Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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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...
WAITSBURG—The Lions Club building was packed during the July Waitsburg City Council meeting, with nearly fifty residents gathered with concerns about recent property purchase, the current Weller Public Library's building and its governing entities, and inquire about a recently-surplused horse barn. Residents in attendance included mayoral candidate Kate Hockersmith, council candidates Jillian Henze, Rebecca Wilson, and Randy Charles. Park and Rec commissioner candidates Bart Baxter, Beth D...
DAYTON-A return home was the perfect start for Dayton's newest tire and service business, Van Ausdle Tire. Owned and operated by Dru and Brooke Van Ausdle, formerly of Pomeroy and Dayton, respectively, the business has had a booming opening month after their July 6 opening. Located at 36713 Highway 12 in Dayton, in the former J-Har Logging building, Van Ausdle Tire currently offers tire service and sales for cars and light trucks, commercial and ag tire services, custom wheels, and "all the...
WAITSBURG-A fireworks ban may be in Waitsburg's future as community members and leadership grow concerned about ongoing dry conditions, heightened fire danger, and overall weather changes. The potential ban was discussed at the July 21 City Council meeting. If a ban was implemented the soonest it could take effect in Waitsburg would be June 2023. Washington State laws govern the regulation of fireworks, including what days fireworks can be sold and when they may be discharged. The laws do allow...
WAITSBURG—Recently, I received a voice message from a number I was not familiar with. The message claimed there were actions filed on my social security number for fraudulent activities. The recorded message said I needed to call the provided number before they begin legal proceedings. This is not the first call or email I have received from someone identifying themselves as a financial or government agency. Before I started getting calls like this, my parents received similar messages. One incident involved my very intelligent and computer-sav...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met July 22 for a regular meeting. The school board is meeting in a hybrid fashion, via zoom and in-person. Dayton-Waitsburg athletic director Sam Korslund discussed a possible schedule-change proposal, which he presented to the Dayton School Board the week prior. The schedule that the DW Combine Committee had proposed had all indoor sports games played in Dayton, with football and baseball games played in Waitsburg. Korslund acknowledged that he had r...
Green Ridge: The Green Ridge Fire ignited during a lightning storm on July 7 and is burning roughly 30 miles east of Walla Walla. The fire continues to burn in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in steep, remote, rugged terrain, making it difficult for fire personnel to create containment lines. An indirect fire suppression strategy is being implemented, with control lines being established a considerable distance away from the fire's active edge. Pacific Northwest Team 3 took command of the Green R...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia has taken a significant leap forward in its quest to bring broadband, high-speed internet access to the local community. In Olympia last week, the Port’s Executive Director Jennie Dickinson and Robert Greene, Manager of Communications and Internet Telecommunications for Columbia Rural Electric, met with representatives of the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) to talk about how the local economy will benefit from such a project. Dic...
WAITSBURG—Fire season is here, and the Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 has the run logs to show it. Over the last month, the district has responded to ten fire calls, ten medical calls, and two combination calls, for a total of 22 responses. The district’s commissioners met on July 14, in person for the first time in over a year. Fire commissioner meetings will now be held at the Waitsburg Fire Station, on Main Street, on the third Wednesday of the month. Commissioner Anne Higgins informed...
Mike Ellsworth is a strong supporter of the Touchet Valley Trail, and with good reason. The long-time Dayton resident had just gotten back into cycling when he hit the road for an early morning ride on June 25, 2015, headed towards Waitsburg with a goal of 25 miles. Ellsworth was roughly three miles outside of Dayton, just in front of Joann Pullman’s house on Highway 12 when a vehicle struck him from behind. “What we think happened- the gentleman who hit me had worked all night at Smith Frozen Foods. He had worked all night, was on his way home...
