Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1805
PRESCOTT - One of Touchet Valley's most beloved residents passed away on January 24, 2024. Izzy the Camel brought so much love to his owners, Tawnya and Mickey Richards, and their family. They shared that joy with others, bringing him to events, parties, birthdays, and parades throughout the state. Izzy was a public figure who took his job seriously. He posed for pictures, accepted snacks, and planted many kisses on his adoring fans. Reprinted from The Times June 25, 2015 issue. Izzy's big break... Full story
WALLA WALLA — Earlier in December, the Walla Walla Valley Chamber held the 2023 Business Awards Showcase at Baker Boyer, where the recipients of the eight award categories were announced. The Walla Walla Valley Business Awards Showcase, presented by Baker Boyer, honors outstanding business achievements and contributions in the Walla Walla Valley. The award categories were created to recognize the individuals, groups, and organizations that have demonstrated resilience, community commitment, leadership, and strong business practices. Requests f...
WALLA WALLA —Walla Walla County Board of Health (WWBOH) seeks member applications for the Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB). The CHAB’s primary responsibility is to assist the WWBOH and the Department of Community Health (DCH), including the following: • Provide input to the local board of health in the recruitment of local administrator/director and local health officer • Use a health equity framework to conduct local health needs assessment and health improvement planning efforts. • Promote public participation in these efforts ...
WAITSBURG—The Walla Walla County General Election is slated for November this year, with a May 17-21 filing period. This election will include the Waitsburg City Council and Mayor positions. Historically, the city’s elections were held annually according to the city’s Territorial Charter. In February of 2020, the Waitsburg City Council voted to change the election process following a public hearing, transferring the process to the County Auditor’s office. Under the new process, electio... Full story
Grace Coulston, of Waitsburg, is vivacious, known for her constant smile, and never hesitating to lend a helping hand. Her entire life, she has been active. She grew up on a farm just outside of Waitsburg and loves all-things agriculture. Less than one year out of high school, Coulston is the owner-operator of a successful Boer goat breeding program, Sorghum Hollow Boer Goats, which takes her all over the country for shows and sales. February is a special month for Coulston: It is Turner Syndrom... Full story
Due to school board concerns with the rising number of active COVID-19 cases in Walla Walla County, Waitsburg School District will switch to distance learning starting Monday, November 23rd and continue in this learning mode to Wednesday, November 25th. While this was not an easy decision and may not be well received by everyone, the consensus of the board is that this is the right decision for the circumstances at this time. It is important to note that currently, there are no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in any of our school building...
WALLA WALLA-Providence St. Mary has tightened up visitor restrictions due to a recent surge in Walla Walla County COVID-19 cases. Guided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, Providence St. Mary Medical Center (PSSMC) has reduced the number of visitors a hospitalized patient may see. The changes went into effect on Monday, November 9. One visitor per day will be allowed. Multiple visitors a day are temporarily prohibited. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 may...
WAITSBURG-Not everyone is as excited to wake up in Hawaii and go to bed in Washington as Lark, the dog. On October 28, a Hercules C-130 flew more than 600 dogs and cats from the Kauai Humane Society to Seattle's SeaTac Airport, in what is being called the 'largest animal rescue flight in history' by Hawaii's Emergency Management. The Kauai Humane Society is an open-admissions shelter that takes in more than 3,000 animals each year; however, there are limited adoptive homes since it is an island...
Free public presentations on history, politics, music, philosophy, and more WALLA WALLA-Through the Walla Walla Public Library, the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau talks are free and available to the public. The program compiles a roster of presenters who are professors, artists, activists, historians, performers, journalists, and others-all chosen not only for their expertise but their ability to inspire discussion with people of all ages and backgrounds. Most recently, Washington State...
WAITSBURG—Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala are all names we recognize. How about Fall Jeneting, McAfee, and Nero? Thanks to the work of Dave Benscoter and the Lost Apple Project, you may become familiar with a couple of recently-rediscovered lost apple varieties. The Lost Apple Project came to be after Dave Benscoter was asked to help pick apples for a friend outside of Spokane. Benscoter grew up around apple trees and quickly determined that none of the fruit was usable, but he couldn’t quite kic...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg Celebration Days (WCD) board of directors met Monday, October 26 at 7 p.m via Zoom call. The board met to elect a new president, vice president, and an advertising director. Directors had to postpone the election until the November meeting, as they had not yet had any volunteers step up with interest. Waitsburg Celebration Days is a volunteer-led non-profit, formed in 2013 to continue community celebrations originally hosted for over 100 years by Days of Real Sport. WCD...
Well, that escalated quickly. Our weather has gone from a pleasant and mild fall to a midwinter's frozen tundra practically overnight. It took the better part of a day to get above freezing. And so it goes, another turning of the wheel-toes in socks, socks in boots. The parkas are out, and before you know it, we'll be back inside, once again relegated to the confines of the indoors, daydreaming about spring. All-season gardeners know better. Winter gardening using container pots keeps the...
WAITSBURG-The coronavirus has highlighted some unexpected heroes over the past ten months. The Waitsburg School District has had a handful of heroes step up and go far above and beyond their typical duties this school year. "Our para-eds and our kitchen staff... they have been working their tails off this year," Superintendent Mark Pickel. "Last week alone, they put together 1,700 meals to go." During a 'normal' school year, paraeducators can be found assisting in the classroom, often offering...
