Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Michele Smith’s picks Caste by Isabel Wilkerson The concept of caste has been around long before the concept of race. In her book, Caste, Isabel Wilkerson takes us on a trip through the Hindu caste system, the Nazi plan to exterminate Jews and others deemed inferior, and through to the caste system in America, which is based on race. As an artificial hierarchy, caste determines one’s place in society and which members will benefit from having better access to resources. Tecumseh and the Prophet:...
DAYTON—The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Columbia County Fairgrounds is working well. However, only 110 doses will be administered this week, according to Stephanie Carpenter. Carpenter is the Columbia County Health System Chief Operating Officer and is in charge of the Columbia County Hospital District vaccination plan. Carpenter said Dayton General Hospital Pharmacy Manager Cheryl Pell requested 400 doses of the vaccine for use this week but only received 100 doses. There are ten doses l...
DAYTON—County finances have “definitely” been affected by the flood and COVID-19, said County Commissioner Ryan Rundell, following an update on fourth-quarter finances from County Treasurer Carla Rowe last week. “As Carla said, because we are a bare-bones taxed county, we have been less affected by COVID-19 than some counties who rely on extra taxes, like an entertainment tax, with large venues, and the like. However, the flood coupled with COVID-19 has done visible damage to the county and its...
DAYTON-When offered a chance to work remotely, more and more people are moving where they choose. If the City of Dayton and the Port of Columbia play their cards right, Dayton, with its beautiful blue skies, friendly people, and green vistas, could become the next little boom, or "Zoom" town. When the question of whether people should consider moving to Dayton was posed to Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson and City of Dayton Planning Director Meagan Hayes last week, the answer...
COLUMBIA COUNTY—The Board of Columbia County Commissioners has gone on record to let Washington State Governor Jay Inslee know they are displeased with the COVID-19 Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan. The Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan is using a regional approach for a phased recovery. The state has designated eight regions, with Columbia County part of the South-Central Region, Kittitas, Yakima, Walla Walla, Benton, and Franklin counties. All eight regions start...
DAYTON-Fourteen students in the Dayton School District received winter coats and snow boots purchased from generous donations from Homestreet Bank and the Grace Episcopal Church "We are so fortunate to live in a community where people notice a need and step in to fill it immediately," said Judi Pilcher, VP/Assistant Branch Manager at HomeStreet Bank....
DAYTON—2020 was a busy year for staff inside the Columbia County Planning and Building Department, primarily due to the Feb. flood. Work has continued apace, despite the COVID-19 slowdown. Planning Manager Dena Martin provided a synopsis for the county commissioners at their meeting last week. The Planning and Building department oversees county land use, zoning, comprehensive plan updates, and environmental uses. The department also provides building services for Columbia County, the City of Da...
DAYTON-The Dayton School District kicked off the second semester of the school year on Jan. 21. Report cards will be mailed home for middle and high school students on Jan. 27 and for elementary school students on Jan. 26. Dayton School District Superintendent Guy Strot provided an update about the elementary school at the school board meeting last week. He reported challenges were keeping some elementary classrooms open during the two weeks after Christmas break because some of the staff were...
DAYTON—A new vaccine clinic to administer vaccinations for COVID-19 has been set up at the county fairgrounds. Clinics will run three days this week, according to Stephanie Carpenter, the COO of the Columbia County Health System. Forty people are scheduled to receive their second dose on Tuesday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This will be a dry run and to work out any flow issues, she said. Forty people will receive their second dose, and 160 people in Phase 1b will receive their f...
DAYTON—When it comes to COVID-19, the Times tries its best to deliver up to date, factual information, but it is hard to keep up when the data changes so quickly. Take the information released to the public, over the last couple of weeks, from the Columbia County Public Health Department and officials in charge of the vaccination process here in Columbia County. On Thursday, Jan. 7, the Times reported that COVID-19 vaccinations would be administered through a phased approach from the Centers for...
DAYTON—Mayor Zac Weatherford talked about mitigating damages to the Dayton portion of the levee caused by the 2020 February flood in his report to the Dayton City Council last week. There are three projects which will be done in the spring and summer months, he said. The projects include; the Front Street Bridge Rip Rap Replacement Project and removal of less than 50 cubic yards of sediment from the Touchet River, the North First Street Rip Rap Replacement Project, and repairs to the damaged s...
DAYTON-Elizabeth Jagelski is known for being a vivacious, musically gifted person with a kind heart. She has contributed her directorial expertise to six of the Touchet Valley Art Council (TVAC) theater productions and her acting skills 13 times. She is also a devoted music teacher at Berney Elementary in Walla Walla. To say she has not been herself lately would be putting it mildly. She, her 72-year-old husband, Tom, and her 89-year-old father, Juan Arebalos, have all been infected with,...
DAYTON—At a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, the Columbia County Health Department released new information from the Washington Dept. of Health for vaccination phases. There has been a change regarding which group is next in line to be vaccinated, after vaccinations for healthcare workers, first responders, who are at high risk, residents in long-term facilities, and other workers in healthcare settings. The Dayton General Hospital Vaccination Team has decided that our first focus will be to v...
