Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 167
WAITSBURG - Local developers David Corbett and Mark Jones will ask the city of Waitsburg for a reprieve during Wednesday night's city council meeting. Three years ago, city councilors approved a subdivision plan, Waitsburg Estates, proposed by Corbett and Jones for several acres on Wood Street, just north of the old Jackpot gas station (now Midway Food Mart) on Highway 12. But the agreement with the city stipulated that the small-time developers, both farmers in the Walla Walla area, had to carry a surety bond on the property, which assured...
Editor's Note: The last names of students from Jubilee Youth Ranch were omitted at the request of Jubilee staff in order to comply with the school's policy of confidentiality. P RESCOTT - This is the story of a group of troubled young men and their often unrecognized contribution to the success of Waitsburg-Prescott sports. To be fair, it' s taken years for WP coaches and play- ers, together with staff at the private school where these youths live, to learn how to work with the boys of Jubilee...
DAYTON - Some major parts of Dayton's wastewater treatment system have been around since 1938, but Public Works Director Jim Costello believes they'd still work fine "if the state hadn't changed the rules on us," he said. More than 40 concerned citizens attended a special meeting last Monday night to hear from the horse's mouth why Dayton is faced with costly changes to its wastewater treatment plant by 2018. "The short answer is, the city's wastewater treatment plant is discharging too many nutrients and other pollutants into the (Touchet)...
DAYTON - The Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars proved no match for the Bulldogs Friday night as both of Dayton's men's and women's teams took top score in league match-ups. The Lady Bulldogs were triumphant after winning their second game of the season. "We needed a league win really bad," said junior Nicole Lambert, top scorer of the night with 17 points against the Jaguars. The Lady Bulldogs out matched TCP 46-32. The ladies got a quick jump on TCP. By the end of the second quarter, the Lady Bull- dogs...
DAYTON - Some say that David and Jule Keller work magic in the kitchen. The Waitsburg couple once crafted a fire- breathing dragon with flour, water, eggs, sugar and butter. "The little birthday boy was so excited when he saw it, he was shaking," Jule Keller said. "He kept asking if he could touch it." The Kellers have created baked images of school buses, tractors, turkeys and Uncle Sam hats in their leased commercial kitchen in Dayton. Juda Specialty Cakes began on a whim, but it's become a...
DAYTON - The trend in Columbia County's economy shows that nonfarm jobs continue to decline while the value of area farm production has suffered during most of the past decade, according to data presented last Thursday evening at the Liberty Theater by regional labor economist Arum Kone. Kone spoke for nearly an hour about Dayton's population, earning and spending trends to a crowded room at this Port of Columbia County-hosted event. According to Kone, Columbia County has one of the state's lowest averages in per capita retail sales at $2,639,...
DAYTON - Former Columbia County District Judge Charles Thronson was vindicated Tuesday afternoon after he spent more than two years defending himself against a civil lawsuit filed by his neighbors Gale Acers and Robert Hollingsworth. In a verdict opposed by just one of 12 jurors, Thronson was found "not liable" for damages to commercial timber owned by Acers and Hollingsworth who claimed it was damaged in a backfire set by Thronson on his Cahill Mountain property in August 2006. The backfire,...
DAYTON - Hi s friends call him " Honker." He's nearly 2 years old. And he was born a Canada goose. But he thinks he's a cow. And as Dayton contractor Jim Erskine knows, Honker makes friends with humans easily and likes to pal around. Earlier this month, Erskine was driving back to Dayton from a job in connection with his local business, JDL Construction, on South Touchet Road. About one mile before the thoroughfare meets up with North Touchet Road, Erskine caught movement in his peripheral...
DAYTON - Starbuck Mayor Darcy Linklater has been charged with driving under the influence and will appear in Columbia County District Court to enter his plea on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Columbia County Sheriff's records indicate Linklater was stopped at 11:20 p.m. Sunday night on McKay-Alto Road headed to Waitsburg after a possible DUI tip was called in to dispatch. Linklater refused to take the breath test for blood alcohol content, according to county prosecutor Rea Culwell. He was arrested, issued a criminal citation charging him with the DUI, and...
School districts in the state are taking a hard look at their policies prohibiting bullying and harassment. New state rules will make it mandatory for school boards to adopt revisions to current policies by August of this year. New requirements will mean tougher rules on reporting instances of harassment and bullying, a community outreach component, changes in the definition of bullying and harassment, and more specific requirements for prevention and intervention . Andy Maheras, the "new guy on the block," as he puts it, hopes to get a jump...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburgers experienced a real, live car chase in town Monday. It began as a routine patrol late in the morning as Walla Walla County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Bush made his rounds. On Murphy Street Bush noticed a white Honda Civic parked in front of a home where residents have given deputies trouble in the past. "This residence has had known gang members in residence and suspected drug activity," according to Bush's report. The deputy ran the plates on the Honda and got a hit. The car had been reported as stolen in Walla Walla. Bush...
DAYTON - The Dayton Bulldogs took DeSales into overtime on Saturday and then slammed home a victory, beating this tough team 52-44 in the last four minutes of the game. DeSales, a league team who beat Dayton twice last year, gave the Bulldogs a run for their money. Dayton's free throws weren't getting in the basket, and DeSales advanced on the Bulldogs in the third quarter, gaining a seven-point lead. Dayton struggled to get back in the game. With just 20 seconds left on the clock, junior...
