Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 135
DAYTON — The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on April 10, 2024. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson met at the port office. During public comment, Don Hicks, who said he had lived in Dayton for twenty years, asked if there had been any attempt to lower the speed limit to 45 mph by Blue Mountain Station. Dickinson said the port tried to have the limit lowered when it built Blue Mountain Station. However, the state could not change the limit unless the B...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on March 20, 2024. Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Ryan Paulson, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart and student representative Madison Richardson were also present. Jeremy Wheatley, the prospective superintendent, attended using Zoom. The school board approved the consent agenda, including the senior class trip, two HS band trips, and a GEAR UP spring break trip. Richardson informed the board about the plans for t...
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on March 13, 2024, in the port office. Commissioners present were Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. The meeting was called to order and opened for public comment. Several citizens spoke of Bryan’s remarks from the last meeting about Dickinson after Watts and Bryan declined to offer her a new contract. Most commenters supported Dickinson; some called for Bryan to resign, and others asked for more professional con...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met at 6 p.m. on February 13, 2024. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen were at Dayton City Hall. Public comment opened with Katie Roughton again speaking about the city withdrawing from the rural library district. She suggested city tax dollars paid into the library district could be redistributed to city services like the EMS and Fire Departments. Funds from levies are specific and cannot be reallocated. James Byrd spo...
DAYTON - The Dayton School Board met in the Elementary School library at 6:30 p.m. on March 7, 2024. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. The school board approved the consent agenda, approving the WIAA Spring Sports Cooperative between Dayton and Waitsburg for the H.S. boys and girls golf and track and field programs. Also on the consent agenda was a leave of absence for an employee,...
DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council workshop meeting to order at 3 p.m., February 20, 2024. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen met at City Hall. The workshop agenda included discussing requests to change the golf cart policy, updating the code of ethics, and the relationship between the city and the rural library district. The council discussed a request to change the golf cart policy, including the costs and liability of all...
A two-to-one vote changed the Port Director position from contract to month-to-month, "at-will" DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held its regular meeting at 5 p.m. on February 14, 2024, at the port's office. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. The commissioners approved the last meeting's minutes. In the budget review, Dickenson said the year ended in great shape, and the port spent a little less than it took in. D...
DAYTON- Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6 p.m., February 13, 2024. Councilmembers Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, Shannon McMillen, and Mayor Trump were present in City Hall. In the public comment, Katie Roughton referred to her remarks at the January council meeting suggesting a voter referendum on whether the city should withdraw from the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD). Roughton said she was concerned that “appointed people” (the Libra...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met at 6:30 p.m. on February 7, 2024. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. Ryan Paulson did not attend. The board approved the consent agenda, including accepting the resignation of Jim Su’euga as MS Girls Basketball Head Coach and hiring Andee Thurston for that position. The board approved Tamira Culley as the MS Girls’ Basketball Assistant coach, and Des Jones was approved as a volunteer coach for the MS Girls Baske...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met on Zoom at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. School Board members participating were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Ryan Paulson, and Aneesha Dieu. Grant Griffin and Superintendent Rich Stewart were not present. McCowen announced an agenda change to make the approval for an FFA overnight trip an action item on the agenda. The consent agenda, after modification, included the approval of a donation of $2,000 from Kim Carter for the Yamate Student Exchange Program and approval to hire McCowen as the H...
DAYTON — The Port of Columbia Commissioners held its regular meeting at 5 p.m. on January 10, 2024, at the port office. Commissioners present were Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. The meeting began with Dickinson swearing in Mike Spring as Columbia County Port Commissioner # 2. In the public comment period, Jerry Kaiser asked the port commissioners not to sell the port-held railroad property until the federal government decided on the removal of the Lower Snake River dams. He said removing t...
