects the gaping holes in the workforce have had for businesses, workers and consumers. Locally, businesses have had to adjust to the shortages. Waitsburg Grocery has had to close an hour earlier for nearly a month, missing out on the...
UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST—Southwest wind gusts are expected to continue driving the Green Ridge Fire, feeding the flames with unburned pockets of fuel. As of Tuesday, August 17, the fire has burned 37,599 acres and is less than 20% contained. In the 48 hours leading up to Tuesday’s update, the wind tested fire lines created in Division M. However, the fire lines and previous firing operations have proven effective. The fire has been kept within the division’s footprint and the lines creat...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met Wednesday, August 11, for a regular meeting. The council continues to meet in person, with the option to join via Zoom. During the first public comment period, council members heard from Howard Novak urging them to consider hiring more than one animal control officer. Novak said he had been attacked or threatened by a dog on more than one occasion. Mayor Zac Weatherford said the city is currently working with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office to create and...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia Commissioners met Wednesday, August 11, for a regular board meeting. Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson reported a roughly $10,000 expenditure for an HVAC replacement at one of the Port’s properties. Dickinson said the Port’s property insurance went up 20% in 2020 and another 20% this year, now totaling $64,000. “That is disappointing,” Dickinson said. “I have done research into other companies, and I can’t find anything better.” Dickinson said the P...
OLYMPIA—COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are accelerating across the state of Washington, demonstrating the delta variant’s potential to unravel the state’s hard-fought progress toward recovery. Unvaccinated people have been hit hardest, and public health officials continue to urge everyone who are not fully vaccinated to do so immediately. Now is also the time to redouble efforts around the key behaviors that keep the virus from spreading. All people should: Wear a mask, watch distance, wash hands often, carry hand sanitizer, and enabl...
DAYTON—Washington state’s legislation on police reform went into effect on Sunday, July 25, and has left many police officials across the state without needed clarification. Concerns over changes to police response based on House Bill 1054 and House Bill 1310, sponsored by State Representative Jesse Johnson, were discussed at an August 2 Columbia County Commissioners meeting. The State Legislature passed the police accountability measures in response to national, state, and local calls to reform policing after the deaths of unarmed Black Americ...
DAYTON—A question on the minds of many in our community is why the Columbia County Health System (CCHS) does not require its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Back in January, CCHS employees took an internal survey to assess their receptivity to the vaccine. According to Stephanie Carpenter, COO, one-third said yes, they would. One-third said probably, but not now, and one-third said they would not get the vaccine. Last week, Carpenter said that currently, only a little over half o...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council human resources and financial committees met Monday, August 9 for a work session. Due to the nature of the meeting, no action was taken on any agenda item. The council will meet for a regular monthly meeting on August 11, at 6 p.m. Frustration was a shared feeling across the attendees, as requests for specific financial paperwork have continued to go unfulfilled. Council members said that they have been requesting clear, concise line items regarding salaries for c...
WAITSBURG—It was a balmy Waitsburg City Council workshop on August 9, but members were happy to meet for the first time at the future home of City Hall. Due to the nature of a council workshop, no action was taken on agenda items. The City of Waitsburg now owns the property at 106 Main, after approving the purchase in July. During the workshop on Monday, the council began the discussion about the need to remodel the building to make the space work for city employees and the public. Part of t...
DAYTON--Guy Strot sat down with me last week to talk about his first year as the Dayton School District Superintendent and Elementary School Principal and his thoughts about the upcoming 2021-22 school year. Just days after completing a 390-mile bike ride in California, from Crescent City to San Francisco, he said his legs were still a little sore. “It was a lot hillier than I thought. And of the 390 miles, there were 300 miles with no shoulder, ranging from a six-inch shoulder, and 100 m...
DAYTON-The smoke cleared, and the weather cooled down just in time for the annual Evening at the Depot on August 7. Raising more than $39,000, Depot Event Coordinator Shellie McLeod said that the event was the most successful fundraiser to be hosted by the Historic Dayton Depot. The event included dinner, a silent auction, and a live auction. This year, McLeod said that the items were available for online bidding before the event. "Something new this year- we included a Murder Mystery Dinner Par...
