Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Board discuss special education contract WAITSBURG–The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, August 18, for a regularly scheduled meeting. After serving the district for 25 years, board members and attendees said ‘thank you’ one last time to Human Resources and Assistant Business Manager Linda Henze, who retired the following day. The district presented Henze with a plaque, and later she went out for a celebratory dinner with district employees and friends at Whiskey C’s. Teachers and staff a...
WALLA WALLLA-The Wine Country Amphitheater has brought familiar and new headliners, including Bonnie Raitt and Aaron Lewis, to the Walla Walla Valley. As part of her Humble Quest tour, Maren Morris will step on the outdoor stage on August 23. Before her solo career took off in 2015, Morris wrote songs for country music stars, including Kelly Clarkson (Second Wind) and Tim McGraw (Last Turn Home). Morris's debut song, "My Church" became her first top 5 hit on Billboard's US Hot Country Songs and...
WASHINGTON—The small town of Lind, located approximately 75 miles from Spokane, was temporarily evacuated on August 4 as a fast-moving wildfire swept through the town of roughly 500 residents. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to evacuate the town because of the ‘ongoing threat from the flames.’ The fire destroyed six homes and eight other structures before being contained. Nearly 2,500 acres were destroyed by the fire, according to Adams County Sheriff Dale J. Wagner in a Fa...
DAYTON-Shere Kan, Mowgli, and Baloo will take center stage at the Liberty Theater this weekend, in Dayton. Missoula Children's Theatre is back with their summer production of "The Jungle Book." The Missoula Children's Theater (MCT) visits all 50 States, five Canadian Provinces, and 16 different countries. With the exception of 2020, the Missoula Children's Theater has visited Dayton each summer for a week-long production of their choosing for many years. This year, a record-breaking amount of...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met on July 21 for a quick business meeting followed by a budget hearing. All board members were present. Board members went over the revised DW Wolfpack Athletic Code of Conduct. Dayton and Waitsburg school districts received the code revisions before the meeting. Dr. Carol Clarke brought up some editorial issues with the current code version, but the consensus was that the content was acceptable. Board member Stephanie Cole gave a brief update on the l...
The Bruce Museum has been spruced up for the summer thanks to two generous grants received by the Waitsburg Historical Society (WHS) this year. The funds allowed repairs to the Juliet balconies, widow's walk, the replacement of rotted support beams, and a complete exterior repainting of the building. Secretary Rebecca Wilson said that historical Society members began working on grant applications in January of this year, and it was an intensive process. The organization identified two grants,...
WAITSBURG-The Six-Year Transportation Plan was approved and adopted at the July 20 Waitsburg City Council meeting. All council members were present during the meeting. The council heard comments from community members before the business portion of the meeting. Comments included concerns about dips in the newly-chip sealed roads in town and statements regarding the library. The six-year plan included eight projects that the city plans to start and complete between 2023 and 2028. Projects include...
WAITSBURG—Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 announced that a burn ban will go into effect on Monday, July 25. The ban is in effect in the entire district, including the City of Waitsburg. This is an annual precaution, interim fire chief Colter Mohney shared. This year, the ban will go into effect approximately two-weeks later than normal, as the area experienced unusual levels of precipitation earlier this year. For further questions regarding the burn ban, contact CWWCFD2 at c... Full story
WAITSBURG–This week, I sat down with Glen Bates as he shut down the outdoor grill for the night at Laht Neppur. We were interrupted by numerous variations of "Thanks, Glen!" and 'see ya' later.' "I'm starting to get that a lot," my interviewee said. "Whether here, at the grocery store, or just driving down the street." Laht Neppur Brewing Co. has served cold beers and warm cheers to Waitsburg and all its visitors for nearly 20 years. For six years, Bates has been grilling the perfect burgers, w...
WAITSBURG-On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, a fleet of county law enforcement vehicles, including a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), took over the parking lot at Waitsburg High School for the best possible scenario: Training. The Walla Walla Regional SWAT team, made up of officers from Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office and the Walla Walla Police Department, took advantage of empty classrooms for an active shooter drill. The training began at 7:30 a.m. and finished around 2...
DAYTON-The Dayton High School Alumni Association gathered in Dayton over the weekend, celebrating their first official reunion since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic postponed the gatherings. Betty Ann and Cecil Fletcher were this year's Alumni Parade Marshalls. "We pick somebody active in the community, and who are alumni and active within our group, and who actively promote Dayton and our community," said Tammy Ketterman, DHS Alumni Association Secretary. "Both (Betty Ann and Cecil) are alumni and...
Anonymous donor gives $10k. WAITSBURG –A movement is growing in Waitsburg to see a municipal pool return to town. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation received responses from 110 community members to its survey asking the community to weigh in on potential programs for the city. Results showed respondents overwhelmingly prioritized a new swimming pool for the community. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District (P&R) and Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) are set to take action. Results from the P...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg is a town that is full of heart, and when it comes to our kids, the community is ready to give at a moment's notice. The Jace Strong Fundraiser dinner, supporting a local nine-year-old battling cancer, was no exception, as nearly 300 people gathered last Saturday to help out. At the end of May, Jace Grende was rushed to the hospital where it was found that he had a significant brain bleed. He was airlifted to Seattle, where they discovered a large tumor that was pressing... Full story
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg City Council gathered for a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 15. All council members were present. Joy Smith commented on a report she shared with the council before the meeting. The report had information regarding employment in the area, housing prices, and local effects of inflation. The noon whistle was brought up by a community member who asked if the city would consider bringing it back. The siren had been operated by Columbia County EMS, who had requested to end t...
