Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 287
DAYTON-Ellen Brigham is happy to step into her new role as the director of the Dayton Memorial Library. "I'm just really excited to step into this new year with a fresh slate of ideas and positive outlook going forward," she said. Library Science is the perfect field for her, she said with a smile. "It was just a childhood dream of mine. When you're little, you look at the library and think it's a perfect place to sit and read. I never really let it go." As a busy adult, she doesn't have as...
DAYTON—The Friends of Dayton Memorial Library is hosting an innovative evening of conversation on Thursday, March 7, from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Set up in a café setting, the event for Columbia County residents will be held at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Dayton. The topic of the evening’s discussion will be “Books in Libraries,” exploring the challenges facing the public and school libraries in Columbia County. The Walla Walla Civility Project (WWCP) will provide the format and facilitate the event designed to enhance personal...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council workshop meeting to order at 3 p.m., February 20, 2024. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen met at City Hall. The workshop agenda included discussing requests to change the golf cart policy, updating the code of ethics, and the relationship between the city and the rural library district. The council discussed a request to change the golf cart policy, including the costs and liability of all...
DAYTON – At the beginning of the year, Ace Automotive began its journey offering domestic and foreign car repair at 527 Cameron Street in Dayton. Andres Lara, 34, bought Jay Ball's garage after working there for seven years. Jay's Garage offered serice for close to ten years at the Rock Hill Industrial Park. The Port of Columbia County signed a three-year lease with the new owner in December last year. "Jay and I had been talking for a while about his retiring and selling the place to me," s...
A two-to-one vote changed the Port Director position from contract to month-to-month, "at-will" DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held its regular meeting at 5 p.m. on February 14, 2024, at the port's office. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. The commissioners approved the last meeting's minutes. In the budget review, Dickenson said the year ended in great shape, and the port spent a little less than it took in. D...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m., February 13, 2024. Councilmembers Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, Shannon McMillen, and Mayor Trump were present in City Hall. In the public comment, Katie Roughton referred to her remarks at the January council meeting suggesting a voter referendum on whether the city should withdraw from the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD). Roughton said she was concerned that “appointed people” (the Libra...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met at 6:30 p.m. on February 7, 2024. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. Ryan Paulson did not attend. The board approved the consent agenda, including accepting the resignation of Jim Su’euga as MS Girls Basketball Head Coach and hiring Andee Thurston for that position. The board approved Tamira Culley as the MS Girls’ Basketball Assistant coach, and Des Jones was approved as a volunteer coach for the MS Girls Baske...
DAYTON – In January, Robert Bryant marked 40 years of car repair experience as he celebrated Dayton Auto Repair's fifth anniversary. He and his wife Shelli opened the shop at 218 W. Main in January 2019. According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than forty percent of Washington's small businesses that opened in 2019 were still in business five years later in 2023. Bryant said he considered himself fortunate to have beaten the odds, especially opening shortly before the s...
DAYTON — A special Dayton City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 31, was canceled on January 30. The purpose of the meeting was to convene an executive session to discuss pending litigation against the city and Council Member Laura Aukerman. A second agenda item for the meeting was for the council to consider a request from Aukerman that the city pay her legal fees in that case, US District Court Case No. 23-2-00790. The request was made Washington State RCW 4.96.041 and requires the council’s approval. The public could att...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met on Zoom at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. School Board members participating were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Ryan Paulson, and Aneesha Dieu. Grant Griffin and Superintendent Rich Stewart were not present. McCowen announced an agenda change to make the approval for an FFA overnight trip an action item on the agenda. The consent agenda, after modification, included the approval of a donation of $2,000 from Kim Carter for the Yamate Student Exchange Program and approval to hire McCowen as the H...
DAYTON — The Port of Columbia Commissioners held its regular meeting at 5 p.m. on January 10, 2024, at the port office. Commissioners present were Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. The meeting began with Dickinson swearing in Mike Spring as Columbia County Port Commissioner # 2. In the public comment period, Jerry Kaiser asked the port commissioners not to sell the port-held railroad property until the federal government decided on the removal of the Lower Snake River dams. He said removing t...
DAYTON — Newly elected Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., January 9, 2024. Mayor Roger Trump and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen were present in City Hall. Sheriff Joe Helm reported that his department is emphasizing monitoring Bluewood traffic on North Touchet Road and Fourth Street in response to citizens’ concerns. He said he is continuing to work with the city on how to respond to animal bite calls. After compl...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:31 p.m. on January 3, 2024. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen and members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin were in attendance. Interim Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. The board approved the consent agenda, which consisted of one item: the hiring of a full-time night custodian. Only two other topics were on the agenda for this evening’s meeting. The board was to conduct the first reading of several policy changes, and the superintendent was to giv...
