Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 219
DAYTON - Eight bomb threats were made in the state of Washington on Nov. 15, one of which to the Columbia County Courthouse forced law enforcement to re-evalu- ate its bomb plan. The caller who made the threat on the courthouse said a bomb would go off 25 min- utes after the call was placed, Columbia County Sheriff Walt Hessler said in a city council meeting on Nov. 26. The call was reported in the police log at 3:17 p.m. The threat was ultimately empty, which Hessler said made the whole event a... Full story
DAYTON - While citizens of Dayton were in the dark during a power outage on Monday, Nov. 19, one of the three pumps that provides clean water for the city was failing, despite several safeguards to protect it, city officials say. As to not put too much work on the one pump the city has left, it is asking citizens to conserve as much water as possible. Water pumps in the city pump water from the ground water into a reservoir. The water in the reservoir is then distributed to customers. The pump, referred to as well pump number one by public... Full story
DAYTON - Elementary aged kids sat gathered around a long table in the County Cupboard Tuesday, Nov. 20, piping white frosting along gingerbread cookies and occasionally sneaking a taste of the sugary snacks. The gingerbread-making session was organized in preparation for a gingerbread house making contest held in the basement of the Dayton Memorial Library on Wednesday, Nov. 21. While there were only eight entries for the contest, organizer Lois Hemphill said the event was still a success. "The...
DAYTON - Employees of the Columbia County Health System will reap benefits in the form of a 2.5 percent salary increase, approved by the hospital board along with the rest of the 2013 budget for the health system. During the board meeting on Nov. 20, Chief Financial Officer John Hennessy said the cost of living is expected to increase by 1.7 percent in 2013, but because there was no salary increase last year, employees can expect a 2.5 percent salary bump across the board. Hennessy said last year the 401(k) match benefit was cut from 5 percent...
DAYTON - After five months in Waitsburg, Bee Still Photography could be still no longer. Bee Still Photography founder Belinda Cook decided it was time for a move in her personal life as well as professionally. Cook was managing several businesses in a retail store-sized space and Bee Still's new location is at the front of a 5-acre lot at 101 Poverty Lane off Highway 12. The studio and Cook's office are set off from the house she and husband Mike Cook recently moved into. The studio and o...
DAYTON - Dayton athletic coaches took an evening to recognize hard-working athletes and dedicated supporters at the fall sports banquet on Tuesday night. The coaches echoed many of the same sentiments in their speeches, thanking the supportive families and fans, the super- moms who brought snacks and made dinner, the athletes who made the season happen and the organizations that helped keep the teams operating. "None of this could have been done without the boosters," Football head coach D...
DAYTON - A 12- by 15-foot American flag will descend from the ceiling by a motor in the Dayton High School gym while the gym full of students, faculty, alumni and veterans recite the pledge of allegiance, led by the preschoolers from Susan's Home Child Care run by Susan Schlenz. The massive gym flag was purchased by the Day- ton Alumni Association and will be presented at a dedication ceremony at about 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 between the boys and girls basketball games in the Dayton High School...
DAYTON - The Dayton City Council discussed an increase in sales tax as an option to bring in more revenue for the 2013 city of Dayton budget. Several increases have been proposed to help pad revenue in the 2013 budget, which were presented at the city council meeting Tues- day, Nov. 13. Those ideas proposed includea2percentincrease in utilities fees, a 1 percent increase in regular property tax and increases in garbage, sewer and water rates. The city will also consider increasing dog licensing fees, pool fees and certain cemetery service...
DAYTON - Working isn't always fun, but local volunteer Melissa McCow- en is doing what she can to help a local Zumba group lose weight, get in shape and stay healthy. The Zumba class, which is sponsored by the Columbia County Health System, was created last year to pro- vide another method for local residents to get healthier. The class is free to attend and is hosted every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7 at the Dayton Elementary School gym. McCowen attended the Zumba class last year when it...
DAYTON - The annual Christmas Kickoff returns to Dayton with a schedule so massive, even the Grinch would have to smile. Every year, the Dayton community wastes no time af- ter Thanksgiving, opening the event on Friday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. with free make-and-take crafts for kids, a Christmas market at the Dayton Historic Depot and local artists, photography, pottery and live mu- sic at the Village Shoppes. As the weekend continues, more events and venues will help get the community in a festive...
