Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 351 - 366 of 366
WAITSBURG – Trevor Johnson, owner and operator of Johnson Family Towing, approached the Waitsburg City Council about the possibility of using an unused plot of land, between Midway Food Mart and Waitsburg Mini Storage as a specialized storage lot for his business. The council agreed to look into a lease of the property. City Manager Randy Hinchliffe said the parcel of land, approximately 60 feet wide, was reserved for an undeveloped street and there is already at least one shed over the right of...
WAITSBURG – How will the recent closure of Walla Walla General Hospital impact the Columbia County Health System, as well as Waitsburg and Dayton residents? CCHS CEO Shane McGuire was invited to a July 27 meeting of the Waitsburg Commercial Club executive board to address just those questions. McGuire attributed the closure of WWGH in large part to a lack of cooperation between WWGH and Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center, saying the two hospitals were in a constant battle over a rel...
WAITSBURG – The replacement of Waitsburg's Main Street Bridge hit another glitch this month, but the Port of Walla Walla stepped in to meet the resulting financial shortfall, for the second time. At the July 19 city council meeting, City Manager Randy Hinchliffe gave a bridge update and informed council members that the contractors had run into an issue the day prior. Hinchliffe said there have been at least four bridges that existed prior to the recently demolished bridge. While digging to r...
WAITSBURG – At their July 19 regular meeting, the Waitsburg city council unanimously approved the city’s updated 6-year transportation plan. The plan must be updated annually, and includes a list of transportation projects that could reasonably be accomplished over a six year period, though most sit on the list longer than that, according to City Manager Randy Hinchliffe. The only change between this year and last is the addition of an item to consider widening the south end of east 7th Str...
WAITSBURG – After investing more than a year and spending thousands of dollars for engineering reports, drawings, and structural assessments to determine if renovating the Waitsburg fairgrounds grandstands is feasible, the outlook is bleak. City Manager Randy Hinchliffe reported to council members that two engineers and a risk control representative have examined the grandstands and all three agree that the building is unsafe and that demolition may be the best option. Engineer John Raby was h...
WAITSBURG – When Jason Kaehler hit on an idea he felt would teach his daughters responsibility, help the community, and bring in some extra money all at the same time, he knew he'd found a winner. Kaehler and Daughters Mobile Oil Change opened for business last week and is welcoming new customers. Kaehler said he decided to start a business because he felt it was important to do something with his daughters that would teach them responsibility and life skills. Madison, age 10, and Peyton, age 6...
Farmers aren't the only ones that work throughout the year to grow hardy, healthy crops. Spray companies are busy most of the year, applying fertilizer and chemicals to keep crops safe from weeds, insects and diseases. In this harvest issue, we highlight two local spray businesses; one that works on land, and one from the air. Maco Aviation, Inc. Aerial applicator Seth Murdock had planned to keep business running at "status quo" when he took over ownership of Wing-Air, renaming the business...
WAITSBURG – They drifted in slowly, in singles and pairs, but by the end of the night it was ten guys and a gal performing at Friday night's Mythical Movable Bluegrass Jam held at Suze Wood's Open Studio in Waitsburg. Another half-dozen folks, from a toddler to retirees, provided the audience, nodding and singing along with the tunes. "Jams are the epitome of live music. If you're not there at that moment, you'll never hear the same thing again. It's always different people playing different son...
WAITSBURG – Contractors wasted no time getting down to business on the demolition of Waitsburg's Main Street Bridge. The bridge was closed, as scheduled, on July 5. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife workers performed in-stream work while contractor, Harry Johnson Excavation and Plumbing began tearing up the Bolles Road side of the bridge access. WDFW workers placed nets across the Touchet River, both upstream and downstream from the bridge. They then used electrofishing equipment to c...
WAITSBURG – The July 6 Waitsburg Tree Committee meeting was short and sweet. Committee chair Kevin House, andmembers Ethan Carpenter and Kate Hockersmith briefly discussed current and upcoming tree-related projects and agreed to meet again in October. The committee was pleased to receive confirmation from Hockersmith that the Rural Youth Enrichment Services nonprofit organization voted "yes" to adding the Urban Forestry Project to their umbrella of enriching youth activities. Currently, RYES is...
Who hasn't at least wondered what it would be like to be a rock musician? Each year since 2009, 50 Walla Walla area teens get to find out firsthand what it's like to prepare and produce a Rock 'n' Roll concert by attending Walla Walla Rock Camp. The week-long intensive music experience is a joint venture of the Walla Walla Symphony, Walla Walla Public Schools, and the Walla Walla Blues Society, and is directed by Waitsburg's own Roger Garcia. The camp concludes with a free public concert on...
DAYTON – Things are pretty quiet around Dayton's historic Liberty Theater these days – at least when it comes to the air conditioning and heating system. Theater Manager Kirsten Schober says she is thrilled with the newly installed HVAC system that is not only ultra energy-efficient, but also "completely silent." Schober said that when the Touchet Valley Arts Council (TVAC) was formed, the organization agreed to put 5% of ticket revenues into a long-term maintenance fund for planned upg...
WAITSBURG – Former F.B.I investigator turned apple detective, David Benscoter, will be in Waitsburg this fall, and he needs your help. Kate Hockersmith invited the celebrated heirloom apple expert to visit the Waitsburg and Walla Walla area and is putting together a list of site visits in advance. "We're looking for people who own old apple trees and think they might have something special," Hockersmith. Benscoter, whose accomplishments were even recognized in the New York Times in May, uses h...
It wasn't quite the 4th of July, but June 27 was a true Independence Day for the brood of birds that began their life just outside the door of The Times. Mama Bird made her nest in the light fixture above our front door, just as she had the year before. But this year tragedy struck. Teeny (McMunn) came to work on June 22 to find the nest had fallen behind the newspaper box. She texted me, saying the birds were still alive but "I'm sure I should call Hospice." Two birds were still inside the grou...
In the summer months, there tends to be less 'hard' news and sports, which leaves room for columns and features, which I think are a lot more fun. In May, The Times received a head's up from 1964 Prescott High School grad, Phil Stevens, that former Waitsburg general store owner, Edward L. Powell, was the subject of a "Then and Now" feature in the Spokesman Review. I marked the email to take a look at later. When I finally got around to researching the story last week I was fascinated, not just...
DAYTON – Dayton artist Steve Henderson and his wife, Carolyn, were a bit apprehensive when their son, Jordan, announced his desire to visit Colombia. Now that Jordan is home safe-and-sound, his parents can breathe a sigh of relief and take pride and enjoyment in sharing the art Jordan created during his adventure. Steve and Carolyn had bicycled through Colombia 30 years prior, and felt they had little option other than to be encouraging and supportive when their son said he wanted a similar expe...
