Week of December 11, 2025
Week of December 11, 2025
DAYTON—The annual Port of Columbia Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting held last week highlighted significant ongoing and potentially new projects for Columbia County. Billikin Energy Center Consultant Michael Mullaly provided an overview of a dual-fuel combustion turbine generator facility for a site on the Snake River west of Starbuck. The proposed half-billion-dollar peaker power plant will boost power during high demand or power grid emergencies. There are 1,200...
WAITSBURG - The 40th Annual Hometown Christmas brought holiday activities throughout town over the weekend. The fun started on Friday with a soft opening of the city's skate park. The synthetic ice rink was free for skaters of all ages, including the use of skates. The city held the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. At Town Hall, vendors offered a variety of gifts from local businesses and craftspeople. Dusty Britches Farms served a wide menu of tasty treats, including biscuits and...
Waitsburg High School started December with three games in four days. On Wednesday, December 3, the Cardinals' varsity boys beat Prescott, the varsity girls lost to the Tigers, and the junior varsity (JV) boys lost to Walla Walla Valley Academy. On Friday, all three Cardinal teams fell to Pomeroy, and on Saturday at Garfield-Palouse, the Cardinals went home without a win. In the first game on the 3rd, the JV boys lost to the Knights 41-20. Camdyn Vories led the team with 10 points, Carsyn...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg High School held its annual fall sports awards on December 4. Coach Vickie Hamann started the evening with awards for cheerleaders. Mattilynn Carter was awarded MVP (Most Valuable Performer), Hope Adkins received the Most Spirit Award, and Madison Strickland was named Most Improved. Other fall cheerleaders who lettered were Sarah Daves, Karissa Potts, Ava Childers, and Chloe McCaw. Hunter Wallace presented volleyball awards. Emma Hays was voted MVP, Cheri Mathews was named...
To the Editor, Due to a recent health issue with my husband and my continued care for my mother, Dave and I have had a challenge keeping up with our yard work. All was manageable until the leaves all fell into our yard after the first frost. It was a huge comfort to be able to call on Nicole Abel’s Waitsburg FFA students to ask for help with leaf raking. In two visits, our front yard was leaf-free; the students had labored in true efficiency- my dad would have called it excellent workmanship. This was a reminder of how important healthy,...
SPOKANE — Innovia Foundation’s annual Community Grants Program is currently accepting applications from nonprofit organizations serving Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Each year, this program awards more than $1 million to support a wide range of impact areas, including arts and culture, economic opportunity, education and youth development, health and wellbeing, and quality of life. This year’s funding theme, “Building Stability and Belonging,” emphasizes support for programs that increase access to basic needs, including food,...
DAYTON: “Wicked: For Good” will play for two weekends, December 12 to 16 & 19 to 23. For two holiday seasons, “Wicked,” the Tony Award-winning musical, has become a gravity-defying cinematic sensation. After challenging the Wizard’s totalitarian regime in Oz, Elphaba must grapple with her identity as the “Wicked Witch of the West”. At the same time, “Glinda the Good” is seen as the nation’s defender against Elphaba. The two witches must make decisions that seal their fates in this second musical installment. “Wicked: For...
WAITSBURG - The Parade of Lights is a highly anticipated event during Waitsburg's Hometown Christmas weekend. This year's entries included: Beka Compton Patriot Jeep Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 Friends of the Weller Public Library Blue Mountain Shrine Club Feliz Naughty Dogs Waitsburg Scouting Waitsburg Booster Club Muddy Wolf Creative Dance Lower Valley Christmas Trucks Waitsburg Celebration Days Royalty Nancy's Dream Garden Center Charles Stanger Waitsburg Historical Society...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Elementary School held this month's PRIDE Assembly on Friday, December 5. Two students from each class were presented awards for Integrity, the "I" in PRIDE. The 5th-grade class won the Best Attendance in November Award. The Best Attendance for Quarter One Award went to the 3rd-grade...
In a flash, another holiday season has arrived and it's the time of year where gatherings are centered around warm kitchens. To prepare, I've gathered recipes throughout the year to add to my seasonal entertaining repertoire. Some of my favorites are crowd-pleasing and unique appetizers. These English style sausage rolls, with plenty of savory herbal flavor, are perfect for dipping in a sweet and tart cranberry relish. Ingredients: For the relish: ½ can cranberry sauce, whole berry...
Fifteen Years Ago December 9, 2010 [photo caption] Members of the Waitsburg Boy Scouts Troop #336 pet Cougar, the iconic feline fixture at the Waitsburg Hardware & Mercantile Store. Each year, the troop picks a service project and this year they are collecting pet food for the store's animal adoption program and that of the Blue Mountain Humane Society in Walla Walla through Dec. 17. From left to right; Seamus House, Tom House, Koby Harris, Cason Nichols, Wyatt Matthews and Brayden Wood want...
Mary Liebermann Phillips, nee Mary Margaret Liebermann, was born on February 5, 1940, and passed away on December 3, 2025, at the age of 85. Mary was born in Santa Paula, California, to John and Elizabeth Liebermann and moved to the Waitsburg-Dayton area in the late 1940s when her parents purchased land. Mary attended a two-room schoolhouse in Huntsville, Washington, from grades 2– 4 and then attended Waitsburg schools, graduating from Waitsburg High School in 1957. She attended Eastern Washington State College (now known as Eastern...
Thursday, Dec. 11 Breakfast Pancake on a stick Lunch Chicken Alfredo Breadstick Fruit and Vegetable Friday, Dec. 12 Breakfast Breakfast Burrito Lunch Pepperoni or Cheese Pizza Fruit & Vegetable Monday, Dec. 15 Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Lunch Hamburger Tater Tots Fruit & Vegetable Tuesday, Dec. 16 Breakfast Biscuits & Gravy Lunch Nachos Fruit & Vegetables Wednesday, Dec. 17 Breakfast Ultimate Breakfast Round Lunch Turkey Sandwich Fruit &...
