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Articles written by Morgan Smith


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  • MOVIES

    Morgan Smith|Apr 4, 2013

    The Liberty Theater is going big this month, opening with "Oz, The Great And The Powerful" running April 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 16. The film is estimated to have cost $215 million to produce and brings some of the most stunning visual elements film has to offer. "Oz" stars James Franco as Oz, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Wil- liams in a fantastical land where a power struggle be- tween three witches creates a transforming rift. Upon his arrival to the enchanted land, Oz believes he...

  • Citizen Class Steps Up

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Apr 4, 2013

    WAITSBURG -- Stu- dents at Waitsburg Middle School are baring their talents on the stage to raise money to help a local family after they lost their home in a fire. Students in Maddy Martin's citizenship class stepped up to support the Brooks family with two fun- draisers, after the family lost their home. Students Timber Froh- reich and Zach Hebbard said they started with "hats for home," a fundraiser the class did before, which allowed students to pay $1 to wear a baseball-style hat at school. The last time students did the fundraiser, it... Full story

  • Dayton Track and Field Makeup Meet

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 28, 2013

    DAYTON - This year's rela­tively clear weather didn't hold up for the Waitsburg-Prescott track and field team, leaving students in the cold twice last week. The meet scheduled for Wednesday, March 20 was rescheduled for Friday, March 29 due to inclement weather but the rescheduled meet had an equally cold reception. Head coach Jeff Bartlow said the event was unforgettable and a mo­ment many students will remember for the rest of their lives. During the meet, snow started to fall and dur­ing the boys 3200 and the boys and girls 4x400 relays th... Full story

  • Dayton Track and Field Makeup Meet

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 28, 2013

    DAYTON - Dayton's small and young track and field team headed to its first event of the season and was greeted by flurries of excitement, snow flurries that is. The meet was originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 20 but had to be rescheduled to Friday, March 22 due to inclement weather. Friday's weather wasn't much warmer, when flurries picked up during the boys 3200 race. The snow caused runners in the boys and girls 4x400 to be nearly invisible as they headed down the back stretch, head coach Dan Nechodom said. "The meet will be memorable...

  • WP Girls Softball Team Struggles In Touchet

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 28, 2013

    TOUCHET -- The Waits­burg Prescott girls softball team struggled with consis­tency in a tough game against the Touchet Indians Tuesday evening, falling 13-3 in five innings. The team started strong, bringing the second batter around for the first run of the game but the girls couldn't keep up with Touchet's tough team. Head coach Angie Potts said the team struggled with consistency during the non- league game. "It makes (the game) a lot harder when you don't play the way you can play," Potts sai... Full story

  • WP Boys Triumph Over Touchet Indians

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 28, 2013

    TOUCHET -- The Waits­burg Prescott boys baseball team took down the Touchet Indians Tuesday night 10-5 after a tough game with sev­eral big hits and close calls. The WP boys opened strong with three runs in the first inning to Touchet's two. In the second inning, neither team scored. In the third, WP brought two runs around, pulling ahead against Touchet's one run in the third. As the score gap widened, play intensified with big hits from both teams to the fence and beyond testing o... Full story

  • Challenger Callahan Faces Incumbents in Monday Election

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 28, 2013

    WAITSBURG - With elections just around the corner, the "Truth and Trust" slate of incumbents and council challenger Deb Callahan will face the city's decision when ballots are counted Monday. The five city council can- didate incumbents Martin Dunn, Kevin House, K.C. Kuykendall, Karl Newell and Scott Nettles face chal- lenger Callahan in Monday's election. The top five vote-receiving candidates will earn seats on the city council for the coming year. The incumbents range in experience and are al...

  • Teen Drug Use, Drinking Higher Here

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 21, 2013

    DAYTON - While teen cigarette smoking and drink- ing is down state-wide ac- cording to a recent Healthy Use Survey, Columbia County teens have stagnated and increased in these risky behaviors. The recent Healthy Use Survey distributed by the Department of Social and Health Services measured substance abuse along with risk factors in youth across the state and the re- sults in Columbia County are cause for a refocus in local communities. The bi-annual survey was administered across the state to m...