LYONS FERRY—The eighth annual SWIM the SNAKE event will be held at Lyons Ferry Marina and Lyons Ferry State Park on Saturday, August 14, 2021, beginning at 11 am. In addition to the non-competitive, open-water swim, event organizers continue to hold a two-stage, competitive (or non-competitive) relay, paddling in a kayak or paddleboard (only) from Lyons Ferry Marina to Lyons Ferry State Park, across Lake Bryan on the Snake River. After arriving at Lyons Ferry State Park, paddlers can enter t...
WAITSBURG-A perk to living in a small town like Waitsburg is being able to walk your dog in safety. However, the downside to living in a farming community is the inevitable encounters with wildlife. Recently, Waitsburg resident Laura Tolman has seen coyotes close to the Waitsburg Fairgrounds, where she brings Callie, her 80-pound Labrador/Malamute/Husky mix, to run off energy. "One stalked my dog and got within 10, 15 feet. Really close-scary close!" said Tolman. "It looked at me and wasn't a...
WAITSBURG-A small fire broke out in a standing wheat field on Middle Waitsburg Road on August 2. The fire, which consumed an estimated 20 acres of crop, was quickly contained by firefighters from Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 and Columbia County Fire District 3. The fire was initially reported at 2:51 p.m. Within 15 minutes, quick-thinking farmers Perry Dozier, Glen Smith, and Greg Smith had established a disc line around the fire. In farming communities, it is crucial for the...
WASHINGTON—Washington State is just shy of reaching a 70% population vaccination rate, but a new wave of COVID-19 has shown just how quickly the virus is spreading among non-vaccinated individuals. On Tuesday, August 3, the state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard showed that 69.9% of Washingtonians aged 12 years or older had received their full dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. However, vaccination rates vary between counties and age groups. “I’m deeply concerned about areas of the state with lower vacc...
DAYTON—COVID-19 cases have risen sharply over the last couple of weeks in Columbia County. On Tuesday, August 3, there were 27 active cases. “We have been very fortunate over the past few months,” Columbia County Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman said Friday. “But the cases have risen significantly over the past week here. I want everyone to be aware and cautious.” Lanman encouraged people to get tested if they feel sick, especially if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19. Common sy...
WAITSBURG—The Friends of the Weller Public Library met on July 28 at 7 p.m, to discuss the results of a recent community survey. Over 20 community members were in attendance. The overall goal stated by the Friends of the Weller Public Library is to create a space that is bright and vibrant and accessible to all. The community survey, which closed July 21, was available online, on social media, at the library, and sent to library patrons via email and text message. There were 111 respondents t...
WASHINGTON—Soon, we will enter autumn full of gratitude to the incredibly hard-working men and women who suppressed the numerous wildland fires of summer. The Umatilla Forest has been shut down due to fire, with some areas beginning to reopen as the conditions improve. The Blue Mountain Land Trust Blues Crew plans to go back into the forest before snowfall for trail restoration projects improving access for hikers and campers. The Blues Crew has worked throughout the area for years. It is offering a fun and rewarding opportunity for all i...
PENDLETON—With recent precipitation and reduced initial attack on new fires across the forest, Umatilla National Forest officials will reopen much of the Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 4, including all Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger District lands and part of the Walla Walla Ranger District. The Pomeroy Ranger District and northern portions of the Walla Walla Ranger District will remain closed. Due to active large wildfires, the modified closure includes the entirety of the Pomeroy Ranger District lands and the portion of Walla Walla Ranger...
Jumping into a truck and charging into a standing wheat fire, or encountering a burning building is not for the faint of heart, but for Captain Miguel Castillo, Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2, it is a way to help his community. Castillo was inspired to join the district around seven years ago after watching the devastation left behind by multiple complex fires in the Umatilla National Forest. "I reached out to some of the local guys here, applied, and got on the department," Castillo...
