Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 366
WAITSBURG-What are the odds of finding a ring that was lost in a river 26 years earlier? And what are the odds of showing that same ring to the one person in town who could recognize it and return it to it to its rightful owner? That's exactly what happened to E.J., who lives off the land outside of Waitsburg. Waitsburg resident Ron Griffen said he was working on his truck in his alley, just off of Main Street, when E.J. approached him and they struck up a conversation. E.J., who regularly fishe...
SPOKANE, Wash.-Dayton High School graduate and former Times intern Ian Smay graduated from Washington State University (WSU) in December of 2018 and went to work for KREM 2 News in Spokane, as an investigative reporter and producer three weeks later, in January. Smay said he caught KREMs eye when a highly publicized story in The Daily Evergreen, exposing sexual misconduct allegations against Jason Gesser, assistant director of athletics at the Cougar Athletic Fund, garnered widespread, and even...
WAITSBURG-A whopping 85 kids participated in last week's Mega Sports Camp Vacation Bible School at the Waitsburg Christian Church. During the five-day event, children learned Bible stories while learning about different sports. More than 30 volunteers from the Waitsburg Christian Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Waitsburg Resource Center, The Bicycle Barn, the Christian Motorcyclist Association, and many others from five different communities, helped make the program a success, according to...
DAYTON—Dayton Schools Superintendent Doug Johnson announced the resignations of Elementary School Principal Denise Smith and Librarian Valerie Kerr at the July 17 school board meeting. Smith was chosen from a field of three finalists as elementary school principal in August of 2017. Johnson said Smith has accepted an assistant principal position at an elementary school in Issaquah and said Smith began looking for other employment this spring, for both professional and personal reasons. Due to budget constraints, the District is not planning t...
DAYTON—Sixty local children will have the opportunity to appear on the Liberty Theater stage in a Missoula Children’s Theater (MCT) production of “Pinocchio” in early August. Pre-registration will take place during box office hours, from 2-5 p.m. on Tues., July 30 and Fri., Aug. 2 for children entering grades one through six. Auditions for parts will take place on the first day of camp which is Mon., Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. The week of rehearsals will culminate with two public performances, on Fri., A...
DAYTON—Terry and Jan Nealey will host a farewell ice cream social on Aug. 1 for YoungLife Area Director Marne Henderson, who is making the move to Olympia where she has accepted a staff position with Greater Olympia YoungLife. Henderson worked alongside Jan and Terry Nealey and others, when they started YoungLife in Dayton in 1999 and has remained active in the organization ever since. In 2018, Henderson took a leap of faith and retired from teaching after spending 15 years as a Waitsburg elementary and middle school teacher to become a Y...
All board members present: Ross Hamann, Christy House, Lisa Morrow, Jason Kaehler, Randy Hinchliffe Waitsburg Superintendent Mark Pickel took the Oath of Office. Secondary Principal Report (Mark Pickel for Stephanie Wooderchak) Stephanie Hinchliffe, Deanna Coulston, Pam Beasley, Heather Ball and Roseann Groom traveled to a Six Traits + 1 Writing workshop on June 17-18. Stephanie Wooderchak, Groom, Ball, Gabe Kiefel, Kolby Starring, Matt Elder and Tabitha Jordan attended a Teaching for Excellence workshop on July 8-11. Staff thanked the board...
COLUMBIA COUNTY-Have you ever wondered how annual wheat yields are calculated? Local data-gatherer Joe Huether wasn't sure before, but he is now a part of the process, which he says he has found to be fascinating. This spring, Huether responded to an ad and was hired as a field enumerator to gather data for the National Association of State Departments of Agricultural (NASDA), which works to achieve sound policy between state departments of agriculture, the federal government and stakeholders....
COLUMBIA COUNTY-For the first time, the Columbia County Development Disability Group (CCDG) has funds available to support, educate and meet the needs of the developmentally disabled and their caregivers in Columbia County. While $3,126 in ad valorem funds may not seem like a lot, the allocation makes all the difference to a group that has previously functioned with almost no budget. "We're so used to working with nothing that we're very frugal. And we have a very supportive community with a...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg's Patriot's Parade and community potluck is a nearly decade-old tradition, but many may not know how it originated. As the story goes, the whole thing began with a dare. In 2011, Anita Baker challenged her late husband, Tom, and Jack McCaw to walk down Waitsburg's Main Street, bearing the colors, on the 4th of July. The only hitch was that she required them to wear shorts while doing so. McCaw spoke for Tom, saying they would accept the challenge, for $100 each. Anita agreed...
As longtime volunteer firefighters are retiring, the local volunteer pool continues to dwindle. With less than 20 active volunteer firefighters and four EMTs, Columbia-Walla Walla Fire No. 2 is actively recruiting new volunteers. Over the past few weeks, The Times has profiled some current department volunteers to learn about their experience and how they work volunteering around their other responsibilities. Miguel Castillo This week, we check in with Miguel Castillo who grew up in Touchet and...
OLYMPIA—On July 2, The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board announced the award of more than $126 million in grants awarded to 333 projects that build and maintain outdoor recreation facilities and conserve wildlife habitat and working farms and forests around the state. “The funding creates more places to play, expands habitat for fish and other wildlife, supports clean air and water, and upholds healthy communities across Washington state and improves our quality of life,” said Kaleen Cottingham, director at the Recre...
