Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON - Columbia County's Sesquicentennial event drew community members, past and present, to celebrate on Saturday, October 4. The event began with the Blue Mountain Artists, who created and displayed work at Moose Creek Café, Dayton Historic Depot, and Locally Nourished. After the opening ceremony at the Depot, neighbors shared a free "Chuckwagon" lunch by The Q BBQ. From there, guests could take a guided tour through downtown, learning about the county's past through living history...
WALLA WALLA/ WAITSBURG — Common Roots Housing Trust is hosting two information sessions for anyone seeking a path to affordable homeownership. Topics will cover how a community land trust model works to create permanent, affordable homeownership opportunities. Members from the trust will be on hand at the events to explain how to navigate the eligibility process and find resources, including financial counseling, for renters and first-time buyers. Through the CLT model, Common Roots will be able to sell homes on their land for approximately $...
DAYTON-The Port of Columbia and the Sesquicentennial Committee will unveil a legacy mural commissioned for the 150th Celebration on October 4, 2025. The mural, located at the Palus Museum on Main Street, has been one of the city's best-kept secrets. A local farmer lent one of his trucks to park in front of the mural as it was being painted. The completed painting has been under wraps, creating curiosity leading up to its unveiling. The port and committee selected the design submitted by Emily...
PRESCOTT - The Prescott School District, working with the Office of the Superintendent and the Financial Oversight Committee, has been addressing financial shortfalls that threaten its future. As the school board works to save the district from dissolution, Prescott and neighboring communities have stepped up to save the Prescott School District. Here are some of the ways individuals or businesses can immediately help: Donate items for the Prescott Education Association's silent auction that...
WALLA WALLA - The Kirkman House Museum's annual Sheep to Shawl and open house is this Saturday, October 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The unique learning event is free for all ages. Kids will love visiting sheep to learn where wool's journey begins, and the demonstrations take visitors through the processes that end in beautiful knits. Experts will demonstrate wool carding, dyeing, spinning, and weaving. There will be lace making and knitting on a vintage sock machine. Local artisans will have a sel...
DAYTON - The National Safety Council recognizes outstanding advances in safety through the Green Cross for Safety Awards. The awards honor community partnerships, programs, individuals, researchers and corporations that make a significant impact on safety issues through advocacy, innovation, and excellence. On September 15, Puget Sound Energy and Principal Engineer Ryan Severe were awarded the Green Cross for Safety Innovation Award at the NSC Safety Congress and Expo held in Denver, Colorado....
OLYMPIA—Secretary of State Steve Hobbs received a request from the U.S. Department of Justice, dated September 8, 2025, for all fields of Washington’s voter registration list. On Tuesday, September 23, Hobbs responded that his office can only provide the publicly disclosable information permitted under state law. Pursuant to RCWs 29A.08.710 and 29A.08.720, publicly disclosable fields are the registrant’s name, address, year of birth, and voting history. Registered voters’ data including the last four digits of a Social Security numbers...
The Waitsburg Historical Society hosted its annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 21. Cooler weather may have kept some visitors home; those who came were hungry. The Lions Club sold more bison burgers than last year, selling out. Before the rain began, the Historical Society honored the Gagnon Family as Pioneers of the Year. Almost the entire audience stood after family members were invited to the front of the stage. There were plenty of places to stay out of the rain, including the...
Waitsburg - A busy weekend in Waitsburg included an all-ages block party, the Lions Club Salmon Feed, and the Waitsburg Historical Society Fall Festival. The first annual Royal Block Party was held in the alley behind the hotel, Ten Ton Studios, Plaza Theater, and Wolfling Coffee. There was food, music, alley bowling, and ring toss from 5 until after 9 p.m. Wolfling Coffee opened its back door for in-progress shop tours and a chance to meet owners Caitlyn Potts and Trevor Corbin. Next door,...
WAITSBURG - Juniper Kerr has joined "The Times" staff as a photographer. Her first assignment was to photograph this summer's harvest with her unique sense of movement and light. She visited the Northwest Grain Growers Turner elevator and the Zuger, Fortner, and Thorn crews working harvest. Kerr said she has been photographing her whole life, beginning when she was three or four years old. She was given a camera by her mother and used it to produce her own postcards to sell. After moving to...
WALLA WALLA - Twenty-four pets, including 12 cats and 12 dogs, went to loving homes during the Blue Mountain Humane Society's Adoption Event at Walla Walla Toyota on Sunday, September 14. Everyone who drove into the busy Toyota dealership was greeted with barks and smiles. The event is made possible with the support of Walla Walla Toyota, which hosts the adoption event, and media sponsor Elkhorn Media Group. Generous private and community sponsors covered adoption fees for many of the dogs and...
DAYTON - Like every industry, farming has changed significantly through the new technologies. Last year, "The Times" accompanied local wheat farmer Deborah Fortner to a field she was analyzing using a spray drone. Fortner won a DJI multispectral surveying drone at a Spray Drone End User Conference. She learned how to fly, land, and use the software for the new drone-using it to analyze the fields she farms. Though she saw the potential, she found the technology lacked the functionality that she...
