The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

COLUMBIA COUNTY-The Columbia County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and the Columbia County Sheriff's Department issued a joint press release to announce the closure of the county jail facility.

For the first time in nearly 136 years, the Columbia County Jail no longer accepts inmates.

Due to recent lawsuits in other small, rural counties and longtime concerns with safety and security in the jail and courthouse, Sheriff Joe Helm, in consultation with Prosecuting Attorney C. Dale Slack, has decided to stop housing inmates in the Columbia County Jail for the foreseeable future. Arrangeme...