DAYTON-American Legion Frank E. Bauers Post No. 42 in Dayton is looking to begin a new chapter at a time when at least one in 10 persons living in Columbia County is a United States military veteran. Post Commander Tim Hollingsworth of Waitsburg took over the role last fall. He served in the Washington Army National Guard for 20 years. His wife, Brandi, served eight years. She now serves as Treasurer of Post No. 42. "We want this to be a time for reinvigorating our post," said Hollingsworth....
DAYTON - When Dayton resident Denise Lane took her first trip to Nepal last year, she hoped to learn about effectively delivering medical and therapeutic care to some of the world's poorest people. She's still learning. Lane is Columbia County's only acupuncture practitioner. She's been at it for 13 years, the last five at the Therapy and Wellness department at Columbia County Health System's hospital in Dayton. This year, she has expanded her practice by offering services in Waitsburg at Blush...
DAYTON - The Touchet Valley has a new source for fresh "low-and-slow" Memphis-style barbeque with a New York twist. R and B BBQ opened its doors at 232 East Main Street in Dayton on December 8 with breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Owner Rex McNicol was on hand during a recent lunch-hour visit to give a tour. McNicol says he began slow cooking 16 years ago and entered competitions four years ago. "If we won top prize, we'd still make more money off vending than we did the prize itself," he...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library at 6:32 p.m. on December 20, 2023. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, and Grant Griffin. Aneesha Dieu and Ryan Paulson attended using Zoom. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present in the library. For the first order of business, the Board members who stood for re-election in November were administered the oath of office. The composition of the Board remains the same as it was before. Next, the Board Chair and Vice Chair positions were e...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on December 13, 2023. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson attended at the port office and Genie Crowe via Zoom. Dickinson updated the commissioners on five leases. The Desperado Cowboy Bullets and Blue Mountain Co-op renewed their leases for two years. Rae’s Studio in the Cameron Street CoWorking building extended its lease for another year. The Columbia County Conservation District signed a new lease for the garden spa...
DAYTON- Mayor Zac Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. on December 5, 2023. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen joined Weatherford at City Hall. Jasmin Helm presented results from the Community Needs Assessment completed by the Coalition for Youth and Families under the Columbia County Department of Public Health. She said the coalition hired Tanner Accountants & Advisors (TAA) to help the department address the issues i...
DAYTON -Friends and supporters of Lisa Naylor found a creative way to bring attention to her need for a kidney donor. This thoughtful group of residents helped Naylor mount a large sign on Joanne and Bill Poolman's barn on eastbound Highway 12. The sign with Naylor's image gives contact information on how to become a living kidney donor. Anyone interested in becoming a living kidney donor should contact Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for more information. There is an online questionnaire...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library on November 15, 2023. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Ryan Paulson, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart and student representatives Madison Richardson and Lila Hutchens were also present. One of the Board’s first actions was to approve Lila Hutchens as a student representative to the Board. She joins Madison Richardson as the second student representative. The student representative and ASB reports recap student act...
DAYTON- Mayor Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 7, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and Council Members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, and Shannon McMillen were at city hall. Laura Aukerman participated using Zoom. Washington State Representative Joe Schmick attended the meeting and spoke during the first public comment period. Schmick said Dayton should have a policy to charge fees for public record requests, in part to cover staff time. He advised the city to amend it...
DAYTON —YWCA Walla Walla will open the waitlist on for its new childcare center, RoseMary’s Place, coming to Dayton in Columbia County. The waitlist for the YWCA-operated childcare facility will open promptly at 7 a.m. on November 15, 2023, at ywcaww.org/rosemarys/. Families in Dayton, Waitsburg, and neighboring areas needing childcare services this spring are encouraged to make note of this date and add their names to the list. The center is set to officially open its doors on April 1, 2024, and the first names on the time-and-date stamped lis...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on November 1, 2023. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Interim Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. After approving the consent agenda, the Board interviewed Ryan Paulson for the vacant School Board position. Paulson was the only applicant and answered several questions from the board members. The Board approved Paulson’s appointment after an executive session. He will be sworn into office at the next meeting...
DAYTON-This year's fall musical at the Liberty Theater is Disney's "The Little Mermaid," a story familiar to many of us from two Disney movies and the older, original fairy tale. It's the story of a young woman growing up, following her dream, and finding herself. It's also the story of a loving parent learning to understand who their child has become and letting them go into the world. And finally, it's the story of two families with different cultures learning to accept each other as their...