DAYTON-Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm's overarching goal is to get back to the fundamental basics of law enforcement; through proper staffing, handling calls appropriately, providing deputies with the proper equipment, and establishing a good relationship between his office and members of the community. When Helm took office on Jan. 1, 2019, he began to implement his goals and ideas and was well into it, early in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and social distancing guidelines began...
DAYTON—On Dec. 16, Columbia County Health System CEO Shane McGuire provided the hospital board of commissioners with an update on projects designed to improve the hospital’s ability to treat COVID-19 patients, as previously reported in The Times on Dec. 10. McGuire presented the commissioners with “firm” cost estimates for four of the five projects. The Medical Vacuum project, Medical Air project, and the Medical Gas projects came in close to, or below, budget. The new hospital generat...
DAYTON—The number of households served by the Dayton Food Bank has shot up from 160 each month before the COVID-19 pandemic began, to now serving 588 each month. “In seven months, we have distributed 269,061 pounds of food in Columbia County,” said Judi Pilcher, Vice-president/Branch manager of HomeStreet Bank and board member overseeing the food bank. In March 2020, the food bank operated as a drive-through at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, with help from Blue Mountain Action Council, the N...
DAYTON-On Dec. 29, Dayton General Hospital Pharmacy Manager Cheryl Pell administered the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to DGH employee Mike Paris, kicking off vaccinations for essential health care workers and first responders, according to Phase 1A guidelines from the Washington State Department of Health. Pell said 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine were received at the hospital pharmacy on Dec. 23, followed by another 100 doses on Dec. 28. She said each vial of the vaccine contains ten...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) met on Dec. 21 to adopt various budgets, sign the ILA with the City of Dayton for Law and Justice, Dispatch, and Court services, and hire an attorney for the Indigent Defense contract. During the meeting, the BOCC adopted a 24 million budget for 2021, including a 2-percent cost of living adjustment for county employees. The BOCC also signed the five-year contract agreement with the City of Dayton for Law and Justice, Dispatch, and Court s...
DAYTON-2020 has been a year like no other in Dayton's collective memory. In February, the county experienced severe flooding on the North and South Touchet rivers and Patit Creek. The flood, which caused $7.2 million in damage to county infrastructure, was followed close on its heels by the COVID-19 pandemic which sent health and safety personnel scrambling to prepare the county. People were told to wear masks and limit social contact with others. Some did, and some did not. Government offices w...
DAYTON—Dr. Kyle Terry, Medical Chief of Staff at Dayton General Hospital, touched briefly on vaccine distribution and safety protocols for patients and staff when he spoke to the hospital board of commissioners on Dec. 17. Terry said COVID-19 vaccines would be distributed according to population numbers. With 2-percent of the national population, the state of Washington State will receive 2-percent of the vaccine. He thought Walla Walla County would receive the first distribution of the Pfizer v...
DAYTON—The Dayton Chamber of Commerce has announced the annual award banquet’s cancellation because of COVID-19 restrictions. However, the Chamber is accepting nominations for the Dayton Chamber of Commerce 2020 Community Choice Awards. “It is especially important that we still pay tribute to the exceptional businesses, organizations, and citizens in our community who have gone above and beyond in 2020.” To make a nomination, fill out the electronic form found on the Dayton Chamber website...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia held the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 16. The forum gives community stakeholders a chance to discuss projects they are involved in and provide input into the five and ten-year CEDS project list. Each year, at the end of the meeting, stakeholders are asked to prioritize economic development projects for the community. Fifty-seven stakeholders attended last week’s CEDS meeting and voted for the proje...
DAYTON—At the Dayton City Council meeting on Dec. 16, 2020, Planning and Community Development Director Meagan Hayes discussed progress by the Affordable Housing Commission. The Commission is reviewing multi-family tax exemptions, which could stimulate the construction of new or existing multi-family housing. The commission is also in the process of developing a marketing campaign. The Dayton Planning Commission is working on docketing items and will be opening the Subdivision Code. Hayes s...
DAYTON-The Washington State Department of Health expects to receive and distribute 62,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to 17 sites across 13 counties, beginning this week. According to DOH, the state should receive another 222,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and 183,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, by the end of Dec., with regular shipments beginning in Jan. About 190 organizations across the state are enrolled as COVID-19 vaccine providers. The majority of enrolled facilities are hosp...
DAYTON—A former long-time Master Gardener for the Boldman House Museum has won the museum committee’s raffle quilt. Instead of keeping the quilt for herself, and without hesitation, Susie Rogers made a gift of it to Susan Richter. Rogers said Susan Richter spent countless hours working on the quilt, along with Diane McKinley, Katie Wamble, Mary Luce, Sylvia Beuhler, and Eulalie Schrek. “Her heart was sewn into that quilt.,” Rogers said. “She loved that quilt so much.” When raffle tickets wen...
