Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 326 - 350 of 431
WAITSBURG—Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider, Undersheriff Joe Klundt, and fifteen Waitsburg community members met in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, August 25, to discuss recent suspected criminal activity in the city. Matthew Wyatt, who lives in the neighborhood where Skylar I. Glasby was arrested earlier this month on unlawful imprisonment and domestic violence charges, said now, more than ever, he fears for the safety of his family, and his community. Glasby was released earlier this w...
WAITSBURG-The Walla Walla Regional SWAT Team raided a home on Main Street in Waitsburg last Thursday. Skylar I. Glasby, 32, originally from Dayton, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and domestic violence assault charges following an investigation performed by the Walla Walla County Sheriff's office (WWCSO). The regional SWAT team included deputies from WWCSO, officers from the Walla Walla Police Department, and a police K9 from the Pasco Police Department. Armored SWAT...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg Elementary will hold preschool-5th grade registration for Fall of 2020 on August 25th-27th from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Registration will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) at the elementary school. The registration dates are for new and returning students. Face masks will be required for entry into the building. If you cannot wear a face mask, the school will deliver a registration packet to you outside of the building. All children who turn 5, on or before, August 3...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met August 13 via conference call. The Council discussed many resolutions and agreements, and heard public comments from concerned citizens. Former Councilmember Terry Jacoy spoke during the public comment, with questions about the recent utility tax increase. At the July meeting, the Council approved a $5/month utility tax that would increase in January 2021. The Council approved the tax increase to help fund flood control efforts. Jacoy stated that he was o...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School board called an emergency meeting on Friday, August 7, to discuss the Fall 2020 reopening plan. The board voted to adopt an online reopening plan for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. The recommendation for an online-only opening was made following the announcement of online plans from other schools in the county and a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in Walla Walla County. As of Monday, August 10, there was only one confirmed case of the virus in W...
WAITSBURG—The long list of renovations for the Waitsburg Town Hall is quickly getting shorter. Board members have been busy painting, installing new fans, and completely remodeling the commercial kitchen. Right now, the kitchen at the Main Street building is nothing more than an empty shell with a couple of exposed water pipes. Even most of the sheetrock has been torn down, but it’s all with the promise of a more accessible, user-friendly space. The remodel starts at the kitchen’s door, with...
WAITSBURG-Many parents within the Waitsburg School District questioned a levy line item, STEM/Fine Arts, following the resignation of the STEM teacher Pam Beasley. At the beginning of the 2019-20 school year, music teacher Shelby Pomerinke resigned. It was decided to postpone hiring a music teacher until the next school year, and the board opted to offer a one-year, K-5 STEM program, taught by Beasley. A former kindergarten teacher, Beasley has always been an advocate for the Science,...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County 4-H is not going to let a pandemic steal success from the youth in the area. A virtual showcase will be held in response to the cancellation of the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days. The virtual showcase is open to all Walla Walla County youth with a current 4-H project. Inspired by exhibits and classes from a traditional fair, the exhibition will feature both livestock, small animals, and still life exhibits. “We want to make this as fair-like as pos...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg community members were slinging sandbags again over the weekend, but this time, there was no threat of flooding. Volunteers were busy removing the last bit of flood devastation from Waitsburg's Preston Park on Saturday. Matthew and Krystal Wyatt were walking through Preston Park last week and had to climb over a sagging wall of sandbags and weeds to get to the river to go fishing. "We have this motto that we've lived by for a long time, 'if you see a need, fill a need.' We...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School District is preparing for an uncertain school year, as they develop a plan to safely reopen the school’s doors this fall. The district is adding two online curriculum options, so parents and children can attend school in whatever way they feel is safest. “We want to make sure our kids are safe, and we want to make sure the protocols in place keep everyone safe,” Superintendent Mark Pickel said. The district will be offering online education opportunities through...
WALLA WALLA-The Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days board of directors discussed the livestock sale, among other items at the last fair board meeting. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days was canceled in early June. Shortly following the cancellation announcement, the board of directors began exploring options for a virtual livestock sale. The board quickly learned that the Fair was unable to host a sale for a multitude of reasons. In years past,...
WALLA WALLA-Clearing brush and fallen trees is a task that makes most people shake their heads. For Blues Crew volunteers, though, it's an excuse to head to the mountains and explore the Umatilla National Forest while making the trails enjoyable for all. The Blues Crew came to be in 2018 after an outdoor recreation initiative went through at the Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT). Coordinator Greg Brown said he thought about getting a group together to clear already-established trails from winter...
