Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG - In the first semester at Waitsburg Schools, Elizabeth Jagelski introduced Music Exploration to a combined class of sixth and seventh graders. Jagelski led students in exploring music and musical instruments, including bucket drumming and kazoo playing. The students got to vote for their last segment of instruction in music. They could choose between putting on a play, learning to play recorders, or forming a choir to sing in four-part harmony. With ninety-eight percent of the vote, t...
WAITSBURG. - The Waitsburg Celebration Days will hold its Annual Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser on February 15 at the Waitsburg Town Hall. The doors will open at 5 p.m. with live music and a silent auction. The event organizers will begin serving the spaghetti dinner, with salad and garlic bread, at 6 p.m., followed by the live dessert auction. The evening ends with the crowning of this year's royal court at 8 p.m. The three court members are Hadley Fullen, age 15, from Milton-Freewater; Jemma...
WAITSBURG — The Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to accept a new offer for the former Waitsburg City Hall building at its regular meeting on January 15. Todd and Carrie Alexander’s offer included a letter introducing the couple and their interest in the building. The Alexanders have many interests, including food, wine, travel, design, art, and music. They recently bought and renovated the JL Elam bank building in Milton-Freewater, built in 1906. It sat empty for over ten years before the couple purchased it. The couple created Ate...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council meeting to order at 6 p.m. on January 14, 2025. Trump and council members James Su’euga, Joann Patras, Michael Smith, and Shannon McMillen attended the meeting at Dayton City Hall. Kyle Anderson was not present, and Laura Aukerman joined the meeting later. Sheriff Helm reported 565 incidents in December, consisting of 134 traffic stops, 23 other traffic calls, one DUI investigation, and 16 traffic accidents. Helm reminded everyone to drive appropriately, considering the winter weather. H...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District(WPRD) board has received the feasibility study it commissioned from PBS Engineering and Environmental in 2024. The purpose of the study was to determine if a pool could be rebuilt at its current location or on one of two alternative sites. The completed study shows a new municipal pool could be built on the alternative site on the north side of the Touchet River. On January 2, the WPRD board voted unanimously to pursue building the new...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on January 8, 2025, at the port’s conference room. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. The meeting began with public comment. Some concerns regarding the potential sale of the port’s railroad included the loss of the railroad and the effects on grain transport if the Snake River dams were to be removed. Seth Murdock spoke first, saying that with continued government ownership, he was concerned that...
WALLA WALLA - Bertha Clayton was sworn in as Walla Walla County Commissioner for District 1 on Tuesday, December 31, at the Walla Walla County Commissioner's office in Walla Walla. Clayton, an attorney and the Office of Agricultural and Seasonal Workforce Services director, unseated incumbent Jenny Mayberry in November's general election. A Waitsburg High School graduate, the first-time elected official unseated Jenny Mayberry in the November elections. Before being sworn in, Clayton thanked...
WAITSBURG - Nicole Abel and her Waitsburg Ariculture Education students offer fresh cut trees to local businesses and clubs to decorate for the Festival of Trees. The students put up the trees before Hometown Christmas and pick them up again after New Year's Day. The trees are decorated with battery powered lights and unbreakable but creative ornaments to bring color and cheer to the downtown streets. Trees also compete for recognition as the Hometown Christmas fan favorite. The trees were cover...
WALLA WALLA - The Walla Walla chapter of the American Association of University Women has added a third scholarship type to its scholarship fund for women seeking a trade school certificate. The Women in Trades Scholarship is available to help women enrolled or intending to enroll in trade programs at Walla Walla Community College. "Locally and nationally, AAUW's mission is to empower women and girls. And we know workforce needs are changing," said AAUW Walla Walla President Mitzi Jensen. "For...
WAITSBURG - For the last 21 years, the Waitsburg Booster Club has honored a member in January for their exceptional dedication to supporting our students. Vickie Hamann, a long-time Booster Club supporter, was recognized as Booster of the Year on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Booster Club Vice-President Julie Karl made the presentation after President Ross Hamann read Vickie's attributes, including her contributions behind the scenes, poster making, washing and mending uniforms, organizing...
WAITSBURG - Tom and Judy Bennett brought wood-fired pizzas to Waitsburg in 2022. After buying the former American Legion Post 35 from winemaker Charles Smith, the pair has remodeled, added outdoor seating, and hosted trivia, axe-throwing, burlesque, and live bands. The couple is now adding international travel to the fun. Partnering with The Table Less Traveled, the couple is offering a one-of-a-kind trip to southern Italy to explore Neapolitan pizza's roots. The trip is open to six to 14...
Waitsburg Students brighten the holiday season with music WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Elementary School held its winter program at the high school auditorium on Thursday, December 18. Students from preschool through fifth grade performed to the delight of a house packed with family and friends. The preschool students were directed by their teacher, Eleanora Montgomery. Music Director Elizabeth Jagelski directed the kindergarten through grade five students. Preschool's morning class sang – "We All H...