DAYTON - After 37 years with Columbia Rural Electric Association, Glenn Hagfeldt will retired on January 31. He started with the rural energy cooperative on February 1, 1974. "I'm an engineer and I like book ends - nice even starts and stops," Hagfeldt said in explaining the precise date of retirement. And as he will be 63 this year, he'd like to get busy with projects and traveling plans. "I restore cars," he said. "It keeps me busy and broke. I must be the only guy from Montana who doesn't...
DAYTON - When a building grows to be as old as the First Christian Church in Dayton, it collects stories. The 125-year-old structure has stood on the corner of Third and Park streets in Dayton overlooking the schoolyard across the street for so long, it has seen generations of Columbia County residents come forth into the world, mature into adulthood and sometimes move on. Nadine Warren, at age 84, is one who hasn't moved on. " I was raised in this church, I consider it my church, and I just don...
DAYTON - When Columbia and Walla Walla counties receive $1.8 million in grants already approved this year to fix damaged rivers and streams, replace failing culverts and replant riverbanks with the goal of helping bring local salmon populations from the brink of extinction, Steve Martin will breathe a sigh of relief. Since 2006 the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board, headquartered in Dayton, has counted on that budget to fund projects within the entire southeast corner of the state including the Snake, Grande Ronde, Tucannon, Touchet, and Walla...
DAYTON - The Lady Bulldogs may have lost against Liberty Christian Saturday, but they now know they can win games because they did so twice in a row: against WWVA 41-37 on Thursday and against Lacrosse Washtucna during the holiday tournament. "I know we can play with any of them," head coach Scott Hudson said after Thursday's game against the Knights. "It wasn't pretty, but it was a win." For the men, the picture is different. They're a skilled team, know how to stay in the game despite some...
WAITSBURG - Al - though Cindy Hofer loves the beavers who visit the family farm on the banks of Coppei Creek, she gets nervous when they settle in. Last week, she and her husband, Gary, asked an expert to come take a look at one beaver dam clogging the creek behind their more than 100-year-old house. Ice coated the logs and branches where the half-frozen creek tried to move over, under and around the beavermade barrier. The dam hasn't been a problem yet, but the Hofers are worried about what...
DAYTON - Andy Maheras was a teacher at Walla Walla High School last May when a big shipment of heroin came through the Walla Walla Valley. He saw the effect that had on the community, an area already plagued by gangs and the trafficking of drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, pharmaceuticals and meth. " It's everywhere," he said . And it's here - in the Touchet Valley, in Columbia County and in Dayton's schools. "I've seen everything," said Deputy Jeff Jenkins, a narcotics officer with the Columbia...
PENDLETON - The National Weather Service has issued a small stream flood warning this week for those residents living along creeks and streams in the Blue Mountain foothills. A warm, moist weather system will be moving through the region Wednesday night and Thursday with high snow levels and significant rain, according to the Pendleton weather service office. At the time the warning was issued on Tuesday afternoon, no flooding was expected on the larger rivers, but smaller creeks and streams will likely see rapid rises and "bank-full"...
DAYTON - The "power" struggle in Columbia County could come to a head in Dayton next week as city councilors review comments during a scheduled public hearing on Monday, Jan. 10, concerning Columbia REA's petition for a city right of way. REA's proposed new electrical distribution line through Pacific Power's current territory in Dayton drew attention in October. The current REA and Pacifi c Power franchise agreements with the City of Dayton expire in late January. Both companies have anticipated renewal discussions and consideration this...
DAYTON - Dayton's boys' basketball team came out well (though not in perfect condition) in its two nonleague games last week. The Bulldogs sparred against Lacrosse-Washtucna and Kiona-Benton Wednesday and Thursday at home in the team's annual Christmas Tournament. Against the Lacrosse- Washtucna Tigercats, on Dec. 29, the Bulldogs came out ahead. The final score against this 2B sports combine was 53-43. "I was expecting a challenging game," said Bulldogs head coach Roy Ramirez, who said the Tige...
DAYTON - The Lady Bulldogs received a hardwon gift over the holidays at the annual Christmas Tournament in Dayton - their first win of the season. Playing Wednesday, Dec. 29, against the 2B sports combine Lacrosse-Washtucna, the Bulldogs dominated on the board. Dayton stole the evening with a 45-28 win against the Tigercats. "We had everyone back (on the squad) for the first time all season," an excited head coach Scott Hudson said. "We did not shoot well at all, and we need to improve. We did,...
DAYTON - On Tuesday, a Columbia County woman received three U.S. Postal Service money orders totaling well over $2,500 in the mail. She became suspicious - she hadn't been expecting any money through the mail - and brought them to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, which consulted with Loren Jensen, the postmaster in Dayton. Jensen knew right away they were fakes. "It's just such an unfortunately thing," Jensen said in a telephone interview. "I've seen them show up from time to time in the area." Jensen, who has managed the Dayton Post...
DAYTON - When dozens of wellwishers gathered to celebrate Sarah Lyman's birthday at Booker Rest Home in Dayton on Sunday, they came not only to honor this longtime Dayton resident's 100th birthday but to commemorate a century of Columbia County history. "I've seen many times come and go, many changes in Dayton over the years," Lyman said as she took time to visit with every friend, family member and acquaintance who came to touch her shoulder, hold her hand and bless her during the two-hour...
DAYTON - The Columbia County Health System is more than $800,000 behind in its accounts receivable as a result of its recent switch to a voter-approved electronic health records system - a situation that has created a serious cash crunch, hospital directors learned last week. News of a swamped billing staff and unpaid invoices more than 90 days old has prompted directors to authorize CEO Charlie Button to tap into a reserve fund while the district's billing operation is outsourced in part to a Spokane-based company charged with getting caught...
