Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1176 - 1200 of 1899
DAYTON-January has been a busy month for the commissioners of the Columbia County Hospital District, as they settle in to 2016. On Jan. 14, a swearing-in ceremony was held in the hospital cafeteria for Ken Dyball, who replaces Jim Kime on the board, and for Wes Leid, who replaces Lisa Naylor. Also in January, a special meeting of the hospital commissioners was held on Jan. 21 for the purpose of electing officers for 2016. New board members Bob Hutchens and Ken Dyball were elected, respectively,...
DAYTON-At their regular meeting on January 20 the Dayton School Board elected new member Dan Butler as chair, Dave Bailey, vice chair, and Dan Andrews as legislative representative for the 2016 school year. Voluntary board assignments, based on interest and expertise, were also made at the meeting. Bailey will act as WIAA representative, Andrews will be on the facilities committee, Butler said he would like to be on the budget and finance committee, and Director Katie Leid will serve on the...
DAYTON—Forty-two community members gathered at the Best Western Hotel Conference Room in Dayton on Jan. 21 for a day-long strategic planning session. Following the session, Peggy Gutierrez, Director of the Coalition for Youth and Families, said that most of the goals for the planning session were met. These included: Involving all segments of the community in the discussion Taking an in-depth look into the needs and resources of the community Developing a comprehensive plan, going forward S...
DAYTON – On January 15 at approximately 12 p.m., the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and the Washington State Patrol assisted the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office in executing a search warrant at 305 E. Dayton Avenue, Apt. B. That search resulted in the recovery of items stolen in multiple thefts and burglaries. According to a CCSO press release, the WWCSO developed probable cause for the warrant from a string of burglaries in Walla Walla County and the subsequent arrest of Perry Ashelman o...
DAYTON-The Columbia County District Courtroom, located at 535 Cameron Street in Dayton, is getting a make-over, according to Kriston Daugherty, District Court Administrator. After discussing the need for greater security in the courtroom with others at a municipal department head meeting in September, Dougherty approached the Columbia County Commissioners to ask them to approve plans to create a more secure layout inside the courtroom, which they did. They also approved $4,000 from the...
DAYTON – In December, the Dayton School Board adopted a resolution to request voter approval for an M&O levy to replace the one that is set to expire this year. The new levy amount will be slightly higher than the one it would replace, increasing from $1,300,000 to $1,460,000. Ballots were to be mailed to voters on Wednesday, according to County Auditor Sharon Richter. The M&O levy will help support programs including athletics, food services, and hiring a K-12 school counselor, according to S...
DAYTON—Representatives from the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, the Port of Columbia and Southeastern Washington State Parks are preparing a new event for Columbia County. In July and August, the New Old Time Chautauqua is teaming up with the Washington State Parks System to bring live entertainment and workshops to State parks and nearby rural communities, for the purpose of connecting the communities to their parks. Washington State Park Program Specialist for the Blue Mountain Area, Clara D...
Dayton—An After School Task Force, formed by the Coalition for Youth and Families, has been meeting regularly since April, 2015 to discuss creating an after school enrichment program for Dayton students. The group is getting closer to making the program a reality. The ASTF decided at their meeting on Jan. 12 to offer a pilot program to fourth, fifth and sixth graders during the last four weeks in March. The program will be held three days a week, and students will be able to choose from among th...
Sheriff’s Office urges residents to lock vehicles and report missing property DAYTON – The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office took reports on 19 car prowls over just two days last week. Though most owners reported missing only small change from their glove boxes and cup holders, the sheriff’s office is asking individuals to at least call in and report incidents even if they don’t want to be contacted by a deputy. Citizens are urged to lock their vehicles any time they are left unattended, even if it is only for a short amount of time, and to st...
DAYTON – The Washington State Legislature opened its 60-day 2016 session on Monday, and once again, education funding is the number one issue legislators will face. In a phone interview with The Times last week, Republican Representative Terry Nealey, of Dayton, expressed a sense of déjà vu about having to revisit the issue once again. "We've increased education funding about one-third" since the State Supreme Court's McCleary decision, he said. "Still, we're being held in contempt by the cou...
DAYTON - With many steps in between, Monte Fulbright has come full circle, from his student days here to signing on as Dayton General Hospital's new Laboratory Department Manager. After graduating from Dayton High School in 1978, Fulbright attended school in Pullman with the intention of pursuing a career in agriculture. Armed with a degree in science from WSU, Fulbright did some substitute teaching at Waitsburg and Dayton High Schools for a couple of years. Then came a career shift. While...
DAYTON – Columbia County is the new owner of the home at 721 S. Third St. in Dayton after a criminal forfeiture process was completed last week. The home, which is located across the street from Dayton High School, was formerly owned by Monty N. Dunn, who pleaded guilty last May to delivery of methamphetamine. Dunn is currently serving a four year, nine-month sentence in a DOC facility. According to Columbia County Prosecutor Rea Culwell, the forfeiture process took about six months. She said t...
DAYTON – The Times has learned that buyers have entered into an agreement to purchase Dayton’s Country Cupboard restaurant and bakery. According to good sources, paperwork was signed on Saturday for the purchase of the building and business from owners Rayleen and Chuck Sursley. The transaction is expected to be completed and closed around the end of January. Information was not disclosed regarding the identity of the buyers, since the transaction is still pending. When the new owners take over, they are expected to continue running a res...