DAYTON - Working harvest is a shared experience for many students and alums from Dayton, Waitsburg, and Prescott High Schools. There are jobs at the elevators, driving trucks, bankout wagons, and combines. Most kids will come back each year, building skills and confidence. Sage Kilts began working harvest for Deb Fortner when she was 16. Fortner was a horse trainer for her family, and when she asked Sage to work for her, she jumped at the chance. She started as a bankout wagon driver shuttling...
WAITSBURG - This year, the Waitsburg Historical Society has selected the Gagnon Family as the Pioneers of the Year. Members of the family will be honored at Fall Festival on September 21 at the Bruce House Museum. The Gagnon family's deep roots in the Walla Walla Valley farming community date back to the arrival of Marcel Gagnon in 1855. He immigrated from Quebec to the United States and became a citizen at the age of 18 in 1849. Along with other retired Hudson Bay fur trappers, he settled in...
DAYTON/WAITSBURG — Afterschool programs in Dayton and Waitsburg have started the new school year with grant funding. The Club in Dayton recieved funding from the Educational Service District 123’s Cohort 20 program through its 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. The ESD123 funding was awarded to programs in three communities, inclucing Dayton, to expand high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities. “Cohort 20 allows us to bring more consistent, high-impact learning time to students and families,” said Margari...
WALLA WALLA COUNTY - The Waitsburg and Prescott School Districts are starting the 2025-26 school year with changes in leadership. Monty Sabin has stepped into the roles of superintendent and elementary school principal at the Waitsburg School District. Prescott's K-12 principal, Jeff Foertsch, was selected by the school board to replace Justin Bradford as superintendent. Sabin, a Washington native, brings 26 years of administrative experience to the district, last serving as superintendent for...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School Board held its regular business meeting on Wednesday, August 20, at 6 p.m. Superintendent Monty Sabin, Board Chair Christy House, and board members Charlie Barron, Julie Karl, and Abby Grende were present. After adopting the agenda, the board entered an executive session to discuss candidate interviews for the open board seat. The session ended, and the board voted unanimously to appoint Tylor Abel as School Board Director for position 3. Secondary Principal Joe...
WAITSBURG - After surveying Waitsburg residents in 2022 and 2023, the Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District identified a city pool as a top priority. The district was joined by Rural Youth Enrichment Services, Waitsburg Commercial Club, City of Waitsburg, and the Walla Walla YMCA to develop the five-year plan to relocate the city pool. After the district and city agreed to locate the new pool on city property on the north side of the Touchet River, the district selected WMS Aquatics to...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg City Council met on Tuesday, August 12, at City Hall. Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Kevin House, Cindy Bishop, Mayor Marty Dunn, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were in attendance. Court Ruppenthal was absent. The council unanimously approved the Capital Facilities Plan update for 2025. Resolution 2025-794 was passed authorizing Hinchliffe to sign documents for the transfer of property from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The property at the end...
WAITSBURG — Since 2021, Columbia Walla Walla Fire District #2 has been looking for a full-time fire chief. The commissioners, volunteers, and community members have worked on a job description that would best serve the community. In February, the board hired Assistant Fire Chief Matt Spring to take over as chief. Spring is a Waitsburg resident with deep roots in the community and firefighting. “I grew up in a household watching my father work as a firefighter, then a fire chief, my entire childhood,” said Spring. Spring began volunteering in Wa...
This summer has been busy for fire and county emergency management departments. In July, there were fires that resulted in Level 3 evacuation orders. One fire went from Level 1 to Level 3 in eight minutes, according to Patrick Prucell, Walla Walla County Emergency Management Coordinator. Level 1–Be Ready to evacuate by having a plan and a go-kit ready. Level 2 – Be Set to evacuate at a moment’s notice, there is significant danger in the area, and it can change quickly. Level 3 – Go Now! Leave immediately, without delay. Do not stop to gather...
DAYTON - On August 2, The Scotsman, a new wedding and community events center in Dayton, officially opened. Emma Schutt, Kelli Schutt, and Gerrit DeVos did the honors at Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony sponsored by the Port of Columbia in celebration of their achievement. Guests were invited to tour the remodeled space and meet local vendors, including Hotel Hardware, Tipsy Boards, and Fifth & Willow, that are available for events at the new venue. DeVos, owner of DeVos Builders, said it...
DAYTON – Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney Dale Slack is leaving the office on September 1, 2025. Slack was in private practice in Dayton for four years as a criminal defense attorney, and a contracted public defender in the Columbia County District and Superior Courts. Slack joined the prosecutor's office in 2015 as a deputy prosecuting attorney was elected to replace Prosecutor Rea Culwell in 2018. "One of the office's deputy prosecutors will fill the position until the Columbia County C...
The opening of Wolfing Coffee on Main St. in Waitsburg is getting closer as this week the building's exterior is being prepped for painting and the interior is framed and being drywalled....
DAYTON - The Harting Grade Fire was first reported around 4 p.m. on Friday, July 25, less than three miles from Dayton. After burning 336 acres, the fire was contained on Sunday, July 27. Acting Columbia County Fire District 3 Fire Chief Michael Field requested that the Washington State Fire Marshal implement the Fire Service Resource Mobilization Plan to provide resources to assist local firefighters, including air support. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office contacted residents on S....
