Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 812 - 836 of 5665
High-speed satellite internet may be the future for Columbia County residents, and a former Dayton resident is an early adopter and advocate. DAYTON-Self-proclaimed techie Phillip McKeen, of Walla Walla, may have a solution for rural households who may not have access to reliable internet connection. "Growing up in Dayton, with very limited internet options, I saw the value of Starlink when it came available," said McKeen. "When they opened it up for sign up, I signed up with my parents...
WAITSBURG-The students at both Dayton and Waitsburg School districts have selected a new mascot for the Dayton-Waitsburg Athletic Combine, Waitsburg School District announced Monday. The process for selecting a new mascot began in November 2019, when the Dayton Waitsburg Athletic Combine Committee voted to continue the combine indefinitely. Both schools allowed their respective student bodies to submit mascot suggestions before voting. In March of 2020, the DWACC postponed the final selection...
Columbia County Prosecutor looks for options to mitigate ruling's impact on county. DAYTON—On Feb. 25, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a law that makes it a felony to possess illegal drugs, even if a person didn’t know they were in possession. The court’s ruling said the state law was unconstitutional because it criminalized passive, unknowing conduct in violation of due process protections. Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney Dale Slack said the Supre...
WAITSBURG—Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 met for a regular meeting on March 10, 7 p.m. Commissioners Jake Long, Deb Fortner, Bruce Abbey, Randy Charles, and Randy Farley were present. Eight other district members attended the meeting. Sabrina Smith of Waitsburg joined the meeting as a new volunteer. District Clerk Anne Higgins gave a brief update on monthly expenses, reminding members that they needed to go to the Main Street Station to sign vouchers. Fortner also reminded d...
DAYTON—The Flood Control Zone District (FCZD) board of supervisors and the manager, Charles Eaton, are meeting before the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on the first Monday of the month. City of Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford came before the FCZD administrators on Mar. 1 to let them know about the City’s desire to take over the permitting process from the county for sediment removal from the Touchet River. Weatherford’s reasons were twofold; to exped...
DAYTON—It was a reluctant city council that agreed to sign a five-year contract with the county for Law Enforcement, Dispatch, and Municipal Court services last week during their regular monthly meeting. Dain Nysoe objected to “strong-arm tactics” contained in a letter from the county’s prosecuting attorney dated Feb. 22, urging the contract to be signed within two weeks of the date of the letter or face arbitration. As the Public Safety Committee Chairman during mediation, Nysoe said the con...
DAYTON—Fundraising efforts are paying off for the Friends of the Touchet Valley Golf Course, as they look forward to construction of an underground sprinkler system at the golf course. A fiscal sponsorship agreement was made with the Blue Mountain Community Foundation (BMCF), Walla Walla, last year. According to Sean Thurston from the Friends of the Touchet Valley Golf Course, the agreement created a fund specifically for an irrigation reservoir allowing tax-deductible donations for the project....
WAITSBURG—Fresh produce, hand-crafted soaps, and local art are just a few of the items that Noelle Olson, Doug Biolo, and Janet Lawrence hope to see at the upcoming Waitsburg Farmers Market. Olson, owner of Dusty Britches Farm in Waitsburg and market manager; and Biolo and Lawrence, co-owners of Nancy’s Dream Garden Center in Waitsburg, are excited to announce plans for a summertime market that focuses on locally grown fruits and veggies, local art, handicrafts, and foods, featuring bus...
WAITSBURG—Spring is here, and Waitsburg businesses are welcoming the season with new products, and a few lifted restrictions under Phase 2 of the Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan. As the weather warms up, enjoy the sunshine, grab a cup of coffee and visit the many Main Street businesses! Laht Neppur: Burgers and microbrews are going strong at Laht Neppur Brewing Company. Indoor seating is limited to 15 customers, and bar seating is still unavailable. Glen’s grill fires up again this Thu...
Visit Fiesta en Jalisco at 400 West Main Street for the best Mexican food in town. Manager Oscar Guitron and his crew have spent time during the downturn to refresh the inside of the restaurant with new paint, brickwork, and tile. Guitron will display replicas of historic livestock brands in the restaurant bar in the next couple of weeks. Fiesta en Jalisco is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day, with daily lunch, dinner, and drink specials. Call for carryout orders at (509) 382-0606. Do...
DAYTON-The Dayton Chamber of Commerce announced the selection of the 2020 Community Choice Awards on March 3rd. Each year, nominations are taken for exceptional citizen, employee, business and youth, and a committee made up of a cross-section of the community makes the selections. Although the awards couldn't be presented at the annual banquet, the Chamber felt it was especially important to pay tribute to these outstanding individuals. Citizen of the Year: Denise Hoon Denise is a dedicated...
DAYTON—In February, U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson, representing Idaho, District 2, unveiled a $33.5 billion proposal for breaching the four lower hydroelectric dams on the Snake River to address the problem of how to save salmon populations in Idaho, without disrupting the system that provides millions of people with electrical power. His proposal “The Northwest in Transition” calls for removing Lower Granite Dam, Little Goose Dam, Lower Monumental Dam, and Ice Harbor Dam, located in Washi...
