Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG - Safety Always Matters is a fire and life safety program developed by the City of Walla Walla Fire Department to teach elementary school students how to respond to emergencies. Presentations are in collaboration with local fire departments and school districts. On September 23, members of the College Place and Walla Walla Fire Departments, and Walla Walla Fire District #4 presented the S.A.M. program to the Waitsburg Elementary School. "Not only do the kids love interacting with the...
DAYTON - The National Safety Council recognizes outstanding advances in safety through the Green Cross for Safety Awards. The awards honor community partnerships, programs, individuals, researchers and corporations that make a significant impact on safety issues through advocacy, innovation, and excellence. On September 15, Puget Sound Energy and Principal Engineer Ryan Severe were awarded the Green Cross for Safety Innovation Award at the NSC Safety Congress and Expo held in Denver, Colorado....
The Waitsburg Historical Society hosted its annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 21. Cooler weather may have kept some visitors home; those who came were hungry. The Lions Club sold more bison burgers than last year, selling out. Before the rain began, the Historical Society honored the Gagnon Family as Pioneers of the Year. Almost the entire audience stood after family members were invited to the front of the stage. There were plenty of places to stay out of the rain, including the...
Waitsburg - A busy weekend in Waitsburg included an all-ages block party, the Lions Club Salmon Feed, and the Waitsburg Historical Society Fall Festival. The first annual Royal Block Party was held in the alley behind the hotel, Ten Ton Studios, Plaza Theater, and Wolfling Coffee. There was food, music, alley bowling, and ring toss from 5 until after 9 p.m. Wolfling Coffee opened its back door for in-progress shop tours and a chance to meet owners Caitlyn Potts and Trevor Corbin. Next door,...
WAITSBURG - On Sunday, September 21, the Waitsburg Historical Society will host the Pioneer Fall Festival, with an afternoon of food, horse-drawn carriage rides, pioneer craft demonstrations, antique farm equipment, museum tours, and the "Vintage Style Show." The Style Show begins at 1:30 p.m. and will feature clothing from the late 1800s to the Roaring Twenties-a journey from hoop skirts that concealed a woman's shape to more modern styles that accentuated it. Generous volunteers will model...
WAITSBURG - This year, the Waitsburg Historical Society has selected the Gagnon Family as the Pioneers of the Year. Members of the family will be honored at Fall Festival on September 21 at the Bruce House Museum. The Gagnon family's deep roots in the Walla Walla Valley farming community date back to the arrival of Marcel Gagnon in 1855. He immigrated from Quebec to the United States and became a citizen at the age of 18 in 1849. Along with other retired Hudson Bay fur trappers, he settled in...
WALLA WALLA COUNTY - The Waitsburg and Prescott School Districts are starting the 2025-26 school year with changes in leadership. Monty Sabin has stepped into the roles of superintendent and elementary school principal at the Waitsburg School District. Prescott's K-12 principal, Jeff Foertsch, was selected by the school board to replace Justin Bradford as superintendent. Sabin, a Washington native, brings 26 years of administrative experience to the district, last serving as superintendent for...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School Board held its regular business meeting on Wednesday, August 20, at 6 p.m. Superintendent Monty Sabin, Board Chair Christy House, and board members Charlie Barron, Julie Karl, and Abby Grende were present. After adopting the agenda, the board entered an executive session to discuss candidate interviews for the open board seat. The session ended, and the board voted unanimously to appoint Tylor Abel as School Board Director for position 3. Secondary Principal Joe...
WAITSBURG - After surveying Waitsburg residents in 2022 and 2023, the Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District identified a city pool as a top priority. The district was joined by Rural Youth Enrichment Services, Waitsburg Commercial Club, City of Waitsburg, and the Walla Walla YMCA to develop the five-year plan to relocate the city pool. After the district and city agreed to locate the new pool on city property on the north side of the Touchet River, the district selected WMS Aquatics to...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council met on Tuesday, August 12, at City Hall. Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Kevin House, Cindy Bishop, Mayor Marty Dunn, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were in attendance. Court Ruppenthal was absent. The council unanimously approved the Capital Facilities Plan update for 2025. Resolution 2025-794 was passed authorizing Hinchliffe to sign documents for the transfer of property from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The property at the end...
WAITSBURG — Since 2021, Columbia Walla Walla Fire District #2 has been looking for a full-time fire chief. The commissioners, volunteers, and community members have worked on a job description that would best serve the community. In February, the board hired Assistant Fire Chief Matt Spring to take over as chief. Spring is a Waitsburg resident with deep roots in the community and firefighting. “I grew up in a household watching my father work as a firefighter, then a fire chief, my entire childhood,” said Spring. Spring began volunteering in Wa...
WAITSBURG - The week of July 28 was busy for many Waitsburg youth. A play in Dayton, a band concert in Walla Walla, Vacation Bible School in Waitsburg, and a basketball skills camp in the Tri-Cities. The Red Truck Tour, from the Missoula Children's Theatre, brought "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to the Liberty Theater in Dayton. Two MCT directors worked with over 40 kids, including eight from Waitsburg, to learn lines, choreography, and build stage skills. In only one week, the students...
