Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG - I recently returned from a business trip and was hit with how much I love Waitsburg and the Touchet Valley. Being greeted by the rolling hills of fall colors and gentle traffic reminded me of how lucky I am to have landed here. More than anything, I love my neighbors. Waitsburg is home to farm families, entrepreneurs, educators, and characters. Some have roots dating back to the 1800s, and the rest of us are newcomers. However, this town of fewer than 1,200 people has been nothing...
WAITSBURG - On Saturday, October 31, family and friends gathered at the Waitsburg Town Hall to send Jarod Hankins off to basic combat training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with well wishes and safe travels as he has joined the US Army. Hankins leaves for Basic Combat Training on November 9. After completing BCT, Hankins will proceed to Advanced Individual Training (AIT), which focuses on developing the specific skills required for the Combat Medic role. Overall, the training is designed to equip...
The board accepts a donation towards high jump equipment from Nechodoms DAYTON – The Dayton School District Board met in the high school library at 6:33 p.m. on October 21, 2026. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, and Director Grant Griffin were present. Ryan Paulson participated via Zoom, and Aneesha Dieu joined 15 minutes later. Pat Davidson was not present The Consent Agenda included a recommendation to approve an overnight trip to Evergreen College in Olympia, which was scheduled for November 3–4, and will be resch...
OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State stated on October 26, 2026, saying it received a letter from the Department of Justice requesting information about individuals listed on Washington’s voter rolls. The office is reviewing the request and assessing the requested information to submit a response that complies with applicable state and federal laws. The United States Constitution clearly states that states administer elections, as confirmed by Court decisions nationwide. This includes a federal judge in Seattle dismissing the DOJ...
PRESCOTT - Jennifer Hammer, Dean of Students at Prescott Schools, organized a career fair on Friday, October 23. This was the school's second year hosting the career fair. Hammer said the fair included morning and afternoon sessions and featured different college and career activities for each grade. About 90 Prescott students participated. Specific grade activities included 7th through 9th-grade students being given a campus tour of Walla Walla Community College. Tenth-grade students took the...
DAYTON — The Port of Columbia County Commissioners met at 5 p.m. on October 14, 2026, in the Port’s newly remodeled boardroom. Commissioners Mike Spring and Scott Hudson attended in person; Johnny Watts could not attend. Executive Director Jennie Dickinson and Economic Development Coordinator Shane Laib were also present. The commissioners reviewed and approved the monthly budget report. Due to rising utility costs, this year’s utility budget is already 98 percent spent. The commissioners reviewed the draft of the 2027 Budget and Capital Facili...
DAYTON – Mayor Michael Smith opened the Dayton City Council meeting to order at 6 p.m. on October 13, 2026. Council members Shannon McMillen, James Su’euga, Glenn Hagfeldt, Kyle Anderson, Jeff Keating, Joann Patras, and Dave Harvey were present at City Hall. Shakira Collins, a domestic violence advocate for the YWCA, made a statement concerning domestic violence. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which honors survivors and victims and raises awareness about relationship abuse. Collins said that in a small community lik...
WALLA WALLA — All ballot testing, processing, tabulation, and canvassing meetings take place at the Elections Office, 315 W. Main St., Walla Walla. Accessible voting is also available at this location. Ballots were mailed by Friday, October 16, 2026. (Military & Overseas ballots were mailed on Friday, September 18, 2026). If you do not receive your ballot this week, check your voter registration and ballot status at voter.voterwa.gov. The Walla Walla Voting Center is at the Walla Walla County Elections Office. It is the county’s only off...
WAITSBURG - This year's Waitsburg Elementary's Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough fundraiser was a huge success. Thirty-seven students met their goal, and their messy reward was helping transform Principal Monty Sabin into a human ice cream sundae. Luckily for Sabin, October 16 was a warm Friday afternoon. Achievement was labeled by color: white, yellow, green, pink, and blue, signifying the level of sundae-making the students earned. Beginning with white, all thirty-seven participating students laid...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg FFA Alumni and Supporters Charter held a fundraiser at the Waitsburg Town Hall on Saturday, October 10. The dinner and auction raised an estimated $2,500 to fund activities and experiences for Waitsburg FFA students, including sending 1 or 2 members to the FFA Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. Started in 2025, the Waitsburg alumni charter is affiliated with the National FFA organization and Washington State FFA Alumni and Supporters. The current...
DAYTON — The Columbia County Pools and Recreation District has been actively raising funds through grants and benefits. Often, the funding the district has been awarded or has submitted applications for requires matching funds. The pools and recreation district has been awarded grants, including $275,000 from the Washington State Legislature, a $9,360 Innovia Reimbursable Grant, a $5,000 Warren Community Grant, and $7,500 from the Dayton/Columbia County Fund. The Friends of the Pool have raised over $22,000 from its Pool Benefit Yard Sale a...
WALLA WALLA - This fall, residents of eastern Washington and Oregon will have a chance to visit remote rivers, wild landscapes, working farms, and novel restoration projects-without ever leaving town. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is returning to Walla Walla for two special evenings on October 28 and 29 at Whitman College's newly renovated Deshler Auditorium (formerly known as Maxey Auditorium), offering audiences a series of award-winning films that celebrate the natural world while...
