Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 926 - 950 of 5662
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Wednesday, November 18, for a regular board meeting. The board met via Zoom conference call. During the meeting, secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that the secondary staff has been having conversations about moving back to online learning should the circumstance arise. She said if the school goes back to online learning, teachers would likely go with smaller ‘pod’ classes instead of having the entire class online at once. The pods were...
DAYTON-Civil Deputy Tim Quigg has hit a major milestone at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. On November 21, Quigg celebrated four decades of service, with no plans to retire anytime soon. Quigg took his first steps towards a long law enforcement career in March of 1980. He attended Washington State University, where he majored in journalism and minored in English, with aspirations of becoming a teacher or a writer. He was working as a clerk at Freddie's Food Mart in Dayton while putting...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County continues to experience rising COVID-19 cases. As of Tuesday, November 24, there were 571 active cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Sixty-seven new cases were announced on Tuesday, and new deaths were announced over the weekend, bringing the death total to 18. Fourteen COVID-19 cases are currently hospitalized. The Washington State Penitentiary has 117 active cases from a recent breakout. One man, in his sixties, passed away after being transported to a medical f...
WAITSBURG—The City of Waitsburg asks that residents stay close to home this Thanksgiving season and follow Governor Jay Inslee’s recently announced travel and shopping restrictions. To date, there have been 13 Waitsburg residents that have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. To help slow the spread, City Hall will remain closed to the public. Employees will be in the office, but residents are asked to contact City Hall via phone call or email for questions, concerns, and bill services. Cit...
DAYTON—A new five-year Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with the County for Law Enforcement, Dispatch, and District Court services was the main topic of discussion at the Dayton City Council meeting last Thursday. According to the ILA terms, the City will pay the County an additional $200,000 for those services, beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, with rates adjusted annually. The total amount paid to the County will be roughly half of the City’s $1.2 million Current Expense Budget. Because of the inc...
WALLA WALLA-Walla Walla Community Hospice (WWCH) has chosen to cancel their annual Evening of Elegance dinner and auction in February. Though this event has brought in record revenue for the non-profit agency in the past two years, it was a decision WWCH felt they had to make. "Not only did we believe we would have lackluster results, but more importantly, we couldn't imagine burdening the generous small businesses for donations after the year they've experienced and the ambiguity of our...
DAYTON-The Town That Still Believes still does, but because of the COVID-19 situation, things will look a little different this year. Instead of the usual Christmas Kickoff over Thanksgiving weekend, Dayton Chamber Manager Molly Weatherill-Tate and her assistant Lauren Parsons have been working on plans for Believe! A Small-Town Celebration. This year, the Dayton Chamber will not be able to hold the indoor Festival of Trees; however, they are offering local businesses the loan of one of the...
With rising positive cases in the City of Waitsburg, the City would like to remind all citizens to stay home unless the travel is essential, wear your mask and maintain social distancing whenever possible....
OLYMPIA—The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) has announced a new campaign targeting a small group of drivers: Those who refuse to wear seatbelts. The campaign began on social media, on the radio, and at select locations on November 16, 2020. “Washington has a success story to tell when it comes to seat belts,” says Shelly Baldwin, WTSC legislative and media director. “More than 93 percent of Washingtonians buckle up. Most of us know that wearing a seat belt improves your chances...
OLYMPIA—Governor Jay Inslee announced a new wave of restrictions last weekend, amidst the third wave of COVID-19 in Washington. “Today, November 15, 2020, I have to report to Washingtonians, is the most dangerous public health day in over 100 years of our state’s great history,” Gov. Inslee began his Sunday-morning release. “It is troublesome that I have to report that there is a pandemic raging across our state.” COVID-19 cases have more than doubled over the past two weeks across the state,...
WAITSBURG-The U.S Army Corps of Engineers' Walla Walla District has awarded a $1.5 million contract to Northbank Civil and Marine, Inc. for levee repairs along the Touchet River in Waitsburg. Northbank Civil and Marine is a Vancouver, WA based company with a primary focus on marine, heavy civil, and industrial construction. Established in 2014, Northbank Civil and Marine has assembled a team that specializes in projects like dam and navigational locks rehabilitation, hydro-electric related...
Due to school board concerns with the rising number of active COVID-19 cases in Walla Walla County, Waitsburg School District will switch to distance learning starting Monday, November 23rd and continue in this learning mode to Wednesday, November 25th. While this was not an easy decision and may not be well received by everyone, the consensus of the board is that this is the right decision for the circumstances at this time. It is important to note that currently, there are no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in any of our school building...
In May, we remember all of the men and women who have given their lives fighting for our country. On November 11, Americans remember all veterans who have served. Veterans Day was first celebrated as Armistice Day, recognizing the end of the First World War. The War was officially over on June 28, 1919, after the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The fighting stopped months before the Treaty, when an armistice was put into place on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month....