  • Dayton Boys Struggle Against Indians

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 21, 2013

    TOUCHET - The Day- ton baseball team struggled and fell against the Touchet Indians, losing 4-1 Tuesday night. The Bulldogs had a fight- ing chance until late in the game when the Indians ran away with the score. The Bulldogs brought their first runner in during the fifth in- ning, tying the score up 1-1. Later, an error in the outfield allowed two runs to come around for the Indians and put the Bulldogs behind. "We made some mistakes there and they turned a single into a home run," head coach S...

  • Lady Bullogs Overcome Touchet Indians 4-2

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 21, 2013

    TOUCHET - The Day­ton softball team came out on top after a hard-fought game against the Touchet Indians, winning with a final score of 4-2. Dayton opened the first inning with a single from Sarah Phillips. Phillips and second batter Malia Frame were both thrown out on a double play before third batter Jessica Tate was thrown out to end the side's inning. The Indians were able to go through four batters but couldn't get a runner around. In the top of the second inning, cleanup hitter... Full story

  • BE MERRY

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 14, 2013

    Officially, spring doesn't start until March 20. But when I find myself humming "Mr. Blue Sky" by the Electric Light Orchestra every morning, I think it's safe to say spring is on its way. Spring brings new blooms and, emerging from hiberna­tion, the return of some old favorites. The newest unique bloom in Dayton is the revamped Fire and Iron brewpub. After years of Skye Book and Brew, com­plete with its own weekly coffee group, the familiar locale has a new twist but the same home-brewed spirit. The beer is still be made in-house, helping Dayt...

  • Coach Builds Young Dayton Team

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 14, 2013

    DAYTON - Dayton track and field head coach Dan Nechodom isn't training athletes to sprint toward districts in May, he's train­ing students to be athletes for life. Nechodom is new to the high school scope of track and field, but the sport is old hat for the former middle school track and field coach of 16 years. For his relatively young team however, that may not be the case. With only two students returning from last year and one other with previous track and field experience, Nechodom has...

  • Elections Bring New Candidate

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 14, 2013

    The Truth and Trust ticket returns to the elections this year with one opponent for a council seat, Deb Callahan. Callahan and her husband, Lester Callahan, moved to Waitsburg 32 years ago to live on Lester's fam- ily's land. Deb Callahan oc- cupies her time with garden- ing, sewing, canning and lots of cooking, she said. "I feel that if you're going to be on council or represent your community, you can't just represent yourself, your family and your immediate friends," Callahan said. "You have to represent everyone who touches your life in...

  • MOVIES

    Morgan Smith|Mar 7, 2013

    The Liberty Theater started the month with the Oscar-winning comedy/drama, "Silver Lin- ings Playbook." The rest of the month will bring crime, excitement, humor and some animation to entertain the masses this March. This weekend, the crime thriller "Side Effects" will be playing. The film stars Rooney Mara, Channing Ta- tum and Jude L aw and was directed by Stev en Soder- bergh. When Emily Taylor's husband is sent to prison, she suffers from severe depres- sion that persists after her husband...

  • Juniors Will Lead Inexperienced Bulldogs

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Mar 7, 2013

    DAYTON - After a strong season complete with a first round win at playoffs, Dayton's baseball team is a mix of fresh young faces, seasoned talent and no se­niors. And by fresh faces, head coach Sal Benevides means really fresh. The four current seniors who would filled out the team last year, decided not to play this year, Bena­vides said. So he had to pull younger players up to the varsity team to fill out the roster. The 13-student team now includes four eighth grad­ers as well as two ex...

  • Prescott Pool Needs New Lift

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 28, 2013

    PRESCOTT - A feder- ally mandated enforcement of the Americans with Dis- abilities Act (ADA) poses a big problem for the Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District and Prescott pool users. The new mandate re- quires public pools to install a lift so swimmers with disabilities can use the pool. The Prescott pool has a lift in place now, but the new man- date requires the lift be one that a user can operate alone and without assistance, unlike the lift currently in- stalled at the pool. At a...

  • WP Athletes Sign College Letters

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 28, 2013

    WAITSBURG - Hard work really does pay off for two Waitsburg athletes who signed letters of intent and claimed scholarships this week. Three-sport athlete Dal­ton Estes will focus his energy on football at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Ore. Estes will red- shirt his freshman year, pre­paring to play wide receiver for the Mountaineers. Estes signed his letter of intent on Monday, Feb. 25 with the support of some of his football teammates. Cross-country and track aficionado Seth Deal, w...

