Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG-Long-time Waitsburg resident Ann Adams has been running for more than a decade, but it wasn't until earlier this month that she hit one of the ultimate running milestones: She finished her first marathon, running more than 26 miles in just over four hours, at the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in Port Angeles, Wash. The North Olympic Discovery Marathon follows the Olympic Discovery Trail, which stretches roughly 100 miles from Port Angeles to Port Townsend. The course zigged and...
DAYTON-The Dayton Eagles building caught fire around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, and was quickly, fully involved. The fire appeared to be contained just before 5:30 p.m, as firefighters from College Place entered the building to check for 'hot spots, according to a social media post by Columbia County Port Director, Jennie Dickinson. Columbia County Fire District 3 was joined by crews from Waitsburg, Dixie, Walla Walla County District 4, Walla Walla ladder trucks, and Walla Walla strike...
WASHINGTON-Crop insurance is a complex topic, but it may come in handy for area farmers as they ride out the fifth driest year since data recording began in 1894. Rainfall is down 2.94 inches from an average year, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), resulting in lower yields for many dryland producers. According to data from the NIDIS, which can be accessed at www.drought.gov, April 2021 has been the second driest month since the system began recording data...
DAYTON—A shooting victim is in critical condition after an incident at Shangri La RV Park, in Dayton. Justin G. Karl, 40, of Dayton, sustained gunshot wounds to the stomach and chest and remains in critical condition. The shooting happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 6. Joshua B. Wilson, 25, was arrested later that morning. Wilson, who is the son of the RV park’s owner, claims he was shooting at what he thought was a wild animal in the bushes. After learning that it was a hum...
PRESCOTT—A tenacious store clerk in Prescott endured an early-morning attack on June 5, the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office reported. Ahmed A. Mohamed, 41, was arrested at his apartment later that morning. Deputies were dispatched at 7:59 a.m. after receiving a report of an assault that had just occurred at a convenience store, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. The release stated that during the investigation, deputies learned that the suspect entered the store, armed with a...
The Department of Ecology (DOE) issued a drought advisory for most of Washington State, including Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, on May 27 following several extremely dry months. This year, March through April was the fourth driest period for the state since 1865. Ranchers, farmers, and agriculture professionals from the affected regions have expressed growing concerns. Early crop observations show crop stress and have set an expectation for reduced yields, with wheat and hay crops being...
DAYTON-A visit that turns into a new home doesn't happen to everyone, but that's exactly how Belinda Larsen ended up calling Dayton home. As the new Dayton Chamber of Commerce Director, Larsen is driven by community and economic development, and keeping Dayton as welcoming for all guests as it has been for her. "When I told people I was moving to Dayton, they were all like 'Oh, what a neat place! Dayton is such a fun town,'" Larsen said. "Not one person questioned the move." Larsen, formerly of...
Sherwood Trust is presenting free community workshops on equity and empathy. The second in the four-part series is June 16 and will highlight rural leadership. “We welcome community members to share in a live community learning experience that we hope will inspire and motivate actions to build equity and empathy into your daily routine,” said Sherwood Trust Program Director Julia Leavitt. The free virtual event will take place Wednesday, June 16, from 9-10:30 am PST. To register, visit sherwoodtrust.org. Participants will hear from local and na...
DAYTON—The Economic Development and Steering Committee met for a regular meeting at noon on Tuesday, June 1. Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson reported the Port was being awarded another grant from the Innovia Foundation. Prior funding from the foundation provided startup grants for businesses in Dayton that did not qualify for COVID-19 funding, including the Main Street Marketplace and Table Rock Meat Company. Applications for new startup funds will be available for pickup so...
WAITSBURG-It's been a later-than-usual growing season for many area gardeners, but it didn't hinder the vendors at the local farmers market last weekend. The first Waitsburg Farmer's Market weekend was a successful one, according to co-manager Doug Biolo. Attending vendors reported great sales, fun visitors, and an overall great time. "Saturday went so well," Biolo said. "The morning was really nice. A lot of people came by to say 'hi.' Dusty Britches Farms was the only vendor on Sunday, and I...
WAITSBURG—The Friends of the Weller Library are hosting a meeting on Wednesday, June 9th, 2021, at the Weller Public Library, 212 Main, Waitsburg. Those interested in learning about the group and interested in supporting the library are encouraged to attend the meeting which begins at 7 p.m....
WAITSBURG-The Clinton Kitchen made its grand debut on Friday, May 21, at the Waitsburg Town Hall, during one of the first public events in over a year. The open house event drew consistent crowds over its two-hour span, as community members popped in to check out the highly anticipated commercial kitchen remodel. What was once a poorly lit, hard-to-use space has been transformed into a high-quality, highly functional space available to the community. Kitchen updates included new, custom...
WAITSBURG—The May 19 City Council meeting was scheduled to include a public hearing concerning the possible sale of 212 Main St, which houses the Weller Public Library. A much larger than usual crowd attended the Waitsburg City Council meeting. Over 40 people were there specifically to attend the public hearing. Many people were concerned that the proposal was about closing the library altogether. Comments supported the library, and many wanted to keep the library in the historic building on Main Street. Mayor Marty Dunn opened the regular coun...
