Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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In the late 2000's, when these photos were taken, no one expected the building that once housed the Farmer's Cafe to become an espresso coffee shop, with a counter made out of the original cafe's sign. No one expected Nothing New Antiques to be converted into a busy salon and spa. The Plaza Beauty Salon was a Main Street mainstay, even after moving locations. However, retirement called and owner Peggy Jones closed her shop a few years ago. Main Street has been home to many businesses. The...
Aloha from Maui! The waves were perfect on June 23, for perfect boarding at Beach Big, Makena State Park. The beach is nearly 1.5 miles long, making it one of the most popular beaches on the island. The Times reporter, Beka Compton, and family found a cool place to get out of the Pacific Northwest heatwave....
WAITSBURG-A new athletic Code of Conduct, designed to fit the student-athletes of the Dayton Waitsburg Athletic Combine, was the center of discussion at the Waitsburg School Board meeting on June 17. Athletic Director Sam Korslund said the boys basketball team would finish the season in at least 4th place. The team was honored with a police send-off out of Dayton. The girls' season was unfortunately cut short by COVID-19. An awards banquet is planned for the end of the season, with the date and...
WAITSBURG—The potential surplus of 212 Main Street, which houses the Weller Public Library, was tabled for an unspecified amount of time during a regular City Council meeting on June 16. Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn removed the action item regarding the surplus, stating that the council needed legal clarification regarding the library’s infrastructure. “We (the city) know that we own the building, but we do not know any of the infrastructure or what is going on in the library,” Dunn said. “There...
WAITSBURG—Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 (D2) fire commissioners met Wednesday, June 9, for a regular meeting. During the meeting, Ashley Strickland presented the revised Fire Chief job description, expectations, and recommendations to the board. The hiring committee began revising the job description and expectations for the Chief position, a few months back. The committee included Strickland, who acted as the head of the committee, Matt Spring, Brooke Mikesell, Dane Henze, Jake Long, and...
DAYTON—A shooting incident on June 6 at the Shangri-La River Ranch RV Park, west of Dayton, left one man critically injured, and another has been arrested. According to the police report, Justin G. Karl, 40, was working on his motorcycle in the early hours of Sunday morning. His wife, Stephanie A. Karl, 48, could hear him working when she heard a loud noise. She went outside to find Justin yelling that he had just been shot. A Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the incident at app...
WAITSBURG-Long-time Waitsburg resident Ann Adams has been running for more than a decade, but it wasn't until earlier this month that she hit one of the ultimate running milestones: She finished her first marathon, running more than 26 miles in just over four hours, at the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in Port Angeles, Wash. The North Olympic Discovery Marathon follows the Olympic Discovery Trail, which stretches roughly 100 miles from Port Angeles to Port Townsend. The course zigged and...
DAYTON-The Dayton Eagles building caught fire around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, and was quickly, fully involved. The fire appeared to be contained just before 5:30 p.m, as firefighters from College Place entered the building to check for 'hot spots, according to a social media post by Columbia County Port Director, Jennie Dickinson. Columbia County Fire District 3 was joined by crews from Waitsburg, Dixie, Walla Walla County District 4, Walla Walla ladder trucks, and Walla Walla strike...
WASHINGTON-Crop insurance is a complex topic, but it may come in handy for area farmers as they ride out the fifth driest year since data recording began in 1894. Rainfall is down 2.94 inches from an average year, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), resulting in lower yields for many dryland producers. According to data from the NIDIS, which can be accessed at www.drought.gov, April 2021 has been the second driest month since the system began recording data...
DAYTON—A shooting victim is in critical condition after an incident at Shangri La RV Park, in Dayton. Justin G. Karl, 40, of Dayton, sustained gunshot wounds to the stomach and chest and remains in critical condition. The shooting happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 6. Joshua B. Wilson, 25, was arrested later that morning. Wilson, who is the son of the RV park’s owner, claims he was shooting at what he thought was a wild animal in the bushes. After learning that it was a hum...
PRESCOTT—A tenacious store clerk in Prescott endured an early-morning attack on June 5, the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office reported. Ahmed A. Mohamed, 41, was arrested at his apartment later that morning. Deputies were dispatched at 7:59 a.m. after receiving a report of an assault that had just occurred at a convenience store, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. The release stated that during the investigation, deputies learned that the suspect entered the store, armed with a...
DAYTON-A visit that turns into a new home doesn't happen to everyone, but that's exactly how Belinda Larsen ended up calling Dayton home. As the new Dayton Chamber of Commerce Director, Larsen is driven by community and economic development, and keeping Dayton as welcoming for all guests as it has been for her. "When I told people I was moving to Dayton, they were all like 'Oh, what a neat place! Dayton is such a fun town,'" Larsen said. "Not one person questioned the move." Larsen, formerly of...
