Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WALLA WALLA - Blue Mountain Heart to Heart has been awarded $1,000,000 from a congressionally directed appropriation sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell. The funds are to be used towards a new BMH2H facility in Walla Walla. The proposed project will convert a 14,000 sq. ft. warehouse at 3 W. Poplar to a state-of-the-art clinic, classroom, social services, and case management facility. Outpatient services at this site will include substance use treatment, individual and group counseling, a small...
WAITSBURG - From January 23 to 25, eight members and four leaders of Waitsburg Scout Troop 337 spent their annual winter campout weekend in below-freezing temperatures. There was no snow, as the group had hoped, only temperatures from 13 degrees to the low 20s. Scouts Ameilia Alleman, Natalia Alleman, Shylo Hedges, T. J. Hollingsworth, Kaitlynn Miller, Katherine Roberts, Victoria Roberts, and Sidian Stegall braved the cold temperatures, sleeping in tents at Lady Bug Campground. Troop leaders...
When the 8 lb. 9 oz., 21-inch boy arrived, no one guessed that a mighty Cardinal had just entered the world. Monte Pettichord was born in Walla Walla on February 18, 2005, to Danny and Phoebe. Growing up, Monte enjoyed many outdoor activities, often involving a ball of some sort, other times a fishing pole. Pettichord attended school in Waitsurg from second grade through high school. At school, Pettichord's love of sports grew, and by high school, he was an accomplished athlete. He won...
Waitsburg City Council met for the first meeting of the year on January 21, 2026. Council members Jennifer Bishop, Kevin House, and Brian Richards, Mayor Marty Dunn, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe met at City Hall. Jim Romine and Jillian Henze were in Olympia, Wash., for City Action Days, a conference hosted by the Association of Washington Cities. Romaine joined the meeting in progress via Zoom. After approving the minutes from the December meeting, the council heard year-end reports from the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office, Weller Publi...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on January 21, 2026. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, and Board Members Pat Davidson, Grant Griffin, Aneesha Dieu, and Ryan Paulson were present. The board passed the consent agenda, which included hiring Mary Ann Walling as an elementary teacher and Mike Garrett as a high school volunteer golf coach. The consent agenda accepted a book vending machine from the Friends of the Library. There was no public comment. Four members of the e...
WAITSBURG -Last Saturday, January 24, the Waitsburg Alumni Association President, Deanna Tipton, presented a $1,000 donation to Ross Hamann, President, and Julie Karl, Vice President of the Waitsburg Booster Club. The Waitsburg Alumni Association's mission is not only to support graduates through scholarships and financial support but also to foster a sense of community through events and gatherings, and to facilitate networking opportunities for alums. "The board feels that it's important to...
WAITSBURG — Waitsburg School District has a two-year replacement Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy on the Feb. 10, 2026, ballot. This levy will replace Waitsburg’s current levy, approved by voters in 2024, and is now up for renewal. This is not a new tax. If taxpayers approve, the school district will use the levy to support school programs not fully funded by the state. Please feel free to contact the Waitsburg Superintendent’s Office at 509-337-6301 with questions or to learn more about the school levy. 2026 Levy Quick Facts...
GOLDENDALE, WASH. - Americans are accustomed to having all the electricity we want, when we want it. As more of our electricity comes from wind and solar, managing the grid has become more challenging. Wind and solar generate electricity during limited conditions, which may not align with demand. One solution to maintaining consistency is using battery storage for renewable energy. However, storing using traditional battery technology requires substantial infrastructure and maintenance. In...
COLUMBIA COUNTY - Bluewood Ski Resort offers a variety of racing programs, skiing and snowboarding, and accessible programs. Pete Korfiatis, Bluewood's general manager since 2021, has extensive experience in alpine racing and coaching. He was a nationally ranked alpine ski racer by his late teens and later held multiple positions with the U.S. Ski Team, including coaching for the men's team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Korfiatis brings a wide range of winter sport experiences to the mountain...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m., on January 13, 2026. The mayor and all council members were present: James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Glenn Hagfeldt, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Shannon McMillen, and new member, Dave Harvey. After clearing administrative items, including the consent agenda, the regular meeting was closed for two consecutive executive sessions, the reasons stated on the agenda as personnel issues and contract negotiations. The council voted on a change to the utility tax after the fir...
DAYTON — The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on January 14, 2026, in the Port conference room. Commissioners Mike Spring, Johnny Watts, and the new member, Scott Hudson, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. As the first order of business, Hudson nominated Spring as Board Chair, replacing Seth Bryan. Spring was elected unanimously. Hudson was elected secretary. The commissioners handled several administrative items, including reviewing the monthly budget report and reviewing leases. The c...
KENNEWICK — The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage due to an approximate 35% drawdown of blood products in just the past month. The Red Cross urges individuals to give now so patients don’t face delays in lifesaving care. The need for platelets and blood types O, A negative, and B negative is especially dire. High flu activity this year has slowed efforts to rebuild the Red Cross’s national blood supply. Without immediate action, patients who count on transfusions, including trauma victims, mothers in childbirth, and sickl...