WAITSBURG - The increased activity in Preston Park has been noticeable this year, with lots of action at the splash pad and pickleball courts. In addition, weekly camps have been organized by Waitsburg's Parks and Recreation, held in the park and at Simply Sawdust's "Slab." Adding to the Cheer Camp the P&R held last year, are pickleball, skateboarding, fly fishing, and soccer. Across from Preston Park, Palouse Valley Community Center is offering weekly summer camps with activities including...
SNOHOMISH, WA - Scouts from Scouting America Troop 337 just returned from Camp Pigott, a camp organized by the Chief Seattle Council. The eight scouts participated in classes including archery, canoeing, kayaking, leatherworking, and swimming. Each scout who attended camp earned between two and four merit badges during the week. Sidian Stegall, Katherine Roberts, Natalia Alleman, and Caedmon Gagnon all received awards for Archery Marksmanship. Troop 337 is part of Scouting America's combined...
WAITSBURG - After the success of last year's cheer camp, Waitsburg Parks & Recreation added six new summer activities. The first was Skateboard Camp, held at The Slab next to Simply Sawdust. For three days, eight beginner skaters worked with coaches John Langford, Austin Casey, and Grant Godard to learn the basics and have a great time. Kids love to jump on a board, but they don't always have the skills or skater's etiquette to ride safely. With a focus on safety, coaches began each day with a...
WAITSBURG - On July 4th, the Waitsburg Historical Society will dedicate a new flag at the Bruce Museum and invites the public to join the celebration. The free event will follow Waitsburg's Patriots Parade starting in front of Banner Bank and ending at the museum's lawn. The Patriots Parade started in 2011, when Laurette McCaw challenged her husband Jack McCaw and the late Tom Baker to carry a United States flag down Main Street on the 4th of July, wearing shorts. John and Marilyn Stellwagen...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council met on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at City Hall. Mayor Marty Dunn, council members Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Kevin House, Court Ruppenthal, Jennifer Bishop, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. In public comment, the board heard from Joy Smith, who shared news that Sherwood Trust had provided $173,000 for Common Roots Housing to purchase two Waitsburg parcels. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation Commissioner Wendy Carter informed the board that...
WAITSBURG – On June 16, the Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District announced it is running a levy on the November General Election ballot to fund the district and facilitate the reopening of a Waitsburg community pool. The announcement took place at the proposed site of the new pool facility. Waitsburg Parks and Rec and Friends of the Waitsburg Pool have raised over $90,000, selected a new pool site, identified a builder, and had the site confirmed for viability through a 2-D hydraulic flood s...
WAITSBURG - The Weller Public Library is ready for summer vacation. Library Director Sarah Roberts and her staff kicked off the fun with visits from Waitsburg Elementary School students on Thursday, June 5. The students, their teachers, and aides were given a tour of the library's new "messy" space for projects and received backpacks that included a book, sunglasses, and a water bottle. The summer theme is "Level Up at Your Library!" Roberts told the students to get ready for lots of games,...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Lions Club members held their annual Ladies and Volunteers night at the Lions building on June 3. Lions club members prepared a delicious dinner, and the ladies won pots of flowers purchased from Nancy's Dream Garden. After dinner, President Connor Talbott spoke of highlights of the club, and then he presented the Lion of the Year Award. "I am proud to be able to give Tom House and Seamus House the Lion of the Year award. These young community leaders have gone above and...
WAITSBURG - The 129th Annual Waitsburg High School Commencement took place on Friday, June 7, in the high school gymnasium. Twenty-three students from the Class of 2025 walked to the traditional "Pomp & Circumstance" graduation march. The WHS band played the "Star-Spangled Banner," followed by an opening message from Superintendent Carol Clarke. Valedictorian Cedar Stegall and Salutatorian Lucas VanHoose delivered their speeches to their class and families. Clarke presented Madison Kaehler with...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council met on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at City Hall. Mayor Marty Dunn, Council Members Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Court Ruppenthal, Kevin House, Cindy Bishop, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. During public comment, Cindy Daves told the council that the Waitsburg Gun Club was asked to host the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's National Hunting and Fishing Day event this year. She said the Lions Club and Puget Sound Energy had each...
WAITSBURG - Gloria Wilson, owner of Simply Sawdust, is offering free 10' by 10' spaces for this year's Waitsburg City Wide Yard Sale. The spaces will be on the property called The Slab, adjacent to Simply Sawdust. It is an ideal location for the sale, offering excellent visibility, ample off-street parking, and vendor comradery. Wilson said yard sale vendors should bring tables and items to sell. Anyone needing more space can contact Wilson at (360) 852-6437 or at Simply Sawdust at 101 Main...
This year's Waitsburg Celebration Day Parade Marshal Barbara Danforth waving to the crowd. Danforth was the 1948 Days of Real Sport Queen and Waitsburg Historical Society 's 2023 Pioneer of the Year....
PULLMAN, Wash. - The retiring 2024-2025 Washington FFA State Officer team was recognized at the 95th Convention and Expo in Pullman, Wash., on May 10. State FFA Treasurer Makenna Barron has been an FFA member in Waitsburg for the last five years, competing in career and leadership development events, including the Livestock Evaluation, Vet Science, and speaking. She showed market swine in the Walla Walla and Columbia County fairs and shows. When she was 12, Barron was the 2018 Celebration Days...