If you drive down Main Street Waitsburg, you'll see a cute pink house with white trim. That little house is one of many that Jason Gillen, owner of JLG Painting, has finished in the area. While 'professional painter' sits at the top of Gillen's resume, 'powerlifter/strongman' follows in a close second. Gillen has been into weight lifting since a young age, saying that it is a hobby as it is a lifestyle. "I got my first pair of barbells from my dad. I was, oh, seven or eight years old," Gillen...
WAITSBURG—Schulke Family Pumpkins have made their way back to Waitsburg for another year of fundraising for the Ronald McDonald House. The by-donation fundraiser is the Schulke family’s way of honoring their son, Cooper, who passed away in 2002 after a valiant fight against a brain tumor. Cooper was just seven and a half years old. In 2007, Cooper’s siblings, Emerson and Campbell, came up with the idea of selling pumpkins to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House, a place that became a ‘home...
WALLA WALLA—A Pendleton man is facing felony charges after being arrested last week in Waitsburg for sex crimes. Robert Miguel Aguilera, 37, was booked into Walla Walla County Jail on felony charges of sex trafficking, rape, and assault. Court documents show Aguilera allegedly purchased a female under the age of 18, missing from Richland, Wash. The documents state that Aguilera forcibly raped the victim at various locations in Walla Walla, Dayton, College Place, and Milton Freewater, t...
WALLA WALLA—Skylar I. Glasby, 32, was extradited from Walla Walla County Jail back to Umatilla County Jail, where he awaits a retrial from an incident in 2016. Glasby was convicted on charges of kidnapping, robbery and assault of a Milton-Freewater man in 2016. He successfully appealed the conviction on grounds that he was denied permission to either get new counsel or act as his own legal counsel during the trial. He was released pending a new trial scheduled for January 2021. Glasby faces felony charges of first-degree kidnapping, f...
WAITSBURG—Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider, Undersheriff Joe Klundt, and fifteen Waitsburg community members met in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, August 25, to discuss recent suspected criminal activity in the city. Matthew Wyatt, who lives in the neighborhood where Skylar I. Glasby was arrested earlier this month on unlawful imprisonment and domestic violence charges, said now, more than ever, he fears for the safety of his family, and his community. Glasby was released earlier this w...
WAITSBURG-If you need a good book this summer, look no further than the Weller Public Library. Librarian Rosie Warehime has gotten creative and with the help of her granddaughter/assistant, Jaidyn Brown has crafted a way to get books into readers' hands once again. Libraries across the nation have been closed since the coronavirus pandemic emerged earlier this year. Visitors are still unable to go in the building, so Weller Public Library is now offering curbside pickup for books, complete with...
Waitsburg School District’s board of directors spent last Tuesday at a three-hour-long retreat and training at the school’s library. The training was facilitated by Dr. William Jordan from Northwest Leadership Associates. Dr. Jordan has more than 50 years of educational experience, including serving as Walla Walla Public Schools superintendent, Prescott School District superintendent, and various educator positions. He is now a consultant at Northwest Leadership Associates. The board mem...
WALLA WALLA—Becoming a new parent often brings a mix of emotions: among them, joy and stress, in the best of circumstances. Caring for a newborn when you lack basic resources can be particularly challenging and lead to health risks for both babies and parents. A new program called Care Crates aims to bridge this gap by sending new families home with bassinet boxes filled with the basic items needed to care for a newborn at home. The project is being funded through a new partnership between t...
WALLA WALLA—Recent survey results, representing feedback from nearly 2,000 Walla Walla Public Schools parents, provided district staff critical guidance as they begin finalizing Fall 2020 reopening plans. Results from this recent survey, in addition to three prior surveys representing thousands of respondents, a focus group interview with students, and 10 different workgroups consisting of dozens of staff and community partners, have provided a path forward as the district modifies in-person instruction this fall. The strict, 6-foot social d...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County’s application for entry into Phase 3 appears to be in jeopardy (see story, page 5) due to Monday’s announcement from health officials that twelve additional COVID-19 cases were reported since Friday, June 19th’s total. As of Tuesday, June 23, the county has 29 active cases all of whom are under home isolation. The county has had three deaths from the virus to date. City of Walla Walla Development Services Director Elizabeth Chamberlain speaking as Liaison for Unified Command, remarked in a video shared to Faceboo...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider released a letter on April 23 stating that “the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office is primarily funded from sales tax, so is imperative that we get Walla Walla County businesses back up and running.” Crider stated that the five percent budget cuts his department are being asked to make by Walla Walla County Commissioners would slice $232,595 out of a $4,651905 total budget. Crider asserts that these budget cuts “can only mean one thing, we are going to have to cut manpower by reducing...
Publisher Lane Gwinn wanted to know how things were going for some of our community's front-line workers, the folks at Waitsburg's Post Office. Mike Reed, Waitsburg's postmaster, was kind enough to email the Times with his thoughts and suggestions on how to keep yourself and others safe while getting the mail. "First, almost everyone is doing the social distancing very well and we appreciate it, we hope we can get back to normal soon, please thank everyone for their patience. "The way the floor...