WAITSBURG—The Friends of Weller Public Library gathered at Town Hall with nearly forty community members on July 14, to brainstorm ways to keep Weller Public Library at its current location on Main Street. President Lisa Winnett said that there was a letter written by the Board of Trustees, to the City of Waitsburg, stating that all library leadership is against moving the library. The city recently purchased the former NW Grain Growers building at the north end of Main Street, with the i...
DAYTON—Senate Bill 5044, passed by the Senate in April, was the topic of the public comment period at the July Dayton School Board meeting. The bill, which reads, “Concerning professional learning, equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in the public school system,” requires public school districts to designate one of three professional learning days to focus specifically on equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism training. The parent, who had approached the b...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council has passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Zac Weatherford to execute an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between Columbia County and the City of Dayton for temporary Planning Department services. This will be on an hourly basis, as needed, and as availability and resources allow. It is hoped personnel in the County’s Building and Planning Department will step in on a temporary basis to fill the void after the City’s Community Development and Planning Director was termi...
DAYTON—Loyal Baker, the publisher of The Chronicle, was on the agenda for public comment at the July 14 council meeting. Baker asked the council to rescind its selection of The Times for the City’s official newspaper services. He offered as evidence to his complaint copies of the City of Dayton’s 2021-22 call for bids and the submitted written proposals from The Chronicle and The Times. Baker said the call for bids spelled out bid requirements, contract periods, and submittal requests. Under reward criteria, an eligible bidder must meet RCW r...
PENDLETON, Ore —With persistent extreme hot and dry conditions, active large wildfires, limited firefighting resources and concern for public safety, forest officials have temporarily closed the entirety of the Umatilla National Forest effective July 16 The objective of the closure is to proactively protect public and firefighter safety as work continues to actively suppress large wildfires in the forest, while also responding to new smoke reports. Hot and dry conditions have challenged firefighters in suppression efforts battling the Lick Cre...
PENDLETON, Ore.-The Green Ridge Fire, burning approximately 30 miles east of Walla Walla, continues to challenge firefighters as they battle rough terrain and compete against perfect fire weather conditions. As of Tuesday, July 13, the fire had burned approximately 338 acres in the Pomeroy Ranger District, jumping more than 100 acres over a 24-hour period. Currently, there are ten hand crews fighting the fire, six engines, and three water tenders. Northwest Incident Management Team 7 took over...
TOUCHET VALLEY-It will be a busy weekend in the Touchet Valley, so clear your calendars! From golf tournaments to demo derbies, fun is bound to be had. Friday, July 16, the Waitsburg Block Party will be in full swing at 6 p.m. Bring an entree to grill, plus a side dish or dessert to share at 702 Orchard Street in Waitsburg. BBQs will be available to use, and Walla Walla Dj David Long will keep the music playing. Grab your chairs, bring your favorite yard games, and spend the evening with...
WAITSBURG-A fire on July 9 claimed a barn, an RV, and other parked vehicles at a property on Waggoner Road. Responding fire crews were able to extinguish flames that spread to a nearby wheat field, burning less than one acre. A neighbor to the property, Lisa Lee, said she was working in her yard when she heard a boom, turned around, and saw a black smoke plume. She immediately ran inside, called 9-1-1, and reported the fire. At the time, she was unaware that it was a structure fire. "After I...
Over the weekend, a concerned citizen asked The Times for help locating owners of a distressed hog at the fairgrounds. The resident was out walking their dog in the early morning, could not readily see the emergency numbers at the barns. After reaching out to various people, the responsible parties for that animal were located and took appropriate action that morning. There are two hog barns located at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds. The Waitsburg FFA uses the yellow barn at the northwest corner of t...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council met on July 1 for a council workshop. The meeting was open to the public and attended by ten members of the community. There was no public comment period during the meeting. Per the public notice dated June 29, any questions or comments could be passed on to the City Council via City Hall, located at 147 Main St., P.O. Box 35, Waitsburg, WA 99361, or (509) 337-6371. The first item on the agenda regarded City Hall. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe...
