Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 837 - 861 of 5665
DAYTON—When they met last week, the Dayton School District Board of Directors approved a new dismissal time and bell schedule for Middle School and High School students. After March 1, dismissal will be at 2 p.m. for secondary school students. Superintendent Guy Strot said the District would send emails and letters to parents about the change. Information will also be posted on Facebook and the District website. Strot said lunchtime will be from 11:11 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. The Middle School h...
WAITSBURG—A hybrid meeting was the first glimpse into a return to normal at the Waitsburg School Board’s monthly meeting last Thursday. The board was able to meet in person while guests tuned in via Zoom. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that high school students took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test on school-supplied Chromebooks. Typically the test is taken on paper and on-site. The secondary school staff has been reviewing traditional spi...
WAITSBURG—With the pandemic’s hardships in mind, Waitsburg Elementary set a goal of $2,500 for the annual Jump for Heart fundraiser. Superintendent Mark Pickel was pleased to share that the students raised a whopping $5,138, shattering the school’s record. This year, the event was held on two days, so Group A students and Group B students could participate during their respective in-person instruction days. To celebrate, the school will be hosting a pizza party for the highest-earning class...
OLYMPIA—Overdose deaths accelerated in Washington in 2020, increasing by 38% in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019. Most of that increase came from deaths involving fentanyl, a powerful opioid. Preliminary data show 835 overdose deaths in the first six months of 2020 compared to 607 deaths in the first half of 2019. Fentanyl-involved deaths more than doubled from 137 to 309 during that time. Most deaths involved multiple substances. The increase in overdose deaths was highest among groups already dealing with i...
WAITSBURG—At the Waitsburg City Council meeting on February 17, agenda items included municipal code changes to electronic signs, city elections, and zoning. Mayor Marty Dunn addressed recent posts on social media concerning snow removal in the city. Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider was scheduled to give the council an overview of last year’s criminal and other activity in Waitsburg. Sheriff Crider was unable to attend the meeting and did not submit a report. City Administrator Randy Hin...
PRESCOTT-The announcement that we have all been waiting for: The Tuxedo Bar & Grill, in Prescott, opened its doors for the first time since December on February 23- just in time for spring farming to begin! The bar and grill are now open Tuesday-Saturday, 12 p.m.- 8 p.m., with indoor dining at 25% capacity and awesome take-out options. For pick-up and take-out orders, call The Tux at (509) 849-2244. Food will be picked up at 105 D Street. Owner Pam Stueckle said she is beyond ecstatic to be...
DAYTON—At the Feb. 10 Port Commission meeting, Port officials discussed a letter and a petition signed by 37 people with concerns about whether there is a proposal to annex Port-owned property to the City of Dayton. The letter was written by Betty Longen, who owns property close to the Port’s Rock Hill Industrial Park, and it was read at the meeting by the Port’s Executive Director Jennie Dickinson. “I am adamantly opposed to annexation. We have circulated a petition showing our opposit...
OLYMPIA—Washington State Parks announces its annual recruitment for various park aide and senior park aide positions across the state. The available park aide and senior park aide positions are seasonal and non-permanent. Each summer, State Parks employs 400 park aides and 45 senior park aides to work the busy season, which runs from April through September. Park aides register campers, maintain trails, clean campgrounds and comfort stations, and perform various custodial maintenance chores. They also may work in park offices, interact with v...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that a hospital in the South-Central Region of the Healthy Washington Plan misreported data, which led to a determination that the region remain in Phase 1 of Governor Jay Inslee’s Roadmap to Recovery phased reopening plan. When the region was the only one not move to Phase 2, it was brought to the attention of DOH that a hospital in the region appeared to be incorrectly reporting its hospital admission data. After learning that the hospital, Providence St. Mary Medical Cen...
DAYTON—City of Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford provided an update about the Interlocal Agreement with the county for Law and Justice, Dispatch, and Municipal Court services at last week’s city council meeting. The Public Safety Committee has reviewed the contract and provided it to the city attorney for review. It has been sent back to the county with a few minor recommendations, he said. Weatherford agreed with County Commissioner Ryan Rundell, who was at the meeting, about the need for cau...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg officials met Tuesday in an emergency meeting to discuss flood preparedness measures, as winter weather conditions indicate that a high-water event could be likely. City Councilmember Jim Romine said that the Flood and Emergency Preparedness Committee met and reviewed data and weather from the 1996 flood, finding enough weather condition similarities to be concerned about flooding over the next week. In 1996, the Coppei River experienced extreme flooding after heavy snowfall...
DAYTON-The Feb. 2020 flood that caused $7.2 million in damages at more than 120 locations has added extra work, time, and stress for County Engineer Charles Eaton and staff in the public works department. While much has been accomplished to repair flood-related damage over the past year, there are still roads, bridges, and levees in need of repair. Eaton said Wolf Fork Road, Robinson Fork Road, Tucannon Road, and South Patit Road's upper reach, where the road washed out, are still in need of...