DAYTON—The Economic Development and Steering Committee met for a regular meeting at noon on Tuesday, June 1. Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson reported the Port was being awarded another grant from the Innovia Foundation. Prior funding from the foundation provided startup grants for businesses in Dayton that did not qualify for COVID-19 funding, including the Main Street Marketplace and Table Rock Meat Company. Applications for new startup funds will be available for pickup so...
WAITSBURG-It's been a later-than-usual growing season for many area gardeners, but it didn't hinder the vendors at the local farmers market last weekend. The first Waitsburg Farmer's Market weekend was a successful one, according to co-manager Doug Biolo. Attending vendors reported great sales, fun visitors, and an overall great time. "Saturday went so well," Biolo said. "The morning was really nice. A lot of people came by to say 'hi.' Dusty Britches Farms was the only vendor on Sunday, and I...
WAITSBURG-The Clinton Kitchen made its grand debut on Friday, May 21, at the Waitsburg Town Hall, during one of the first public events in over a year. The open house event drew consistent crowds over its two-hour span, as community members popped in to check out the highly anticipated commercial kitchen remodel. What was once a poorly lit, hard-to-use space has been transformed into a high-quality, highly functional space available to the community. Kitchen updates included new, custom...
WAITSBURG—The May 19 City Council meeting was scheduled to include a public hearing concerning the possible sale of 212 Main St, which houses the Weller Public Library. A much larger than usual crowd attended the Waitsburg City Council meeting. Over 40 people were there specifically to attend the public hearing. Many people were concerned that the proposal was about closing the library altogether. Comments supported the library, and many wanted to keep the library in the historic building on Main Street. Mayor Marty Dunn opened the regular coun...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met on May 20 for a regularly scheduled meeting. The board now meets in person at the elementary library but will continue to offer Zoom access. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared that the 2021-22 ASB Student Officers had been elected. The new officers are President Brayden Mohney, Vice-President Monte Pettichord, Secretary Chloe Gleason, and Treasurer Makenna Barron. Letters have been sent home to parents regarding multiple year-end a...
Not Your Typical Dragon, by Dan Bar-el Crispin is not your typical dragon. On his seventh birthday, Crispin tries to breathe fire for the first time. His family is surprised when, instead of fire, Crispin breathes out whipped cream! Throughout the story, Crispin’s inability to breathe fire is treated as a problem by all of the adults in his life. His idea of a “real dragon” is deeply ingrained in his mind, and Crispin begins to believe that he will never be a real dragon himself. He leave...
DAYTON-Dayton Elementary fourth and fifth graders were bummed when they found out that COVID-19 had squashed plans for a winter skiing program, but their teachers weren't about to let a pandemic slow down hopes for outdoor fun. "Bluewood just wasn't comfortable with taking the risk," said Dayton Elementary teacher Wendy Davis-Richards. "Which was understandable. They wanted to keep their staff safe." Richards has helped facilitate the annual ski program and said that they immediately started bra...
WAITSBURG-The Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 met Wednesday, May 12, for a regularly scheduled meeting. Fire commissioners discussed the upcoming elections in each county and a new vehicle that Commissioner Jake Long was able to secure. District Clerk Anne Higgins provided a financial report following the approval of minutes. She noted that the report was missing several Columbia County expenditures because the county had not yet processed them. Commissioner Deb Fortner reported that...
DAYTON-More than a dozen Touchet Valley residents hit the streets of Dayton with "YES Touchet Valley Trail" signs on Wednesday, May 12, to show their support for the project and the Port of Columbia. "The mission is a positive opportunity for the community and expanding the valley for everybody," said Joanne Goldsmith of Dayton. Goldsmith was one of the organizers of the event. One Dayton resident and avid cyclist, Genie Crowe, said she has two friends who have been struck by vehicles while...
DAYTON—The Board of Columbia County Commissioners met Monday, May 17, via Zoom. The commissioners were joined by WSU Extension Whitman County Director Janet Schmidt to discuss a long-standing memorandum of understanding. Commissioner Chuck Amerein said that the County Commissioners have concerns with the push towards a regionalized extension agent, explaining that the agreement between the county and the university, initially signed in 1986, was not designed for a regionalized agent. “The con...
Well, it's officially go-time! Those of you in Waitsburg proper should probably be a week or two ahead of me in terms of planting. Living a bit north of town and in a slightly colder spot, we managed to get one very light frost the night of May 7 and still have a slight risk of it tonight (May 10). As such, I held off on planting most of my frost-sensitive crops like tomatoes, peppers, and melons to be safe. Good thing too, as the few plants I rushed into the garden without season extenders had...