WAITSBURG-Columbia/Walla Walla County Fire District 2 recently reviewed an Emergency Medical First Response Contract to decide whether the fire district would renew the agreement with Columbia County Fire District 3. The current contract expires on December 31, 2020. Columbia/Walla Walla County Fire District 2 (CWWFD2) is based in Waitsburg and covers Waitsburg-area 9-1-1 calls. Most of the area District 2 covers is in Walla Walla County, however, a portion of the district north of Waitsburg and...
DAYTON—Columbia County and the City of Dayton have reached an agreement regarding the terms of an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Law Enforcement services, Emergency Management/Dispatch services, and District Court services, which the County provides to the City. County and City officials, and their legal representatives, spent all day last Thursday working out the details. The meeting was presided over by Walla Walla Attorney Michael S. Mitchell. Last year the County requested a substantial rais...
DAYTON—After several years of wrangling with Medicaid managed care organizations for underpayments to the Hospital District, Molina Healthcare has come through with a substantial payment. CCHS CEO Shane McGuire told the hospital board of commissioners, at the end of October, about a $524,000 payment to the Health System from Molina Healthcare. Kudos go to Cheryl Skiffington, the District’s Revenue Cycle Coordinator, and Wendy Wilkins, who has been contracted to negotiate and maintain payer con...
WALLA WALLA-Providence St. Mary has tightened up visitor restrictions due to a recent surge in Walla Walla County COVID-19 cases. Guided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, Providence St. Mary Medical Center (PSSMC) has reduced the number of visitors a hospitalized patient may see. The changes went into effect on Monday, November 9. One visitor per day will be allowed. Multiple visitors a day are temporarily prohibited. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 may...
DAYTON— In March of 2018, Columbia County, the City of Dayton, and the Town of Starbuck entered into interlocal agreements for the 2019 Regional Comprehensive Plan Update, with Columbia County taking the lead. The County Planning Department was recently notified about being selected to receive an Award for Excellence in Planning in the 2020 Washington State Awards Program from the Planning Association of Washington (PAW) and the American Planning Association. The letter reads: “The jury was imp...
WAITSBURG—The Columbia/Walla Walla County Fire District 2 (CWWCFD2) Commissioners met Wednesday, November 4 via Zoom call. During the meeting, the commissioners discussed renewing the Emergency Medical First Response Agreement with Columbia County Fire District 3 and heard from Chief Moynihan on station updates. The board of commissioners and Chief Moynihan were joined by Columbia County Emergency Management Director Ashley Strickland while they reviewed the Emergency Medical First Response A...
OLYMPIA—Important changes regarding how the public accesses vital records such as birth and death certificates become effective January 1, 2021, according to officials at the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). The Vital Records Modernization Act, passed and signed into law in 2019, changes the types of records available to the public and who can access these records. It also increases the fee for vital records and requires updates to data sharing agreements. Some of the changes include: • Limiting the release of certified copie...
PENDLETON, Ore.—Umatilla National Forest officials ask forest visitors to use caution, plan ahead and know the weather and forest conditions before heading out into the woods. The Forest has already received snow in higher elevations this fall. Snowstorms can often bring wind, snow, and rain that can substantially impact road and trail conditions, causing hazards and obstructions in roadways. Fall weather can be unpredictable and is a busy time of year on the Umatilla National Forest. Hunting is a primary activity during this time, inc...
DAYTON-Mandi Wendt has announced the closure of the Weinhard Café and Bakery. Wendt said in a Facebook post, there is more to running a small restaurant than just serving people. The time spent planning the menu, cleaning, maintaining the building and equipment, and doing the book work is enough to make a person question why anyone on earth would want to. "I can tell you why a person wants to do it, though. It is because they love doing it," she said. "After seven years of ownership, my love...
SPOKANE—Last weekend, my mom and I had to head to Spokane while a family member was in surgery. Sacred Heart's COVID-19 restrictions only allow for one visitor every 24 hours, so we were unable to go into the hospital and decided to check out a few plant nurseries while we waited for surgery updates. My mom and I are both houseplant collectors. Plants have become my 'quiet-place,' and I've spent several hours just wandering around local nurseries as a way to destress. We spent a couple of h...
The combination of a Sunday morning, the 5:30 a.m. flight, and a prediction of snow hardly made for the perfect travel day, but we made it to the airport on time, before the snow without hitting a deer, checked our bag, and zipped through security. A smooth start to our trip to Los Angeles for our doctor and dentist appointments. I love to fly. I still get an adrenaline rush when the plane takes off, and admittedly I breathe a quiet sigh of relief when the plane safely lands. I also love the...
WALLA WALLA-Blue Mountain Television proudly presents Secret Life of the Forest: The Northern Blue Mountains to stream for free. The 13-part series explores the natural history of the northern Blue Mountains. Bask in the beauty and splendor of this massive mountain range and the plants and animals that inhabit this little-known landscape without leaving the comfort of home. Author and conservationist Mike Denny provides context throughout the journey connecting wildlife to our local landscape's...