  • Wii Night at the Prescott Library

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 21, 2013

    PRESCOTT - A big white background stretches across rows of shelves as a projector sends images of classic "Mario Brothers" characters bouncing across the screen. The students who gather on the first two Tues­days of every month aren't at a party - as the game's title would suggest - they're in the library. Twice a month, from 5 p.m. to closing, the Prescott Public Library hosts Wii night, an event that brings students to the library to enjoy video games and so­cialization with their peers. Branc...

  • Bulldogs End Season with Tough Playoff Loss

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 21, 2013

    WALLA WALLA - The Dayton girls basketball team ended their season Friday after a tough game against St. George, falling 55-29 to the Dragons. The game opened slowly as both teams took the court at Whitman College pre­pared to defend their final shot at heading to Spokane for the state tournament. The lady Bulldogs had a visible height disadvan­tage and struggled to work around the Dragons. But the Dragons were not quick to put points on the board, put­ting up eight in the first four minutes. In... Full story

  • Lady Cardinals’ Season Ends With District Loss

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 14, 2013

    WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg-Prescott girls bas- ketball team closed their sea- son after a tough loss against St. George's Dragons, 52-21 in Colfax Thursday, Feb. 7. The relatively young team took third in the league and is proud to have claimed that title, head coach Jerry Baker said. The lady Cardinals played hard in the first period pull- ing ahead and leading for part of the first period. The Cardinals brought the heat and defended their trip to playoffs, matching the Drag- ons' score when...

  • Bulldogs Face ‘Must-Win’ After First-Round Loss

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 14, 2013

    DAYTON - The Dayton girls basketball team faced a strong district seven team Saturday, and while the lady Bulldogs were able to hold some ground, they weren't able to pull ahead, falling 50- 36 to the Colfax Bulldogs. Both teams opened tak­ing shots at every opportu­nity. But Dayton struggled to hit the net taking 14 attempts and hitting only two for five points. Colfax took 18 attempts and hit seven, helping their ladies pull ahead of Dayton before ending the first period 18-7. The score gap d...

  • Les Miserable Opens Friday at the Liberty

    Morgan Smith|Feb 7, 2013

    Le s Mis­er­ables is the heart- wrenching story of pa­roled con­vict Jean Valjean ( Hugh Jackman). Released after being arrested for stealing a loaf of bread and serving his time, he breaks parole and escapes to start a new life. He spends his days running from his past. After his escape, Valjean runs a factory where he em­ploys women, including Fan­tine, (Anne Hathaway), who is fired by a foreman for sus­pected promiscuity. Fantine is determined to provide for her sick child, so she sells...

  • Lady Cardinals Down But Not Out

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 7, 2013

    DAYTON - The Waits­burg Prescott girls' basket­ball team struggled against Asotin in their first post- season game Tuesday night, falling 40-30 to the Panthers. The lady Cardinals opened strong, matching the Panthers' height and speed to take the lead early on. The Cardinals came out ready to play with energy to boot. That energy translated into points, as the Cardi­nals finished the first period ahead of the Panthers, 10-8. The second period started slow, both teams struggling to hit the net an...

  • Lady Bulldogs Head to Playoffs

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 7, 2013

    DAYTON - As basket­ball season comes to a close and post-season play begins, Dayton's lady Bulldogs gear up for playoffs with hard work, determination and a little superstition. Seniors McKayla Bick­elhaupt, Jessica Tate, Malia Frame and Samantha Hart­ing took a few minutes out of practice to indulge on excite­ment about the playoffs and some of the strategy on their minds during the coming practices. Frame, who is recovering from being sick is focused on getting healthy. She said she expects teams they take on in playoffs to bring the sam...

  • Dayton Girls Get Big Win at TC Prep

    Morgan Smith, The Times|Feb 7, 2013

    TRICITIES - After a slow start for both teams, the Bulldogs surged through in the fourth quarter to come from behind for a win over Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars, 53- 48 Saturday. The game opened with a slow first period. The Bull­dogs attempted 14 shots to the Jaguars' 16 putting up six points from the field to the Jaguars' six but couldn't match free throw points to end the first period 8-7, Tri- Cities Prep. In the second period, the Bulldogs put up 16 shots but only hit eight points before free... Full story

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