Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 251
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District(WPRD) board has received the feasibility study it commissioned from PBS Engineering and Environmental in 2024. The purpose of the study was to determine if a pool could be rebuilt at its current location or on one of two alternative sites. The completed study shows a new municipal pool could be built on the alternative site on the north side of the Touchet River. On January 2, the WPRD board voted unanimously to pursue building the new...
WAITSBURG - Nicole Abel and her Waitsburg Ariculture Education students offer fresh cut trees to local businesses and clubs to decorate for the Festival of Trees. The students put up the trees before Hometown Christmas and pick them up again after New Year's Day. The trees are decorated with battery powered lights and unbreakable but creative ornaments to bring color and cheer to the downtown streets. Trees also compete for recognition as the Hometown Christmas fan favorite. The trees were cover...
WAITSBURG - Tom and Judy Bennett brought wood-fired pizzas to Waitsburg in 2022. After buying the former American Legion Post 35 from winemaker Charles Smith, the pair has remodeled, added outdoor seating, and hosted trivia, axe-throwing, burlesque, and live bands. The couple is now adding international travel to the fun. Partnering with The Table Less Traveled, the couple is offering a one-of-a-kind trip to southern Italy to explore Neapolitan pizza's roots. The trip is open to six to 14...
DAYTON — This year, Bluewood Ski Resort offers two-hour snowmobile adventures for riders aged 18 and over. The guided tour covers 64 miles through Bluewood’s backcountry in the Umatilla National Forest. The 2024 Polaris Snowmobiles can be booked for single or double riders and are included in the price with helmets and goggles. Boots, jackets, bibs, and gloves are available for rent—$ 30 for all, $10 per piece. Prepare for your adventure by wearing adequate winter clothing, including winter socks and snow boots, waterproof gloves, snow pants...
WAITSBURG - Growing up in Western Montana, Dave Tipton said he has photographed landscapes and wildlife since the 5th grade. With a passion for wildlife, he found himself wanting to capture everything he encountered outdoors, keeping a constant eye on the weather patterns. His travel includes Canada to Belize, thourhgout Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. He focused much of his attention on Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Glacier Park National Parks. Tipton's appreciation for the ever-changing o...
WASHINGTON — Every day, internet thieves make millions of attempts to take advantage of consumers online. Banks and other financial institutions warn their customers to be constantly aware of scams. They offer information on their websites and online help for customers who get unsolicited or confusing calls or emails from their banks. Three of the most common scams used by cybercriminals during the holidays are: Package Delivery Scams – An estimated three billion packages were shipped last holiday season. Package delivery is an opportunity for...
DAYTON - The Dayton Historic Depot Museum announced the return of the Holiday Market at the Depot during the town-wide Christmas Kick-Off event on Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30. This annual market will showcase handcrafted goods from local artisans and vendors, offering unique holiday gifts and treats for visitors of all ages. The Market at the Depot will feature local vendors offering handcrafted gifts, many priced under $40, making it the perfect opportunity for holiday...
WAITSURG - The Waitsburg Community Health and Protection Committee will test the city's flood siren at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19. The siren, routinely heard on weekdays at noon, will be set off in a wavering sound pattern at 10 a.m. for approximately a minute, simulating a flooding event. During the test on Tuesday, the Walla Walla County Emergency Management Alert system will send test messages via text, email, messaging, and on cell and landlines to Waitsburg residents while the siren...
TVAMP and RYSE kicked off the Halloween season with their fundraiser "BooGrass" at Waitsburg's Plaza Theater. Music by the Skyline Strings (above), The Epic Minstrels, and their mentors including Kate Hockersmith, Carrie Hendrix, Glen Morrison, and Jimmye Turner....
OLYMPIA — After unknown persons set off incendiary devices in several ballot boxes in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, last week, Washington voters are reminded to use the ballot tracker at https://voter.votewa.gov. The state website allows voters to register, check their registration data, and track their ballots. Ballots for the general election were mailed on Friday, October 18. Anyone who has not received their ballot can go to https://voter.votewa.gov to verify if and where a ballot was mailed. Walla Walla County voters s...
WAITSBURG — At its meeting on October 16, the Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to tear down the grandstands, announcer booth, and timing towers at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds. The council found the structures to be surplus and a safety hazard with no value to the city. Weller Public Library Supervisor Sarah Roberts presented an update to the council on the library. She said the interior has been repainted, material checkouts and foot traffic are up from past years, and money has been raised for programs, including the summer reading p...
WAITSBURG - October 20 through 26 is the American Library Association's 19th annual National Friends of Libraries Week. The Weller Public Library Board and Library Supervisor Sarah Roberts would like to acknowledge the active members of Waitsburg's Friends of the Library. "The Friends of WPL have worked alongside the library staff and Board of Trustees in countless ways, supporting our programming and allowing us to hold events that would otherwise be difficult to support with our small staff,"...
PRESCOTT - After another successful season, the Prescott Pool has been emptied and was being repainted this week to prepare for winter. The pool offers recreation, swim safety and education, and Aquacize classes to the Prescott, Waitsburg, Dayton, and surrounding areas. The Prescott Parks and Recreation has been able to do this with the support of its community and Prescott voters who pass operation levies to fund much of the work. The Walla Walla YMCA partners annually with the district to...