DAYTON – The Dayton School District is offering tours to help voters understand more about the facilities improvements and technology upgrades the district hopes to make, should the two tax levies on the February special elections ballot pass. Superintendent Doug Johnson lead an informal tour last weekend and will lead another on Wed., Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. The tour will begin at the district office located at 609 E. Second Street. Voters are asked to support a four-year $1.46 million M&O levy which will replace the current $1.3 million levy. T...
DAYTON-Waitsburg natives Gwynneth Neace, DO and her husband, Lewis Neace, DO, are the newest physicians to join the Columbia County Health System. The Neaces say they are happy to be home, and are looking forward to working in the community. Dr. Gwynn Neace received her Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Mo., in 1977. She has been Board Certified in Pediatrics since 1989, and has practiced most recently at Metropolitan Pediatrics, in...
DAYTON – The Wenaha Gallery, located on Dayton's Main Street, devotes every January to a food drive supporting Dayton's community food bank. Each year, people from within and outside the community donate hundreds of pounds of food to the effort. The food bank is just one of the projects supported by Project Timothy, an ecumenical ministry spearheaded by St. Joseph Parish in Dayton and St. Mark Parish in Waitsburg, and aided by a number of other area churches. The volunteer-based ministry operate...
DAYTON – Three years ago, director Bev Startin successfully took on the ambitious task of bringing the wildly popular musical comedy Nunsense to the Liberty Theater. The hilarious tale of a group of unfortunate nuns trying to raise money following a disaster was a hit, with sold out shows throughout its run. That classic musical comedy by playwright Dan Goggin has entertained audiences far and wide; so much so that Goggin has had a very successful career writing eagerly sought sequels. The lates...
Columbia County Superior Court December 16, 2015 Sentencing: Terry Elmo Riner, 47, Dayton. Sentenced to 18 months confinement following a Revocation of Residential DOSA (drug offender sentencing alternative). He was charged in Oct. 2014 with possession of controlled substance other than marijuana, a Class C, felony but failed to comply with treatment and custody requirements and refused to submit a urine sample. Trials/Pre-trials Set: Joel O. Ballard, 23, Charged with assaulting a fellow resident at Patit Creek ARC on Nov. 29. Ballard was...
DAYTON—At their meeting on Dec. 21, CCHS hospital commissioners adopted a resolution finalizing the selection of Shane McGuire as CEO of the hospital district. They also approved the 2016 budget, and discussed the hospital remodel/redesign. The budget for 2016 shows projected net revenue of $12,537,174, expected expenses totaling $13,508,178, and an operating loss of $971,004. Non-operating sources of revenue, money from donations and grants, interest income, and tax revenue, adds back $...
DAYTON - In November, the Coalition for Youth and Families hosted the movie Paper Tigers at the Liberty Theater. Many community members have since responded, asking what is next. Coalition members say they hope to use the information and momentum from that event to help redefine their work. And they’re asking for the community’s help. Community members will soon be invited to a partial-day or day-long Strategic/Action Planning session that would take a look at the needs and resources of the community through the eyes of different groups, inc...
DAYTON – The news in Dayton and Columbia County in 2015 was highlighted by fires and marijuana legalization and updates from the Columbia County Health System and Columbia Pulp. Here's a brief review: January Keep Kate: A group of Dayton area residents formed a group whose purpose was to encourage the Dayton School Board to retain interim middle and high school principal Kate Wenzel permanently in that position. Wenzel was hired for the 2014-15 school year only, to replace outgoing principal A...
DAYTON – When you're browsing in Snapdragon Floral and Gifts shortly before Christmas, you might think you've traveled to the North Pole. Santa's workshop must look something like this. "We love Christmas," says Cara Watts, who, with her mother, Vicky Beckmeyer, operates the recently renamed Snapdragon. It shows. Their store on Dayton's Main Street sells Christmas decorations year-round. But as the holiday season approaches, the Christmas spirit takes over, with beautiful decorations and w...
DAYTON – On Wednesday, Columbia Pulp CEO John Begley presented an updated timeline for groundbreaking for the firm’s straw processing plant, which it plans to build near Lyons Ferry in northwest Columbia County. He also talked about moving the company’s laboratory from Seneca Foods, Corp., to the former Columbia Cut Stock buildings. The discussions took place during the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting, held at the Columbia County Fire District #3 station. (See...
DAYTON – Community leaders gathered at a luncheon on Dec. 16 at the Columbia County Fire District #3 station for Columbia County’s annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to amend and prioritize projects on a five-year economic development project list. Before the priority discussion began, John Begley CEO of Columbia Pulp, Inc., spoke about the latest plans for that firm’s development of a straw pulp plant near Lyons Ferry (see artic...
DAYTON—At a public hearing on December 2, the Columbia County Commissioners considered, and adopted, three resolutions pertaining to road projects for 2016. The Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program covers the years 2016 to 2021. It includes an updated listing of proposed road improvement projects, along with a revenue and expenditure analysis. A bridge inspection report for that was prepared by County Engineer Andrew Woods. The annual construction program for 2016 describes ten road p...