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners held its December meeting on December 18, 2024, at 5 p.m. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were at the port's conference room. The meeting began with a public comment period where county residents, including local farmers, questioned selling the port's railroad and right-of-way. Concerns included the possible adverse effects on grain transport should the Snake River dams be r...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on December 18, 2024. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Business Manager Jana Eaton, and Student Representative Lila Hutchens were present. Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen and board members Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Ryan Paulson were present; Paulson attended using Zoom. Zac Fabian was not present. The board passed the consent agenda, which included surplus items and approval of a $1,000 grant from NW Grain Growers for a new baseball/softball scoreboard. An ASB r...
WAITSBURG – Elizabeth Jaegeski, Waitsburg's K-12 Music Specialist, took on the challenge of bringing back a high school performance art class. "We started the year discussing our bodies, movement, and being comfortable taking on a character. Rule one was to respect each person's journey in developing their character," said Jaegeski. Using puppets and a stage first purchased by Nancy Bickelhaupt for her classroom and now used by school counselor Rosy Nechodom, the class is producing a show on bul...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council meeting to order at 6 p.m. on December 3, 2024. Trump and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Laura Aukerman, Joann Patras, Kyle Anderson, and Shannon McMillen were present at City Hall. Michael Smith was not present. Sheriff Helm kicked off the meeting by reading monthly statistics. He mentioned positive comments he’d received regarding the city’s new radar speed signs installed at both ends of Main Street. Helm said the sheriff’s office is participating in “Toys for Tots,” an...
WAITSBURG - On Friday, December 6, the Friends of the Waitsburg Pool and Waitsburg Parks and Recreation hosted a fundraiser, successfully raising over $16,000. The evening began with a concert, by The Frog Hollow Band at The Plaza Theater. The band generously donated their performance, raising funds from general admission and VIP tickets. After the concert, The Plaza opened its doors to kids for a free movie, including adult supervision, allowing parents to attend the after-concert events at...
DAYTON - The health system in Columbia County is tackling a growing challenge with a blend of innovation and compassion. With 28.6% of the county's residents aged 65 or older-a figure expected to rise to 32% by 2030-the Columbia County Health System prioritizes the needs of the county's aging population. To address healthcare challenges and improve patient outcomes, the critical access hospital district launched the multi-disciplinary Population Health Team. "Our community's aging presents...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg fourth through eighth-grade students competed in an Amazing Shake gauntlet on Monday, November 25, at Preston Hall. The students were challenged at six different stations. Each student had one minute per station to impress the judges. They were judged on appearance, Je Ne Sais Quoi (i.e., an appeasing quality), handshake, confidence, verbal poise, nonverbal behavior, adaptability, and task completion. The five stations were: Current Events – Participants introduced t...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg senior Cedar Stegall loves being part of Future Farmers of American, FFA. Recently, she filled out the application, sent her resume, and was interviewed before being selected to be a Sentinel – an FFA District Officer. Stegall looks forward to the program's opportunities to travel and meet new people. She completed her district officer training in Sequim, Washington, where she went on industry tours and learned more about her role as an officer. Stegall attended a m...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 19, 2024. Mayor Roger Trump and council members Tseeny McMunn, Michael Smith, James Su’euga, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen were at Dayton City Hall. Joann Patras and Kyle Anderson were not present. Duane Goff rose to speak as the only member of the public to speak during the first public comment period concerning the Fourth Street sidewalk project. He spoke on the same topic at a recent city council meeting. He began by asking, “Who is the city?” He...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on November 20, 2024. The board passed the consent agenda, including approval to hire Jonathan Sanchez as an assistant coach for Middle School Boys Basketball, to accept Michael Field as a volunteer HS Boys Basketball coach, and accept the resignation of Carly Benavides from the position of Title I Paraprofessional. Also within the consent agenda was approval to hold practice for winter sports on Sundays when necessary. The Associated Student Body (ASB) report, i...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners met at 5 p.m. on November 13, 2024, at the port’s conference room. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson, were present. Gerry Kaiser spoke during public comment, asking the commissioners to direct Dickinson and her staff to pursue state and federal grants to repair the port’s rail system. He said the federal government has given $150 million to nine municipalities in the state of Washington for rail improvements. Dickinson presented the month...
WASHINGTON — Every day, internet thieves make millions of attempts to take advantage of consumers online. Banks and other financial institutions warn their customers to be constantly aware of scams. They offer information on their websites and online help for customers who get unsolicited or confusing calls or emails from their banks. Three of the most common scams used by cybercriminals during the holidays are: Package Delivery Scams – An estimated three billion packages were shipped last holiday season. Package delivery is an opportunity for...
DAYTON - The Dayton Historic Depot Museum announced the return of the Holiday Market at the Depot during the town-wide Christmas Kick-Off event on Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30. This annual market will showcase handcrafted goods from local artisans and vendors, offering unique holiday gifts and treats for visitors of all ages. The Market at the Depot will feature local vendors offering handcrafted gifts, many priced under $40, making it the perfect opportunity for holiday...