WAITSBURG - The Plaza Theater, originally named The Neace Theater, was built in 1929. "The plaza is an especially fun place to hold our bluegrass concert event," said Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Project founder Kate Hockersmith. "It has great charm, acoustics and the history of the building is close to the history of bluegrass music which became popular with "Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys" in the early 1930s." This year, TVAMP brings BooGrass to the Plaza Theater on Sunday, October 27 at...
WAITSBURG-From October 19 to November 23, Explore artwork by Rachel L. Smith at Tate Art Waitsburg Studio. Greg and Twila Tate, owners of the studio, invite the public to the opening reception on Saturday, October 19 from 4 p.m to 7 p.m. Smith is a multidisciplinary artist working with ephemeral materials to create mixed-media, collage, performance, and installation works. "My practice is built on collecting, altering and combining ephemeral materials, thread and unrelated subject matter that...
DAYTON — The Columbia County Parks and Recreation Pool District will host a town hall meeting to present and discuss the proposed excess levy on the November 2024 ballot. The public meeting will be held at the Dayton Multipurpose Room at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The Parks and Rec commissioners encourage community members to come and learn first-hand about the proposed excess levy, ask questions, and have an open conversation about the pool district’s needs, goals, and pri...
WAITSBURG - The Weller Public Library has received an exhibit box from the Burke Museum at the University of Washington in Seattle. The museum loans Burke Boxes to libraries, classrooms, and families and contains museum-quality items highlighting the natural world and Washington's cultural heritage. The Waitsburg library has received the Burke Box on fish from the museum's life sciences collection. The box contains 15 specimen jars with fish, fish models, skeletons, scales, bones, and other...
WAITSBURG - Touchet Valley parents and caregivers needing help obtaining diapers face significant barriers, including long drives to distribution centers and the need to provide personal information and proof of income. To help meet community needs, the Waitsburg Christian Church has started a small-scale diaper bank to complement its clothing ministry which has served hundreds of families facing emergencies and meeting everyday needs. The church is asking the community for donations of diapers...
WAITSBURG — The Waitsburg School Board met at the elementary school library on September 19, 2024. Board Chair Stephanie Cole, directors Christy House, Charlie Barron, Abby Grende, and Interim Superintendent Carol Clarke were present. After Carol Clarke was sworn in as Interim Superintendent, Cole introduced Cedar Stengal as the student school board representative. Clarke gave the athletic director’s report, reporting on participation numbers for fall sports. HS football has 20 students, MS football has 12, and cheer has 14. High school vol...
WAITSBURG - Four teachers have joined the Waitsburg School District for the 2024-25 school year. Westin Wallace and Kim Hamann teach in the high school, Kimberly McNarland teaches physical education K-12, and Donovan Romero is a teacher at Preston Hall. Wallace graduated high school in the farming town of Toledo, Washington. He said he was proud that his father and grandfather still work on the family farm, like many families in Waitsburg. After high school, Wallace attended South Puget Sound Co...
WAITSBURG-Scouting is about kids, family, and community. Waitsburg and its surrounding area, including Dayton and Prescott, are fortunate to be the home of Scout Troop 337. Scoutmaster Justin Stegall, Assistant Scoutmaster Tim Hollingsworth, and Troop 337's committee members Jon Roberts, Sarah Roberts, Paul Mantz-Powers, and Brandi Hollingsworth have run the troop since restarting it in the spring of 2023. On Monday, September 30, 2024, the troop will host a Court of Honor ceremony and an Open...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg Commercial Club and Waitsburg Town Hall will host a Candidate Forum on Wednesday, September 25. The club invited all state and Walla Walla County candidates in the November 2024 election to participate. Before the forum begins, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the candidates from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. Virginia Romine and Joy Marie Smith will moderate this year's forum. At the time of publication, the following candidates have agreed to participate:...
WAITSBURG - An essential part of Waitsburg's history will be reintroduced to the community at the Pioneer Fall Festival this Sunday by the Waitsburg Historical Society. The Miehle No. 3 flatbed press, used by the "The Times" for decades, has found a permanent home at the Wilson-Philips House in Waitsburg. The press was first assembled in 1912 and later bought by Emerson Wheeler, who published "The Times" until he died in 1942. The paper used the flatbed press until December 1975, when...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Friends of the Pool, Parks and Recreation, and Rural Youth Enrichment Services held a Rhythm and Fun Festival at the fairgrounds on Saturday, August 24. Over 100 people came to hear the live music, have dinner, play carnival games, and watch young banjo and fiddle contestants. The fundraiser for the pool raised $3,600. Kate Hockersmith brought her community of bluegrass musicians to the Don Thomas Building with the first Jasper Mountain Opry Youth Festival. A large circle...
The Cruizin Prescott Car Show was held Saturday, August 17. The well attended show brings out car and truck lovers and thier rides. Waitsburg resident, Karl Newell, took home the Best Old Truck award for his 1951 Chevy Panel truck. He appreciated the Walla Walla Electric sponsored award. At Cheer Camp this week, Waitsburg City Council member Jillian Henze offered kids 4 to 17 the chance to jump, climb, dance, cheer, and make new friends. Waitsburg Cheerleader Cedar Stegall helped these young...
