Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 476
WAITSBURG-A fire on July 9 claimed a barn, an RV, and other parked vehicles at a property on Waggoner Road. Responding fire crews were able to extinguish flames that spread to a nearby wheat field, burning less than one acre. A neighbor to the property, Lisa Lee, said she was working in her yard when she heard a boom, turned around, and saw a black smoke plume. She immediately ran inside, called 9-1-1, and reported the fire. At the time, she was unaware that it was a structure fire. "After I...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council met on July 1 for a council workshop. The meeting was open to the public and attended by ten members of the community. There was no public comment period during the meeting. Per the public notice dated June 29, any questions or comments could be passed on to the City Council via City Hall, located at 147 Main St., P.O. Box 35, Waitsburg, WA 99361, or (509) 337-6371. The first item on the agenda regarded City Hall. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe...
WAITSBURG — Many state, county, and city officials ask the public to celebrate the Fourth of July without home fireworks this year. The Pacific Northwest is experiencing extreme heat conditions causing serious concerns over health and fire safety going into the Fourth of July celebrations. Even though the risk of fire increases significantly during extreme heat conditions, under Washington state law, local jurisdictions cannot impose temporary bans on fireworks. The times to purchase and use fireworks in the state are regulated under RCW 7...
WAITSBURG — The Weller Library Board of Trustees met on June 23 at the Weller Library in Waitsburg. The three current board members, Jim Leid, Becky Huwe, and Elenora Montgomery, were in attendance. Librarian Rosie Warehime, Lane Gwinn, and Terry Lawhead were also at the meeting. The city’s proposal to surplus the current building and move the library to a new location was discussed by the board. There was confusion over Mayor Dunn’s explanation for removing the item from the city council’s agenda in June. Montgomery said the board has the pow...
WAITSBURG-A new athletic Code of Conduct, designed to fit the student-athletes of the Dayton Waitsburg Athletic Combine, was the center of discussion at the Waitsburg School Board meeting on June 17. Athletic Director Sam Korslund said the boys basketball team would finish the season in at least 4th place. The team was honored with a police send-off out of Dayton. The girls' season was unfortunately cut short by COVID-19. An awards banquet is planned for the end of the season, with the date and...
WAITSBURG—The potential surplus of 212 Main Street, which houses the Weller Public Library, was tabled for an unspecified amount of time during a regular City Council meeting on June 16. Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn removed the action item regarding the surplus, stating that the council needed legal clarification regarding the library’s infrastructure. “We (the city) know that we own the building, but we do not know any of the infrastructure or what is going on in the library,” Dunn said. “There...
Waitsburg—On Wednesday, June 9, the Friends of the Weller Library met for their regular monthly meeting. The meeting was held at the Weller Library in Waitsburg and attended by approximately 30 people. Karen Huwe, past president of the group, welcomed everyone before turning the meeting over to new president Lisa Winnett. After the last meeting’s minutes were read and approved, Winnett opened discussion on the City Council’s possible decision to surplus the library. She said the group knew nothing of the plan until they read it in The Times...
WAITSBURG—The Cardinal's Nest is pleased to offer four weeks of hands-on art and science activities this summer! Thanks to generous grants from the Sunny Day Foundation, Northwest Grain Growers, and matched through United Way and the facilities provided by the Waitsburg School District, this summer program is available at no cost. Sessions are Monday to Thursday, 9:00-10:45 a.m. Kathy Schirm will be leading the activities with her usual enthusiasm and focus on positive interactions with students. In order to follow current guidelines from t...
WAITSBURG-Long-time Waitsburg resident Ann Adams has been running for more than a decade, but it wasn't until earlier this month that she hit one of the ultimate running milestones: She finished her first marathon, running more than 26 miles in just over four hours, at the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in Port Angeles, Wash. The North Olympic Discovery Marathon follows the Olympic Discovery Trail, which stretches roughly 100 miles from Port Angeles to Port Townsend. The course zigged and...
WAITSBURG-It's been a later-than-usual growing season for many area gardeners, but it didn't hinder the vendors at the local farmers market last weekend. The first Waitsburg Farmer's Market weekend was a successful one, according to co-manager Doug Biolo. Attending vendors reported great sales, fun visitors, and an overall great time. "Saturday went so well," Biolo said. "The morning was really nice. A lot of people came by to say 'hi.' Dusty Britches Farms was the only vendor on Sunday, and I...
WAITSBURG—The Friends of the Weller Library are hosting a meeting on Wednesday, June 9th, 2021, at the Weller Public Library, 212 Main, Waitsburg. Those interested in learning about the group and interested in supporting the library are encouraged to attend the meeting which begins at 7 p.m....