DAYTON—Columbia County Health System officials announced on Thursday, May 20, that two residents at the Booker Rest Home had tested positive for COVID-19. One resident was vaccinated against the virus and was asymptomatic. The other resident was not vaccinated and was stable at the time of the release. “Between March 2020 and March 2021, all visitation at Booker Rest Home was suspended to protect residents from COVID-19. The sacrifices made by our residents, staff, their friends, and families during the year of lockdown, were without que...
WALLA WALLA COUNTY—The Walla Walla County Elections Filing Week closed May 21. Candidates filing for positions within the City of Waitsburg filed through the County for the first time, after council members voted to move away from a city-ran election system in 2020. The vote to move away from the city-ran election sets the city up to have all future elections run by the State of Washington, in accordance with RCW 35.30.080. After this year, city elections will be run like all other cities in the state. Unlike city-ran elections in the past, c...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met on May 20 for a regularly scheduled meeting. The board now meets in person at the elementary library but will continue to offer Zoom access. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared that the 2021-22 ASB Student Officers had been elected. The new officers are President Brayden Mohney, Vice-President Monte Pettichord, Secretary Chloe Gleason, and Treasurer Makenna Barron. Letters have been sent home to parents regarding multiple year-end a...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg Elementary Friday announced that the school would be closed to in-person instruction, effective June 1. All students in grade pre-k through fifth-Grade will participate in remote instruction until the end of the school year. The last day of school is June 15. The closure came after a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in the district’s elementary population, resulting in multiple exposures and close contacts. On May 25, the school was informed that the entire second-grade class must be quarantined, along with their fam...
WAITSBURG-The Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 met Wednesday, May 12, for a regularly scheduled meeting. Fire commissioners discussed the upcoming elections in each county and a new vehicle that Commissioner Jake Long was able to secure. District Clerk Anne Higgins provided a financial report following the approval of minutes. She noted that the report was missing several Columbia County expenditures because the county had not yet processed them. Commissioner Deb Fortner reported that...
DAYTON-Chair of the Board of Commissioners, Earle Marvin, opened the May 12 meeting with public comment. Betty Longren spoke, urging the commissioners to respect all community members and get behind local businesses. She wanted the Port to listen to businesses and those in the community who are against the trail project. Dayton Chronicle reporter, Melissa Gemmell, asked if the commissioners had any comments they would like to make to those protesting the trail. Commissioner Sean Milligan...
DAYTON-More than a dozen Touchet Valley residents hit the streets of Dayton with "YES Touchet Valley Trail" signs on Wednesday, May 12, to show their support for the project and the Port of Columbia. "The mission is a positive opportunity for the community and expanding the valley for everybody," said Joanne Goldsmith of Dayton. Goldsmith was one of the organizers of the event. One Dayton resident and avid cyclist, Genie Crowe, said she has two friends who have been struck by vehicles while...
DAYTON—The Board of Columbia County Commissioners met Monday, May 17, via Zoom. The commissioners were joined by WSU Extension Whitman County Director Janet Schmidt to discuss a long-standing memorandum of understanding. Commissioner Chuck Amerein said that the County Commissioners have concerns with the push towards a regionalized extension agent, explaining that the agreement between the county and the university, initially signed in 1986, was not designed for a regionalized agent. “The con...
If you are feeling a bit uneasy about our intense sunshine and high temperatures, you are not alone. Plant communities are struggling as well. And while we can water lawns, gardens and orchards with hoses and sprinklers, dry land soft white wheat growers in our region rely on rain. With less than normal rainfall, the local soil is dry from low levels of precipitation last year and this past winter. The roots of wheat on the surrounding hills are getting stressed That stress goes straight up...
DAYTON—New and enhanced lifts, a snowmaking system at the base, and a more robust power generation system are among improvements happening at Bluewood in a $4.5 million development and expansion plan slated for the next three years. “This is the most exciting set of upgrades at Bluewood since we opened more than 40 years ago,” says Kim Clark, Bluewood’s General Manager. “The development plan, which is already underway, will keep our familiar hometown vibe on the mountain while providing even more features and fun for everyone. For months no...
WAITSBURG—Librarian Rosie Warehime has waited a long time to welcome patrons back into the Weller Public Library. She has waited over a year since being closed down by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Warehime was excited to share that the little library is open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, with a max capacity of five visitors at a time, with a time limit of 15 minutes. The online library is still available as long as you have an internet connection, and Warehime said s...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Commissioners met Monday, May 10, to discuss the WSU Columbia County Extension Agent position and the use of cameras in a county office. The Commissioners heard from Dave McKinley and Jim Moyer, who are exploring options to fill the local extension agent position. The former extension agent, Paul Carter, retired in January after more than 15 years on the job. McKinley, a local farmer, said that Columbia County has had an extension agent available for 100 years. He i...