WAITSBURG—The Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 met on February 10, via Zoom, for a regular board meeting. After the meeting was called to order by chairman Jake Long at 7 p.m, District clerk Anne Higgins presented an accounting report. She reported that some financial statements from both Walla Walla and Columbia County were complete. However, the January revolving account reconciliation from Walla Walla County was not available. She noted that budgetary items would have to be passed...
WAITSBURG—A little more than a year after the City of Waitsburg experienced a major flood event, repair efforts are still underway. Additional flood improvement projects are still being planned. In 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) decided to remove control of the levees surrounding Waitsburg from the inactive Waitsburg-Coppei Flood District. The flood control district had failed to address levee deficiencies found in yearly inspections. As a result, the City of Waitsburg was g...
DAYTON—Middle and High School (MS/HS) Principal Kristina Brown has met with her staff to discuss strategies and interventions they can use to help students struggling with failing grades, she told attendees at last week’s school board work session. During the first semester of the school year, there were 34 middle school students with at least one F grade and 16 middle school students with at least one F. In the high school, there were 18 students with at least one F and 25 students with at leas...
DAYTON-The Dayton Cut and Wrap will be rebranded as the Table Rock Meat Company when Sierra Smith and Michelle Shoun finalize the business's purchase from long-time owners Joe and Sue Nyce. Smith said she and her mother, Michelle, plan for custom cut meats and wrap at the shop. They will offer customers boxed meats and smoked meats, including pepperoni, smoked sausage, and brats, along with newer product lines like brisket bacon and Denver steaks. Fans of Joe Nyce will rejoice to see some...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County Department of Community Health (DCH) and county health partners will be holding a second-dose vaccination clinic on February 13 at the County Fairgrounds for those who received their first dose on Saturday, January 23. Those who received their vaccine that day should arrive at the fairgrounds at the same time as their original appointment with the CDC vaccination card that they received at that appointment. That card is important for verifying the date of their first vaccine. Walla Walla DCH was notified last wee...
WAITSBURG—This past week, suspicious activity involving a resident was shared on Waitsburg’s Helping Hands Facebook page and reported to local law enforcement. Other incidents were reported to The Times concerning the same individual during that same period. According to social media posts made by the individual’s family, he was experiencing a mental health crisis and has now sought help and under medical care. The Times is not releasing the name of the individual and directed concerned parties to contact Walla Walla Sheriff’s department. Those...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Health System's Executive Leadership team participated in a five-day leadership course led by its Semi Bird, Executive Director of Team Concepts Training Services, reported CCHS CEO Shane McGuire at the hospital district commissioners meeting in January. Team Concepts will continue providing training to CCHS staff throughout the year. The goal of the training is to transform workplace culture. Each department-level manager will receive the same training as the...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Public Health Department moves from 270 East Main Street to their new location at 112 North Second Street the week of Feb. 15, with plans for the department to be officially open on Feb. 22. County Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman said there are several benefits to making this move. There is adequate space for all the staff to occupy the new offices while complying with current social distancing guidelines. Lanman said two department staff members are...
Grace Coulston, of Waitsburg, is vivacious, known for her constant smile, and never hesitating to lend a helping hand. Her entire life, she has been active. She grew up on a farm just outside of Waitsburg and loves all-things agriculture. Less than one year out of high school, Coulston is the owner-operator of a successful Boer goat breeding program, Sorghum Hollow Boer Goats, which takes her all over the country for shows and sales. February is a special month for Coulston: It is Turner Syndrom...
WAITSBURG-The Millrace Grade Improvement Project is one of the projects at the top of the City of Waitsburg's 2021 to-do list. The city initially slated the grade improvement project to break ground in 2020, but, it was pushed back after the area experienced extreme flooding in February, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Waitsburg's City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said that a new start date has not yet been determined, though he hopes for mid to late summer. The project will focus on...
DAYTON—The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Columbia County Fairgrounds is working well. However, only 110 doses will be administered this week, according to Stephanie Carpenter. Carpenter is the Columbia County Health System Chief Operating Officer and is in charge of the Columbia County Hospital District vaccination plan. Carpenter said Dayton General Hospital Pharmacy Manager Cheryl Pell requested 400 doses of the vaccine for use this week but only received 100 doses. There are ten doses l...
DAYTON—County finances have “definitely” been affected by the flood and COVID-19, said County Commissioner Ryan Rundell, following an update on fourth-quarter finances from County Treasurer Carla Rowe last week. “As Carla said, because we are a bare-bones taxed county, we have been less affected by COVID-19 than some counties who rely on extra taxes, like an entertainment tax, with large venues, and the like. However, the flood coupled with COVID-19 has done visible damage to the county and its...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board met on January 21 for a regular meeting. The board is still meeting via Zoom. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared that the school is planning on moving forward with state testing over the next two months. Sixth graders will test mid-April, followed in grade order. The testing will take about a week for each class. The second semester will begin February 1, and she reminded the board that it would mark a complete change of classes for students....