Check out the original artwork at the Weller Public Library to pick the one you want. WAITSBURG - The Weller Library Board of Trustees and Library Director Sarah Roberts began a program to display and then auction original paintings at the Waitsburg library. After deciding to exhibit the paintings above the main room bookshelves, they purchased six 24" x 36" canvases. Roberts contacted local artist Lane Gwinn, who created the first set of paintings. Gwinn's paintings highlight six authors, paint...
The 2026 Cardinal Homecoming began Friday, September 25, with a student competition to decorate parts of campus, including the cage. The junior class won "Best Decorations". The school selected daily themes for the following week. Monday was Pajama Day, and at the daily assembly, the sophomores won the cup game. Tuesday was Jersey Day, and the sophomores again won at Musical Chairs at the assembly. Wednesday was Dress Your Age Day, where freshmen were babies, sophomores were toddlers, juniors...
WALLA WALLA — Washington State University Walla Walla County Extension invites the community to its annual Open House on October 10, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the WSU Extension Office, at 328 W Poplar, Walla Walla, Wash. This family-friendly event showcases Extension programs, including hands-on activities about 4-H, agriculture, STEM, gardening, and more. Attendees can see live poultry, rabbits, goats, and pigs, explore sewing, cooking, and robotics projects, and gain gardening tips from Master Gardeners. Free seeds and expert advice w...
WALLA WALLA - Local volunteers celebrated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 26, 2006. This year's theme is "Caring for Our Shared America" in coordination with the nation's 250th anniversary. The event is held each year on the fourth Saturday in September, and is the nation's largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. This year, the National Park Service expanded the event's volunteer opportunities from September 12 through October 10. The Park Service partners with the...
DAYTON-In 2011, as Lisa Naylor and her husband Paul were planning to celebrate her retirement after 30 years of service with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The disease is progressive, with only two treatment options: dialysis or a kidney transplant. A strong community of friends, family, and neighbors have shared her story and helped look for a living donor. Many offered to donate. However, due to a rare blood type and high antigen...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library at 6:30 p.m. on September 16, 2026. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, and School Directors Ryan Paulson, Pat Davidson, and Aneesha Dieu were present. Grant Griffin did not attend. To begin the meeting, the Board approved the consent agenda, including last meeting’s minutes, accounts payable, and payroll. The personnel report listed Nick Phillips as an Assistant HS Football Coach, Kayla Nathanson as an Assistant MS Volleyball Coach, and Amber Olsen as the...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Historical Society enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day as it held its annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 20. The grass at the Bruce Museum was green, and the windless sky was bright blue. The event included a morning church service, a presentation of the Pioneer Family of the Year, museum tours, live music, antique cars, vendors, a style show, a pie contest, and grilled burgers enjoyed by community members and visitors. Ron and Marilyn Groom were honored as the 2026...
OLYMPIA — On Monday, September 14, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Postal Service cannot place new restrictions on mail-in ballots before the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs issued the following statement: “Today’s decision reaffirms what we already know: the USPS rule would create unnecessary disruption and put our voters at risk. Washington’s election workers are already hard at work preparing to conduct a safe, secure, and accurate election. Now, that work continues without...
DAYTON - Three Waitsburg girls participated in the Columbia County Fair Horse Show on August 29 and 30 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. Sydney Smith earned 1st place in the Western Pleasure junior class; 1st place in the English Pleasure junior class; and received red ribbons in Fitting and Showing, Halter Mare Class, and Trail class. Ashlyn Brooks was the Reserve Champion in Fitting and Showing intermediate class and received two blue ribbons in Halter Geldings and Western Pleasure...
WAITSBURG - Join us for an afternoon of great food, pioneer craft demonstrations, horse-drawn carriage rides, antique farm equipment and tools, vintage style show and tours of the historic museum, from noon to 4 p.m. in Waitsburg, Washington. Nestled in the rolling hills of southeastern Washington, the Waitsburg Pioneer Fall Festival starts with a Community Church Service at 11 am, followed by the Pioneer of the Year award at noon. Enjoy the sounds of live music, including the fun and unique...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg students will see three new faces when they start school on September 8. Abby Seney, Christopher Kinnaird and Haden Wegner are starting their careers with the Cardinal staff. Seney will be greeting students at the elementary school as the District/Elementary Administrative Assistant. Before joining the Cardinal staff, Seney worked as a certified medical assistant at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. Seney was born and raised in Walla Walla with a love for...
WALLA WALLA - The 2026 Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days, held from September 2 through 6, offered five days of live music, a parade, racing, livestock competitions, and awards. The annual event also honored cancer survivors, veterans, and retirees. Students garnered awards and numerous blue ribbons competing in FFA, Grange and 4-H youth livestock competitions. The fair kicked off on September 2 with a concert by headliner Cheap Trick, on tour since 1974. Thursday was a sold-out demolition...
WAITSBURG - While the end of the school year offers him a chance to relax, Superintendent Monty Sabin recently reflected on how he begins to miss the students and staff as the summer drives on. He was excited to welcome new and returning staff to the school, as they prepare classrooms and programs for the new year. "It's a happy place for me. I look forward to the first day of school and seeing the students excited with their energy and smiles," said Sabin. Sabin is also excited about the new...