WALLA WALLA — At its January 12 meeting, the Walla Walla Board of County Commissioners postponed making an appointment to fill the county auditor vacancy. The previous auditor, Karen Martin, retired on December 31, 2025, leaving a year till the end of her term. The commissioners have 60 days to fill the vacancy that runs through December 31, 2026. The next election for the partisan seat will be the November 2026 general election. Martin, a Republican, was reelected in 2022. Since the auditor position is a partisan seat, the Walla Walla County R...
WAITSBURG — Waitsburg School District has a two-year replacement Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy on the Feb. 10, 2026, ballot. This levy will replace Waitsburg’s current levy, which was approved by voters in 2024 and is up for renewal. This is NOT a new tax. If approved, the levy funds will be used to support school programs not fully funded by the state. Please feel free to contact the Waitsburg Superintendent’s Office at 509-337-6301 with questions or to learn more about the school levy. A levy is a locally approved tax based...
WALLA WALLA — The February 10, 2026 Special Election will decide a levy for Walla Walla County emergency medical care and services, replacement and supplemental levies for school districts including Dixie, College Place, Prescott, Waitsburg, and the dissolution of several fire districts. The county will mail ballots to registered voters by Friday, January 23. Military and overseas ballots were mailed on January 9, 2026. All ballot testing, processing, tabulation, and canvassing meetings take place at the elections office at 315 W. Main St, W...
First girl wrestler for the Cardinals Feb. 20 – Karissa Potts made Cardinal history by joining the H.S. wrestling team. Coach Lash LaRue described Potts as a pleasure to work with and hoped other girls would join the team the following season. Former City Hall building sale closes April 10 – Waitsburg City Council accepted Chet Childers' second offer for Waitsburg's former city hall property. The $130,000 sale closed on April 7. Childers said he looked forward to learning more about the bui...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on December 17, 2025. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Board Members Pat Davidson, Grant Griffin, and Ryan Paulson were present, with Aneesha Dieu via Zoom. The first order of business was to swear in the three re-elected board members. With the members sworn in, the board duties were reassigned by vote or affirmation: •Chair: Jeffrey McCowen •Vice Chair: Grant Griffin •Facilities: Grant Griffin, Pat Davidson, Ryan Paulson •Budget and Finan...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m., December 16, 2025. Council members James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Glenn Hagfeldt, Kyle Anderson, Laura Aukerman, Shannon McMillen, and Joann Patras were present. Sheriff Helm reported that his department handled 515 total incidents in November, broken down as follows: 202 traffic stops, 21 other traffic calls, and five traffic accidents. Sheriff Helm said his deputies would focus on DUI enforcement patrols this month as part of a Statewide push. He also said there was...
CCPT plans to purchase the port building it leases. DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on December 10, 2025, in the port office conference room. All Commissioners were present in the Port conference room: Mike Spring, Johnny Watts, and Chair Seth Bryan. Also present was the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. There was no public comment during the first public comment period. The commissioners began by approving several routine administrative items. Dickinson briefly discussed Columbia County P...
SPOKANE – Walla Walla Swim Club member, Sydney Smith, took the high point award at the Winter SWAT Swim Invite on December 6 and 7 in Spokane. This is the second year the Waitsburg Elementary student has earned the high point recognition in her division at the Spokane meet. She and her teammates competed against nine other teams, from Walla Walla to Missoula, Montana. Smith swam in the eight and under division and placed first in the 100m individual medley, 100m breaststroke, 100m freestyle, a...
WALLA WALLA — Columbia REA has chosen three local organizations to receive a 2025 Legacy Grant in the amount of $250,000 each. After careful consideration of all applications, the $750,000 Legacy Grant funds will be shared evenly between: Burbank Wrestling Club for facilities improvement/expansion in cooperation with the Columbia School District Starbuck School District for the installation of new playground equipment Walla Walla Summer Theater Group for renovation and restoration of the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater Columbia REA has a long his...
DAYTON—The annual Port of Columbia Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting held last week highlighted significant ongoing and potentially new projects for Columbia County. Billikin Energy Center Consultant Michael Mullaly provided an overview of a dual-fuel combustion turbine generator facility for a site on the Snake River west of Starbuck. The proposed half-billion-dollar peaker power plant will boost power during high demand or power grid emergencies. There are 1,200 s...
WAITSBURG - The 40th Annual Hometown Christmas brought holiday activities throughout town over the weekend. The fun started on Friday with a soft opening of the city's skate park. The synthetic ice rink was free for skaters of all ages, including the use of skates. The city held the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. At Town Hall, vendors offered a variety of gifts from local businesses and craftspeople. Dusty Britches Farms served a wide menu of tasty treats, including biscuits and...
WAITSBURG - On November 25, the Cardinal's Amazing Shake mini-gauntlet brought a creative twist by introducing a Monopoly Edition theme. Waitsburg students stepped into a life-sized version of the classic board game, navigating stations inspired by the game's properties and elements, designed to test their communication skills, professionalism, confidence, and quick thinking. Twenty-one community volunteers served as judges at 14 stations, scoring students who were challenged to adapt,...
WAITSBURG - Since 2014, the Waitsburg High School Alumni Association has awarded an estimated 50 scholarships to WHS graduates for college and postsecondary education. The first recipient of the program was Nicholas Pearson, a member of the class of 2014. Following graduation, Dr. Pearson earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Whitworth University in 2018 and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 2024. At the UW, Pearson was one of 8 of 72 de...