DAYTON-Several members of the Dayton's National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) excelled at both local and state-level Career Development Events (CDE's) in the 2019-20 school year. There are five degrees that an FFA member may earn. The degrees, which can be awarded as early as 7th grade, recognize member growth within the organization. This year, Dayton had two members, Nolan Korslund and Mason Garcia, earn their Discovery Degree. The Discovery Degree, which is awarded to students...
A harvest crew from Broughton Land Company kicks off their wheat harvest on Poulson Road....
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, July 16, via Zoom call. The board discussed enrollment, the 2020-21 reopening plan, and online learning options. Colter Mohney reported to the board that all of the school buildings would be clean and ready for the upcoming school year by next week. Maintenance and facilities employees have been busy disinfecting the buildings, chairs, tables, and other equipment, as well as performing needed repairs. Elementary principal/ Superintendent Mark P...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met July 15, via conference call. The council discussed two resolutions and held a public hearing regarding flood control funding. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe started the discussion on Resolution 2020-704, which awarded the Taggart Road Extension project contract to Sharpe and Preszler Construction of Kennewick, WA. The contracting company presented the City with the most affordable bid to finish the ongoing project, coming in at $623,000. The c...
The farm-to-table movement has been sweeping across the nation in recent years. From farmers’ markets to roadside produce stands, fresh ingredients are becoming readily available and affordable. The farm-to-table movement’s roots go as far back as the 1960s. In 1971, chef Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., one of the first farm-to-table restaurants. Waters wanted to use fresh, local produce because the flavor was better, which meant tastier dishes. The restaurant was very suc...
The Touchet Valley is home to a handful of farm to table operations, like the Breathe Easy Farm, and Crooked Fences. Nestled on the edges of Dayton, farms like these provide fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, and more to residents. The Breathe Easy Farm owner/operator Mindy Holmberg has big plans for her little slice of heaven, including a retail front and eventual farm-to-table suppers. Holmberg sells baked goods, like chocolate zucchini bread, preserves, various pickled vegetables, fresh...
Farmers feed the world, but with the high demands they face, they usually need a little help from companies like The McGregor Company, who supply crop nutrients and crop protectants, machine rentals, crop insurance, and more. The McGregor Company started as a sheep farming operation more than 100 years ago in the tiny town of Hooper, WA. In 1948, after Washington State College agronomist Harley Jacquot spent years researching and experimenting, the McGregor Company stepped into the fertilizer...
WAITSBURG-If you need a good book this summer, look no further than the Weller Public Library. Librarian Rosie Warehime has gotten creative and with the help of her granddaughter/assistant, Jaidyn Brown has crafted a way to get books into readers' hands once again. Libraries across the nation have been closed since the coronavirus pandemic emerged earlier this year. Visitors are still unable to go in the building, so Weller Public Library is now offering curbside pickup for books, complete with...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg School District Superintendent Mark Pickel held a second public input meeting on July 8 regarding the reopening of schools this fall. The virtual meeting was attended by 16 parents, guardians, and district staff members who had concerns and questions about the upcoming school year. The first public meeting held on June 30, was attended by four parents and caregivers. Superintendent Pickel started the second meeting by stating that all of the recommendations and guidelines t...
Waitsburg School District’s board of directors spent last Tuesday at a three-hour-long retreat and training at the school’s library. The training was facilitated by Dr. William Jordan from Northwest Leadership Associates. Dr. Jordan has more than 50 years of educational experience, including serving as Walla Walla Public Schools superintendent, Prescott School District superintendent, and various educator positions. He is now a consultant at Northwest Leadership Associates. The board mem...
WAITSBURG-Summer BBQ menus are going to be a little less sweet in Waitsburg this summer. After 30 years of growing a secret variety of sweet corn, Ed and Cathy Lambert are retiring to focus on family, Ed's lumber milling, and their own family garden. "We started growing corn when we moved here in 1988," Cathy said. "Our kids would load up a wagon with fresh vegetables and walk around the neighborhood, selling the veggies to neighbors. Everyone loved it!" Cathy said it didn't take long for local...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met July 1 for a regular monthly work session via Zoom. The board reviewed the middle and high school principal contract, and the 2020-2021 budget. This work session was Superintendent Guy Strot’s first regular meeting for the district. The board reviewed the middle and high school principal’s contract. Board member Fred White noted that there was one area with non-inclusive language within the contract, and the board agreed to fix the language to read ‘his/...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg School District held a virtual public hearing on June 30 to discuss the upcoming school year. No more than four families attended the informative hearing to discuss concerns regarding classroom structure, face shields and masks, and other education concerns arising with the longevity of the coronavirus pandemic. Superintendent Mark Pickel started the meeting off by expressing that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has been revising in-classroom t...