A line of ready-and-waiting equipment next to a field of freshly cut hay made for a pretty picture at the top of Whiskey Canyon on Sunday....
WAITSBURG-Emergency response and firefighting personnel from multiple area agencies were on hand to present information and answer questions at a Firewise meeting held at the Lions Club Building at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds on Tues., June 25. The workshop was sponsored jointly by Blue Mountain Resource Conservation & Development (BMRC&D)and the Waitsburg Emergency Preparedness Committee. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firewise USA Program teaches residents how to adapt to...
WAITSBURG—In the process of developing its long-term plan, and in response to public input, the Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District has changed its focus from taking over maintenance of public facilities to providing more community recreation opportunities. The District will kick things off with a Parks and Rec day on Sat., July 13 at Preston Park from 3-8 p.m. The evening will provide plenty of family fun, including lawn games such as horseshoes, ladder golf, lawn bowling and cornhole. The Granny’s Tamales food truck will be on site as...
DAYTON—After several months of attending negotiations, board meetings and public meetings, former Dayton Memorial Library employee Shakira Bye has taken formal action. On June 13 Bye’s attorney, Jane Richards, filed a tort claim on Bye’s behalf. In Washington, a tort claim is required when filing an injury claim against the government and must be filed 60 days prior to a lawsuit being filed. The claim names the Columbia County Library District (CCRLD), Board of Trustees, each trustee, the Librar...
WAITSBURG-Why did the salon owner cross the street? Bigger space, better opportunity, a building of her own and a location next door to a coffee shop. At least those were the reasons mentioned by Blush Salon & Spa owner Brooke Mikesell. "Last year I earned my Farouk Phd.; this is my achievement for this year," said Brooke, who is a highest-level educator for Farouk Systems. Last weekend Mikesell made the move from her former location at 141 Main to the other side of the street at 214 Main,...
WAITSBURG-Several residents commented on a range of topics at the regular June 19 Waitsburg City Council meeting. Under new business, the council opened the pool and discussed the Public Work Board loan program. Public comment Planning Commission chair Karen Gregutt provided a brief update on the comprehensive plan and development code updates which are currently under review by the state. Gregutt recognized Norm Bloom for his contribution to the process and said he has resigned his position....
WAITSBURG-Last week saw the demolition of the building located at the junction of Highway 12 and Highway 124 in Waitsburg. The building, which was formerly owned by Richard Lybecker, was purchased by Freedom's Northwest Credit Union (FNWCU) as the future site of a Freedom's Outpost. Freedom's Outpost sites benefit both travelers and community members, said FNWCU CEO Scott Garrett. Each "community-friendly" site is outfitted with a bench, bike rack, water dispenser, wi-fi, free air, and a...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 21, eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) announced the 2019 Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program disbursements totaling more than $3.5 million for eastern Washington counties. Because local governments are unable to tax the property values or products derived from federal lands, PILT payments help support necessary government services such as education, solid waste disposal, law enforcement, search and rescue, health care, environmental c...
WAITSBURG—The Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District received a $50,000 Sherwood Trust Core Grant to aid with pool repairs and facility improvements earlier this month. The District was one of 12 area organizations to receive grant distributions totaling $949,000. Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District Manager Yvonne Jackson applied for the grant in January and said the District is grateful to have been selected. “We were one of very few that received funding. My understanding is tha...
PRESCOTT—As the only area pool open last week, aside from Walla Walla, a flex pipe leak was the last thing the Prescott pool needed. Nonetheless, quick thinking by pool staff and help from Dunning Irrigation made for a quick repair and only two-day downtime. Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District Manager Yvonne Jackson said she was notified of the initial leak on the evening of June 11. She made a quick stop at Home Depot and picked up four boxes of Flex Tape which they used to wrap the pipe, which held for six days. In the meantime, J...
WAITSBURG-The Times got a little drive-through history lesson last week when a gentleman stopped in to check out the building and shared that he was following the trail his grandfather had taken while playing clarinet in a band in the early 1900s. Dennis Mulcahy, of San Jose, Calif., spoke with The Times advertising/office manager Teeny McMunn and shared photos and newspaper snippets about the band. His grandfather, Raymond Clow, was born in 1889 and came through Waitsburg in 1905, at the age of...
WAITSBURG-History buffs, or anyone interested in learning a little more about Waitsburg's past, need only walk to the north end of Main Street for a mini history lesson. Main Street Bridge While the recently replaced Main Street Bridge wasn't a historic structure in itself, the fact that it resided in a historic district meant its replacement came with some specific state requirements. Among those, was a mandate from the Historic Bridge Foundation requiring that, within two years of being...
OLYMPIA—State representatives Bill Jenkin and Skyler Rude met with The Times last week to recap the 2019 regular legislative session, which ended April 28. Both agreed the session proved to be a frustrating experience. Freshman representative Rude described the theme of the session as “basically tax and spend,” saying the session felt highly partisan. “We came into Olympia with about a $4 billion-dollar surplus over the last biennium and through many conversations our caucus concluded that ne...