WAITSBURG-On June 10, Waitsburg first graders released more than 130 spring chinook salmon into the Coppei River. This was the fifth year Mrs. Hinchliffe's class partnered with the Tri Cities Steelheaders for the Salmon in Schools Program. Students worked with instructor Alex Lau, learning about the lifecycle of the fish and raising their own school from egg to fry.... Full story
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met on June 14, 2022, for a regular meeting. All council members were present in the meeting room. Many residents filled all available seats, and as many as 25 logged in on Zoom. Multiple public comments were heard, with the majority focused on the wastewater treatment project. All but one speaker, Kathy Berg, were residents of Dayton. Berg, a former Dayton City Councilmember now living in Walla Walla, encouraged current members to attend training and get i...
WAITSBURG-The Barony of Wastekeep set up camp at Preston Park over the weekend. Blackwork embroidery classes, duels, and archery shoots were just a couple of the events enjoyed by those who reside under the watch of Baron Thorkell Palsson and Baronness Guðrun Sæbjarnarsdottir. Barony of Wastekeep is its own world within the Kingdom of An Tir. This gathering was small, with 45 members braving the chilly wind and rain. The group will return, once again, in August, and they anticipate a much l... Full story
WAITSBURG-Crafting has been a passion of hers for years, but it wasn't until this year that Erin Elsey combined her love for creating with a drive to be a business owner. Elsey, who lives in Waitsburg with her husband, Jeremy, and their three children, bought a sewing machine last year and taught herself how to sew rice bags to give to her family members. Rice-filled bags hold heat or cold and can be put in the microwave or freezer to be used on sore muscles. After posting images online, she...
WAITSBURG/DAYTON—The Waitsburg and Dayton School boards met on June 1, 2022, for a joint meeting to discuss details surrounding the future of the DW Athletics Combine. The loosely followed agenda included discipline, middle school athletics, finances, and future joint board meetings. On the topic of discipline, Dayton School Superintendent Guy Strot and Waitsburg Superintendent Mark Pickel suggested the secondary principals handle disciplinary issues with the combine athletes. This would r...
DAYTON—Residents, business owners, and concerned neighbors gathered at Dayton High School last Wednesday, seeking clarification on the status of the city’s wastewater project. Concerns were raised after the Dayton City Council twice voted against a purchase that was one of the critical steps towards solving the city’s wastewater issue after a decade of planning. “What happens next?” was on everyone’s mind at the June 2 town hall gathering. Cynthia Wall-Fuller, Washington State Department...
The district to facilitate community safety sessions this summer WAITSBURG—Parents of Waitsburg School District students had a scare after a post on Facebook alerting users of a ‘school shooting threat’ was rapidly shared online. The events happened less than 24 hours after 19 students and two teachers were killed by a gunman in Uvalde, Texas. On Wednesday, May 25, a parent of a student enrolled in the district posted on social media that she was aware of death threats being made at the schoo...
. WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board held a regular monthly meeting on May 16 at the Waitsburg Elementary School. All board members, Sarah Boudrieau, Christy House, Stephanie Cole, and Lisa Morrow, were in attendance, with Carol Clarke joining via Zoom. During the secondary principal’s report, Stephanie Wooderchak said the well-attended prom was enjoyable for all. Students from both Dayton and Waitsburg celebrated together at the combined event. Waitsburg’s Megan Forney was selected as the Wal...
The weekend kicks off on Friday evening with the ATV Sunset Cruise WAITSBURG-The third weekend of May is here, and after two years of cancellations, Waitsburg Celebration Days is back and bigger than ever. The weekend-long event will kick off on Friday, May 20, with the annual Sunset Cruise ATV Ride. ATV riders can check in at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds, near the former parimutuel betting booths, starting at 4:00 p.m. Route information will be available at check-in, and riders and drivers are...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg Celebration Days officials announced that Karen Peters Tonne and Dan Katsel will lead the 2022 festivities as the Parade Marshalls. Karen Peters Tonne is a lifelong area resident, including attending the Waitsburg School District for all 12 years of her schooling. She worked various jobs in the area before she took a job as a mechanical designer. She worked at Hanford, and later, at Key Technology, in Walla Walla. In 1964, Tonne was selected as a Days of Real Sport Princess,...
Great stories often start with a man and his dog. In Dayton, it is the story of an entertainer and his winged pollinators making a run at an ancient art. "I'm a farm kid," said Mike Collins, owner and mead maker at Bard and Bee Meadery. "I grew up, part in Milton Freewater, with my grandparents." His grandparents owned Kessler's Catering, and while the business kept them plenty busy, there was much to be done at home on the nearly 400-acre farm. The planted acreage attracted local beekeepers,...
