DAYTON – Columbia County signed an interlocal agreement with the city of Walla Walla in April to share in the purchase and installation of a new computer-aided dispatch and records management system for the county dispatch center and sheriff’s office. The new system replaces an 18-year-old program that has reached “end of life,” according to Columbia County Emergency Manager Lisa Caldwell.

For roughly $236,000 and a few thousand dollars per year in fees, Columbia County will gain access to a top-of-the-line system – and tech support – that would otherwise cost more than $1 mil...