Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 738 - 762 of 5688
DAYTON-A special City Council meeting took place on Wednesday, June 30, to discuss future staffing at Dayton City Hall. The meeting was scheduled in the aftermath of the termination of the City Administrator, the Planning and Community Development Director, and the Public Works Director, by Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford, on June 16. Mayor Weatherford said the City Council would not take public comments or answer questions at this meeting or discuss anything that was not on the agenda. A public...
OLYMPIA—Govenor Jay Inslee issued an extension of the utility moratorium proclamation last week, which will now expire on September 30, 2021. This will be the final extension of the proclamation and the extension will align with the end date of the tenancy preservation bridge (21-09) to give Washingtonians struggling with housing payments time to prepare and seek assistance before both proclamations expire. “Utilities and housing are inextricably linked,” Inslee said. “Our priority is to keep Washingtonians safe and housed, and give them a...
WAITSBURG — Many state, county, and city officials ask the public to celebrate the Fourth of July without home fireworks this year. The Pacific Northwest is experiencing extreme heat conditions causing serious concerns over health and fire safety going into the Fourth of July celebrations. Even though the risk of fire increases significantly during extreme heat conditions, under Washington state law, local jurisdictions cannot impose temporary bans on fireworks. The times to purchase and use fireworks in the state are regulated under RCW 7...
DAYTON-It has been two weeks since Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford terminated the employment of the City Administrator, Trina Cole, the Planning and Community Development Director, Meagan Hayes, and the Public Works Director, Jim Costello. The mayor has been on a family vacation and attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful. However, the Times was provided with the following written statement from Weatherford to the Dayton City Council, dated June 16: "Although their work and dedication to our...
WAITSBURG — The Weller Library Board of Trustees met on June 23 at the Weller Library in Waitsburg. The three current board members, Jim Leid, Becky Huwe, and Elenora Montgomery, were in attendance. Librarian Rosie Warehime, Lane Gwinn, and Terry Lawhead were also at the meeting. The city’s proposal to surplus the current building and move the library to a new location was discussed by the board. There was confusion over Mayor Dunn’s explanation for removing the item from the city council’s agenda in June. Montgomery said the board has the pow...
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today ahead of Washington’s upcoming June 30 reopening for individuals and businesses preparing to return to normal capacity and operations. “Washington has come a long way since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country was found in our state January 2020, and that is in no small part due to Washingtonians’ dedication and resilience in protecting themselves and their communities throughout the pandemic. “Because folks listened to the science and stayed home to stay healthy, wore mask...
WALLA WALLA — At a June 29, 2021, special meeting, the Walla Walla City Council did not express objection to the proposal of city officials to postpone the city’s July 4 fireworks display because of the current extreme heat and dry conditions. As such, the city is officially announcing the display will be postponed until an as-yet-unknown later date. At the special meeting, the Council voted to approve an ordinance that authorizes the city manager to prohibit the discharge of any or all fireworks within city limits. Pursuant to RCW 70....
OLYMPIA – The Secretary of Health’s mask order will remain in place even after June 30, which means that people who are not fully vaccinated need to continue to wear a face mask in public indoor settings even when things start to go back to normal as the state reaches a reopening milestone. All people, regardless of vaccination status, are still required to wear masks in certain places, such as schools and health care settings. In most other settings, people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask. Businesses and local aut...
WAITSBURG-A new athletic Code of Conduct, designed to fit the student-athletes of the Dayton Waitsburg Athletic Combine, was the center of discussion at the Waitsburg School Board meeting on June 17. Athletic Director Sam Korslund said the boys basketball team would finish the season in at least 4th place. The team was honored with a police send-off out of Dayton. The girls' season was unfortunately cut short by COVID-19. An awards banquet is planned for the end of the season, with the date and...
