Week of March 27, 2025
Week of March 27, 2025
DAYTON - A helicopter spraying weeds along the South Touchet River south of Dayton flew into transmission lines and crashed March 19. The unidentified pilot of the Bell 206B helicopter, who was the only occupant, was killed. The crash occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. about six miles south of Dayton across the river from the South Touchet Road. Numerous emergency vehicles from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and Columbia County Fire District 3 were at the scene most of the afternoon....
WAITSBURG - Returning from a trip to Tuscany, Tom and Judy Bennett brought their new-found love of Neapolitan pizza home to Walla Walla. In 2018, they opened Fiasco, a mobile catering business with a wood-fired pizza oven on a vintage truck. In 2022, the couple scaled up their enterprise by opening American 35 in Waitsburg's former American Legion building. They expanded the kitchen and dining room and opened the restaurant to Main Street with two large glass garage doors. But the real star of...
WAITSBURG —Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn called the city council meeting to order on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 7 p.m. at city hall. City council members Jillian Henze, Jennifer Bishop, Kevin House, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. Council members Jim Romine and Court Ruppenthal were not present. In public comment, representatives from the Touchet River Roundup, known as Woody’s Pig Roast, told the council they disagreed with a memo from the city administrator to the council. Hinchliffe recommended that the council...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 5:30 p.m. on March 19, 2025. Superintendent Jeremy Wheatley, Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, board members Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Ryan Paulson were present. Pat Davidson was in attendance. The board approved the consent agenda, including a gift of $269.70 to the Class of 2025 from the Class of 2025 parents. The consent agenda included the following personnel changes: Jack McCaw was hired as HS Assistant Baseball Coach, the resignation of Ajay McNarland as MS Head...
WAITSBURG — Waitsburg High School held its winter sports award ceremony on Wednesday, March 19. The coaches presented the following participation and award certificates. Scholar athletes are identified with an asterisk by their name. Cheerleading coach Vickie Hamann presented the following awards: Chloe McCaw* – Most Improved Mattilynn Carter – Most Inspirational Cedar Stegall* – Most Valuable Other team members include Hope Adkins, Bea Karl*, Marion Duncan* Girls Basketball Coaches Kira Waggoner and Hunter Wallace presented the...
KENNEWICK — Waitsburg Track Coach Dan Nechodom said he saw good teamwork and support through bad weather at a track meet at Kennewick on Thursday, March 20. At the meet, the Cardinals competed against larger schools from Kennewick, Hermiston, Kamiakin, Prosser, and Walla Walla. The team knows every competition is a chance to improve and make districts at the end of the season. Several Cardinals set personal records at Kennewick and will look to progress more on March 20 when they compete in the 7th Annual Clay Lewis Invite at Hanford....
WAITSBURG - Books for Bikes combines books and bikes to promote academic success and a love of reading. It is a joint venture of the Waitsburg Masonic Lodge #16, Waitsburg Elementary School, and the Weller Public Library. The Masonic Lodge generously donated eleven 20-inch bicycles and helmets. The program is open to all children living in Waitsburg or attending Waitsburg Elementary School. Children will track their reading time, and for every hour of reading, they will earn a chance to win a...
WAITSBURG - The Corral Wranglers 4H Club and the Pen Pals 4H Club held a successful food drive on Monday, March 24. There was a lot of energy, laughter, and activity as the kids, their parents, and advisors took in donations for the Waitsburg Resource Center at the Banner Bank parking lot. Over the afternoon and early evening, they collected 795 pounds of food and hygiene items for the...
2025 Variety show “Songs of the Elements” Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. DAYTON — This year’s TVAC variety show, “Songs of the Elements,” stars over 50 talented performers, including singers, dancers, actors, comedians, and a ventriloquist. Chances are, you know someone in the show. “Songs of the Elements” will surely delight with its fire, water, earth, and air-themed variety show. Featured songs include “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Great Balls of Fire,...
WAITSBURG — On March 21, the local National Honor Society coordinated with the Red Cross to organize a blood drive at the Waitsburg High School gym. Donors were welcome to walk in or schedule appointments for the drive. Advisor Shannon Schreindl said the turnout was so successful that they had to stop accepting walk-ins. The Red Cross volunteers said they had not expected such a high turnout and wished they had brought more staff. Honor Society members Alyssa Hollingsworth, Marion Duncan, Sarah Daves, Sarah Wilson, Jackson Karl, Cedar...
I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Florida for my uncle's 90th birthday. As usual, at the drop of the word party, our family convened from all over. A few of us stayed at a hotel with a huge courtyard and pool, and we invited everyone for a swim after Sunday's birthday brunch. It was great to spend time with my family poolside. The two to ten–year–olds were loaded with every pool toy imaginable. The 20 to 40-year-olds had fancy water bottles and an abundance of patience to exhaust the...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg Elementary presented PRIDE Awards at Waitsburg Elementary's assembly on Monday, March 24, students received PRIDE awards and announced results from the recent American Heart Association events. Top fundraisers also participated in a Silly String war, which brought smiles to students and staff. School Counselor Rosy Nechodom opened the assembly with the following PRIDE awards: Prepared – Avery Janovich Respect – Kaitlyn Miller Integrity – Scarlett Scott...
WAITSBURG — On March 11, twenty-seven Waitsburg FFA members and three judges traveled to Pomeroy to compete in the sub-district competitions. They had a successful day competing due in large part to the leadership of their FFA officers. Senior Cedar Stegall placed second in the Prepared Public Speaking event, where students gave a six-to-eight-minute speech on an agriculture topic. After their speeches, the students answer questions from the judges. They are judged on written manuscript, speech delivery, content, and responses to judges...
Fifteen Years Ago March 25, 2010 [Photo caption] Full Steam Ahead: Braving a rainy Sunday afternoon, members of the Pacific Railcar Operators (PRO) from as far away as Missoula and the San Francisco Bay Area come down the Blue Mountain railroad tracks near Bolles between Waitsburg and Prescott. Twenty-six of the "speeders" that are equipped with 16-inch steel wheels and powered by two-cylinder engines for speeds up to 25 miles per hour made the day trip back and forth between Walla Walla and...
Olive Oil Cake Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar 3 whole eggs or ¾ cup tofu ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ cup milk or coconut milk Orange zest 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ¼ – ½ teaspoon almond extract 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon poppy seeds Directions: Brush the inside of an eight or nine-inch cake pan with oil to coat. Add about a tablespoon of granulated sugar to coat the bottom and edge of the pan. Beat 3 whole large eggs (3/4 cup of tofu can be...
Oma Marie Harting, 65, of Dayton, died March 12, 2025, following a long illness. She was born in Ridgeway, Penn., to Joseph A. and Oma Marie (Vantassel) Ward on April 21, 1959. Oma was raised and attended school in Pennsylvania before her parents moved to Dayton, where she attended high school. She married George Porter, Sr., and they had two sons, George Porter Jr. and Delbert Porter of Colfax. The marriage ended in divorce. Oma met and married Ron D. Harting of Dayton on May 31, 1994, and...