WAITSBURG—The May 19 City Council meeting was scheduled to include a public hearing concerning the possible sale of 212 Main St, which houses the Weller Public Library. A much larger than usual crowd attended the Waitsburg City Council meeting. Over 40 people were there specifically to attend the public hearing. Many people were concerned that the proposal was about closing the library altogether. Comments supported the library, and many wanted to keep the library in the historic building on Main Street. Mayor Marty Dunn opened the regular coun...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg Elementary Friday announced that the school would be closed to in-person instruction, effective June 1. All students in grade pre-k through fifth-Grade will participate in remote instruction until the end of the school year. The last day of school is June 15. The closure came after a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in the district’s elementary population, resulting in multiple exposures and close contacts. On May 25, the school was informed that the entire second-grade class must be quarantined, along with their fam...
WAITSBURG-The Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 met Wednesday, May 12, for a regularly scheduled meeting. Fire commissioners discussed the upcoming elections in each county and a new vehicle that Commissioner Jake Long was able to secure. District Clerk Anne Higgins provided a financial report following the approval of minutes. She noted that the report was missing several Columbia County expenditures because the county had not yet processed them. Commissioner Deb Fortner reported that...
WAITSBURG—Librarian Rosie Warehime has waited a long time to welcome patrons back into the Weller Public Library. She has waited over a year since being closed down by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Warehime was excited to share that the little library is open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, with a max capacity of five visitors at a time, with a time limit of 15 minutes. The online library is still available as long as you have an internet connection, and Warehime said s...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council set a May 19 public hearing date to discuss the future of 212 Main Street, the 1905 Exchange Bank building, which currently houses the Weller Public Library. At the April City Council meeting, council members discussed the potential of selling the historic property in a city surplus sale. Discussions with the city council have included updating the building, which houses the Weller Library, for American Disability Act (ADA) compliance and the need for extensi...
WAITSBURG—Volunteers stepped up to begin the process for selecting a new fire chief at the Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 meeting on Wednesday, April 14. Commissioner Deb Fortner gave a brief update on the ongoing repairs at the fire station. Projects to complete include updating exterior doors and installing handrails along the stairs. Commissioner Jake Long said that he stopped by the station prior to the meeting and thought the kitchen looked close to completion, however, a f...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board had a full agenda for the April 15 meeting, including approval of a comprehensive sexual health curriculum and discussing athletic combine matters. During the secondary principal’s report, Principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared that the senior class has been planning for graduation. Currently, the 2021 graduation is on the school’s calendar for June 4. Superintendent Mark Pickel reported that there would be a meeting with the DW Administration team on April...
WAITSBURG—A committee consisting of parents and teachers has spent the past few months exploring comprehensive health education after Washington voters passed Senate Bill 5395 in 2020. The bill, which went into effect on December 3, 2020, requires that Washington public schools provide comprehensive sexual health education (CSHE) by the 2022-2023 school year. Early requirements, including consultations with parents and guardians, local communities, and the Washington State School Directors A...
WAITSBURG-Late in the night on Friday, April 9, multiple properties were vandalized in Waitsburg, including the baseball fields, the football field, and the horse track. With the first home baseball game scheduled in less than a week, athletes, parents, and friends rallied on Sunday to repair the field to a playable state. The damage included deep ruts caused by a vehicle spinning 'brodies' on the grass and infield, with deep tire marks which appeared to be caused by spinning tires. Witnesses...
WAITSBURG-Seventy-five thousand pounds of food from participating sponsors was dropped off at the Waitsburg Elementary School parking lot over the weekend. The semi-trucks that hauled it disappeared as soon as the trailers were empty. Countless smiling volunteers helped distribute every single bit of food to anyone and everyone who drove up. The food was prepackaged in 30-pound boxes. Dairy staples, including yogurt and butter, and other essential pantry items like fresh potatoes, onions, and...
WAITSBURG—On March 15, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee released an emergency proclamation concerning updates to school reopening plans. The directive stated that all schools in Washington State must offer in-person instruction for elementary students by April 5, and in-person instruction for high school students by April 19. On March 25, the Washington State Department of Health adopted guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that lessened the six foot physical distancing requir...
WAITSBURG—House Bill 2005 was introduced in 2017 to improve the business climate in Washington State by simplifying the administration of municipal business licenses. The bill went into effect in July 2017. The Waitsburg City Council officially voted to align with the state’s business license system in November of last year. The bill stated that cities that require a general business license must partner with the Department of Revenue for issuance and renewal of any business license through the...
WAITSBURG—Spring has sprung, and daffodils aren’t the only things popping up around town. Last week, a couple of Waitsburg residents posted on social media, warning of solicitors going around town selling air purification products. According to the Waitsburg Municipal Code, solicitors are defined as: ‘Any person who goes from house to house or place to place in the City of Waitsburg selling or taking orders for or offering to sell or take orders for, goods, wares or merchandise, for prese...
WAITSBURG-Monday, March 15, was the first day of the 2021 Homecoming Week at Waitsburg High School. The first costume challenge was Zoom Call Dress Up: Business on the top half, casual on the bottom. The Senior class won both the dress-up contest and the BuffPuff volleyball game, giving them a strong advantage over their lowerclassmen. Sophomore Natalie Teal was voted the "Best Dressed Girl," while Senior Shawn Evans was voted the "Best Dressed Boy." On March 16, the Seniors won the Spirit Day d...