DAYTON-CCHS CEO Shane McGuire provided the Hospital District board with a project update at their February meeting. The floor in the Dayton General Hospital Emergency Department was replaced in February. The old flooring was roughly nine years old and was showing significant wear. It was also becoming a risk for infection due to large gaps and cracks in the seams. The hospital's new generator will be delivered in the middle of March, and Nelson Construction of Walla Walla, will pour a pad for...
In 1992, ten years after Pheasants Forever came to fruition in Saint Paul, MN, Walla Walla’s Blue Mountain chapter (BMPF) held its first fundraising banquet. Among those responsible for its success were John and Bertha Hinchliff of Dayton, WA. Upon moving to the Dayton area from Lewiston, ID, the Hinchliffs purchased property near Turner and later a farm near Dayton. Fitting with their commitment to conservation, the Hinchliffs assisted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) by raising and releasing ringneck pheasant, bobwhite qu...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg Elementary students spent the first couple weeks of the year raising funds for the American Heart Association. The students raised a grand total of $5,185.96, breaking the school's record with ease. Established in 1983, Jump for Heart is an AHA program that raises vital money for research, while simultaneously encouraging exercise and healthy diets while teaching about heart health. The Jump for Heart program ends with a Jump-Off Day, where kids get to play jump rope games....
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is adopting the guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding post-vaccine behavior. If someone has been fully vaccinated, they can: • Gather indoors with fully vaccinated people in private residences without wearing a mask and, • Gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household in private residences (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an in...
DAYTON-Although initial COVID-19 vaccination efforts have been uneven, incremental progress is being made, CCHS CEO Shane McGuire told the Hospital District Board of Commissioners at their meeting last week. "A lot of the story still remains about supply," he said. McGuire said inventory of the vaccine was initially managed to cover first and second doses. After the governor issued an edict requiring 95% of the vaccine should be used each week, vaccines reserved for second doses were used as...
DAYTON-Todd Vandenbark is the new Library Director for the Dayton Memorial Library. Vandenbark said he became interested in Library Science when a friend told him that libraries value people who come from diverse backgrounds and have varied work experience. Indeed, Vandenbark has had a variety of jobs. He has worked as a daycare teacher, computer tech support consultant, customer service rep at a major telecom call center, lifeguard and swim instructor, school bus driver, camp counselor,...
DAYTON-Adam Schmidtgall, Principal Engineer, and Brian Hansen, Project Engineer for Anderson/Perry & Associates, provided an update about progress on the Touchet Valley Trail design at the February meeting of the Port of Columbia commissioners. Schmidtgall said the intention is to have 30-percent of the trail design completed by the end of February to submit to the Port commissioners for review. "We believe a month and a half is enough time for a community meeting in mid-April," he said....
DAYTON—At their meeting in February, the Port of Columbia commissioners approved an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with NoaNet (Northwest Open Access Network) to provide broadband service to the Port office and to Port-owned businesses. Dickinson said the Port office will be used as a hub for a wireless system that will serve the tenants in the Rock Hill Industrial Park, and, possibly other businesses and residences, at that end of town. “According to NoaNet wireless system technologies have imp...
SEQUIM—After years of misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment, and fighting for each breath, former Dayton resident Fred Banks received a bilateral lung transplant in 2020. Now, his family is reaching out for help with the resulting medical costs. Banks was born and raised in Dayton before moving to Prescott and then to Walla Walla, where he and his wife Berniece raised three children. In 2015, he moved to Sequim, Washington, to be closer to a granddaughter battling childhood leukemia. Fortunately, h...
According to data provided by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, agricultural workers are at a greater risk of respiratory problems due to exposure to chemicals, dust, and naturally-occurring materials like crystalline silica. A multicenter case-control study in 2000 found evidence of interstitial lung disease, like pulmonary fibrosis, to farm and livestock workers. In 2006, a study found approximately 32% of ag-workers had pneumoconiosis (any lung...
WAITSBURG-218 Main Street has contributed its fair share to Waitsburg's history. Built in 1888 by G.W Loundagin, the Royal Block has housed many businesses including a hotel, multiple pharmacies, apartments, restaurants, a craft store. According to a souvenir booklet printed by the Oregonian in 1904, the building was known as the Loundagin Block & Hotel Royal. In 1977, Sid's Pharmacy, Treasures in Tole, and 'apartments' were listed on a Historical Registration application that encompassed the...
Liberty Theater in Dayton will be streaming a live production of this year's community variety show. The free show is scheduled for Saturday, March 26, and will be available on YouTube. This year's show will be directed by Liberty Theater production veteran Meghan Bromley of Starbuck. For many years, the Liberty Theater has presented delightful and entertaining variety shows produced, directed, and featuring talented Touchet Valley residents. The Spring 2020 show was canceled due to the...
PRESCOTT-The Prescott School Board met on January 18, at 7 p.m., via a hybrid meeting. Since the South Central Region is now in Phase 2 of the Roadmap to Recovery plan, the school board members met in person while guests joined via Zoom. The school board discussed proposed legislation currently being considered in Washington, which focuses on K-12 education. The first discussed was SB 5030, a bill related to the development of comprehensive school counseling programs. Superintendent Justin...