WAITSBURG—The potential surplus of 212 Main Street, which houses the Weller Public Library, was tabled for an unspecified amount of time during a regular City Council meeting on June 16. Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn removed the action item regarding the surplus, stating that the council needed legal clarification regarding the library’s infrastructure. “We (the city) know that we own the building, but we do not know any of the infrastructure or what is going on in the library,” Dunn said. “There...
Throughout its history, the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) has been involved in honoring and recognizing outstanding individuals in other professions who have made extraordinary contributions to K–12 education. WASA annually presents awards to recognize people and groups who have impacted education in the State of Washington. The individuals below were recently honored at Rebecca's Lodge, Starbuck, WA., in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Starbuck S...
WALLA WALLA— Two funds made available by Congresses’ CARES Act can help decrease the housing cost burden for low-income renters and homeowners. “Congress provided $5 billion in the CARES Act for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) made available to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus (CDBG-CV funds) program to states, metropolitan cities, urban counties, and insular areas,” according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Available assistance through Walla Walla County and the City of Walla W...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) is looking forward to meeting prospective students, parents, and other community members at an Open House to be held on the Walla Walla campus from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 24. “We are excited to be back on campus and are ready to serve students in person,” said Melissa Rodriguez, Director of Outreach. “Now is a great time to start – or complete – an educational program, particularly because most of our students can qualify for financial assistance to get started. We are here an...
DAYTON-Rev your engines and head to Dayton this weekend, as All Wheels Weekend kicks off Friday, June 18, with the "Cruise for Gene" night cruise and Friday Night Music on the Court House lawn. According to Chamber Director Belinda Larsen, the event will motor on as usual, with the only exception being the partial sidewalk closure in front of the Eagles Lodge. The lodge sustained significant damage during a fire on June 8, 2021. After efforts by the city and others to clear the area of debris...
WAITSBURG—Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 (D2) fire commissioners met Wednesday, June 9, for a regular meeting. During the meeting, Ashley Strickland presented the revised Fire Chief job description, expectations, and recommendations to the board. The hiring committee began revising the job description and expectations for the Chief position, a few months back. The committee included Strickland, who acted as the head of the committee, Matt Spring, Brooke Mikesell, Dane Henze, Jake Long, and...
Waitsburg—On Wednesday, June 9, the Friends of the Weller Library met for their regular monthly meeting. The meeting was held at the Weller Library in Waitsburg and attended by approximately 30 people. Karen Huwe, past president of the group, welcomed everyone before turning the meeting over to new president Lisa Winnett. After the last meeting’s minutes were read and approved, Winnett opened discussion on the City Council’s possible decision to surplus the library. She said the group knew nothing of the plan until they read it in The Times...
DAYTON—A shooting incident on June 6 at the Shangri-La River Ranch RV Park, west of Dayton, left one man critically injured, and another has been arrested. According to the police report, Justin G. Karl, 40, was working on his motorcycle in the early hours of Sunday morning. His wife, Stephanie A. Karl, 48, could hear him working when she heard a loud noise. She went outside to find Justin yelling that he had just been shot. A Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the incident at app...
WAITSBURG—The Cardinal's Nest is pleased to offer four weeks of hands-on art and science activities this summer! Thanks to generous grants from the Sunny Day Foundation, Northwest Grain Growers, and matched through United Way and the facilities provided by the Waitsburg School District, this summer program is available at no cost. Sessions are Monday to Thursday, 9:00-10:45 a.m. Kathy Schirm will be leading the activities with her usual enthusiasm and focus on positive interactions with students. In order to follow current guidelines from t...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days have officially kicked off their 155th Fair season. At the annual Showcase fundraiser held Saturday, June 5th, 2021, Frontier Days Foundation board members, Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days board members, and manager Greg Lybeck unveiled the 2021 fair theme. The lineup for 2021 featured concert artists and grounds acts, and the annually recognized Rodeo Legends, Parade Marshal, and Distinguished Sponsor. The Fair announced its theme for 2021, “Stars & Stripes and Country Nights,” honoring the first...
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...