DAYTON — Newly elected Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., January 9, 2024. Mayor Roger Trump and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen were present in City Hall. Sheriff Joe Helm reported that his department is emphasizing monitoring Bluewood traffic on North Touchet Road and Fourth Street in response to citizens’ concerns. He said he is continuing to work with the city on how to respond to animal bite calls. After compl...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:31 p.m. on January 3, 2024. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen and members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin were in attendance. Interim Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. The board approved the consent agenda, which consisted of one item: the hiring of a full-time night custodian. Only two other topics were on the agenda for this evening’s meeting. The board was to conduct the first reading of several policy changes, and the superintendent was to giv...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library at 6:32 p.m. on December 20, 2023. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, and Grant Griffin. Aneesha Dieu and Ryan Paulson attended using Zoom. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present in the library. For the first order of business, the Board members who stood for re-election in November were administered the oath of office. The composition of the Board remains the same as it was before. Next, the Board Chair and Vice Chair positions were e...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on December 13, 2023. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson attended at the port office and Genie Crowe via Zoom. Dickinson updated the commissioners on five leases. The Desperado Cowboy Bullets and Blue Mountain Co-op renewed their leases for two years. Rae’s Studio in the Cameron Street CoWorking building extended its lease for another year. The Columbia County Conservation District signed a new lease for the garden spa...
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:36 p.m. on December 6, 2023. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. Matthew Smith, who briefed the Dayton City Council on the Community Needs Assessment the previous evening, gave essentially the same briefing to the school board. The board turned its attention to EPO (Educational Programs and Operation) Proposition 1 and Capital Levy Proposition 2. The EPO would f...
DAYTON- Mayor Zac Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. on December 5, 2023. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen joined Weatherford at City Hall. Jasmin Helm presented results from the Community Needs Assessment completed by the Coalition for Youth and Families under the Columbia County Department of Public Health. She said the coalition hired Tanner Accountants & Advisors (TAA) to help the department address the issues i...
DAYTON- Mayor Zac Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 21, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su'euga, Michael Smith, and Shannon McMillen were present in City Hall. Kyle Anderson participated using Zoom. Dain Nysoe and Laura Aukerman were not present. Most of the action items for this evening's meeting had been discussed during earlier meetings. This special meeting was scheduled for the council to vote on resolutions in their final form so that the city administration can...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library on November 15, 2023. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Ryan Paulson, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart and student representatives Madison Richardson and Lila Hutchens were also present. One of the Board’s first actions was to approve Lila Hutchens as a student representative to the Board. She joins Madison Richardson as the second student representative. The student representative and ASB reports recap student act...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 PM, November 8, 2023, in the Port Office. Commissioners present were Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. During the first public comment period, four individuals supported Lyon’s Ferry Marina and the effort to maintain KOA membership by adding required pull-through sites. Bryan objected to approving the last meeting’s agenda because its summary incorrectly characterized one of his statements as saying the breakwater at Ly...
DAYTON- Mayor Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 7, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and Council Members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, and Shannon McMillen were at city hall. Laura Aukerman participated using Zoom. Washington State Representative Joe Schmick attended the meeting and spoke during the first public comment period. Schmick said Dayton should have a policy to charge fees for public record requests, in part to cover staff time. He advised the city to amend it...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library at 6:35 p.m. on October 18, 2023. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart and Student Representative Madison Richardson were also present. Aneesha Dieu was not present. The board seat held by Korinda Wallace continues to be vacant. The Board approved the consent agenda, which included approval of Emily Uptegrove as a volunteer cheer coach, an FFA Dress Attire Donation from Candy Jones, scheduling a s...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m., October 11, 2023, in the Port Office. Commissioners present were Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. After dealing with some routine administrative items, the Commissioners began discussing the 2024 Budget, starting with the Executive Director’s salary. Crowe said Dickenson deserved a fifteen percent salary increase due to her role in committee meetings, numerous projects, and the management of the Blue Mountain Sta...
DAYTON — Mayor Zac Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., October 10, 2023. Weatherford and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, and Shannon McMillen were present; Laura Aukerman was absent. Tammy Ketterman, from the Columbia County Assessor’s Office, briefed the Council on property tax options for the City, explaining terms such as “banked capacity.” Ketterman’s presentation was strictly informational as a prelude to preparing next year’s budget, so no action was ne...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library at 6:33 p.m. on September 20, 2023. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Grant Griffin, and Aneesha Dieu. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. The board seat held by Korinda Wallace remains vacant since her resignation was announced at the June 14, 2023, meeting. The Board approved the consent agenda, including approval of Madison Richardson as the district’s student representative, a $1,000 donation to DHS Athletics from Van Ausdle Tir...