DAYTON - After a nar- row margin of votes between candidates for the Columbia County Commissioner District 1 Seat Two in the first count of the General Election, Mike Talbott main- tained the victory over Tom Bensel by 120 votes in the first recount on Friday, Nov. 9. On the first count Tues- day, Nov. 6, Talbott received 1,029 votes, or 52.45 per- cent of the submitted votes. Bensel received 912 votes, or 46.48 percent. On a second count Nov. 9, more ballots were counted and Talbott received...
I t's time to admit it, you've got turkeys on your mind. For local carnivores, the Waitsburg Lions Club is selling smoked turkeys. If your pets or the hood of your car was assaulted by the rogue birds, this could be an oddly satisfying purchase. The turkeys will be on sale for $30 each at the Waitsburg Grocery Store from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. For vegetarians, vegans and people who don't hold grudges against animals that tend to drown when it rains, turkeys can still be the name of the...
PRESCOTT - After the Prescott School Board approved allowing eighth graders to wres- tle on the WP varsity wrestling team, the WP Combine commit- tee denied the request so the high school team can grow and be- cause of budget concerns, school officials said. At the Prescott School Board meeting in late October, school board member Sara Fletcher said the combine was looking at al- lowing eighth graders to wrestle for WP this year with coach Lanny Adams. The high school wrestling team is going into its second year and it had four men participate...
DAYTON - The in- fectiously energetic orphan Annie will brighten Dayton's Liberty The- ater stage this weekend, Nov. 16, through Dec. 1. The iconic red-head role will be filled by two local girls, Chloe Pearson and Hallyn Boggs. The girls will trade off nights in the lead role, which could have been difficult, but Director Elizabeth Arebalos- Jagelski said working with the two girls has been wonderful. And with a combined cast and crew of about 77 people, many of whom are younger than 18 years...
DAYTON - In anticipation of long-term construction and renovations for the Dayton School District schools, the school board last Wednesday began the investigation stage of the process. The board began by hearing a presentation from Construction Services Group who will, if selected, manage the long-term project. The investigation phase will help the board determine what kind of facility needs students in the Dayton School District have, Superintendent Doug Johnson said. Johnson said if the Construction Services Group is hired for the district,...
DAYTON - While local communities prepare for black Friday sales, the world- wide organization Operation Christmas Child's Dayton volunteers aim to bring the spirit of Christmas to under- privileged children. The program, which started in the United States almost 20 years ago, collects dona- tions of shoeboxes filled with small toys and personal items and ships them to children who live in war-torn coun- tries and countries classified as third world, Tri-Cities volunteer and area organizer Fay...
DAYTON - Two local churches worked together to create a safe trick-or-treating environment for local kids on Wednesday, pioneering trunk- or-treat and sparking a tradition two local pastors hope to continue and grow. Pastors Marj Johnston of Dayton's First Congregational Church and Bill Peck of Dayton's United Methodist Church had a serendipitous moment when both were inspired to put a trunk-or-treat day together. They were greeted with the sweet taste of success when the event was w...
SPOKANE - The Dayton volleyball team closed its season at playoffs for the state tournament at West Valley High School last Saturday after two back-to-back losses. The Bulldogs faced off against the Reardan Indians at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, but couldn't match the Indians' speed. The Bulldogs fell quickly in the first set, 25- 10. Unable to keep up with the Indians' quick hits and aggressive playing style, the Bulldogs struggled to make any points. In the second set, the Bulldogs gained a l...
DAYTON - As Veter- an's Day approaches, the Times is turning the spotlight to two local vet- erans who have served our country and now serve our community with their active participation and patriotism. Waitsburg veterans will be honored at an assembly at Waitsburg High School at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 9. The Times will have coverage of this event in the next issue. MARINES, WWII Local veteran Owen Agen- broad fought with the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a message carrier on the front lines at...
DAYTON - Three com- munity members and one business were honored dur- ing the 66th annual Dayton Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Thursday, Nov. 1. Chamber of Commerce Director Brad McMasters said about 170-180 people attended the event at the Run- ning T Ranch in Dayton. The banquet featured guest speaker George Sharp, the ex- ecutive director of the Olym- pia, Tumwater, Lacey Visi- tor's Bureau, who reminded attendees to continue to work on making storefronts catchy and maintain the quality in...
DAYTON - As winter ath- letes prepare for the snowy sea- son, Ski Bluewood is preparing itself for another year in a tough economy by reducing its operat- ing schedule to compensate for a lack of patrons on certain days in prior years. The new schedule for this year's season will be Friday through Sunday, as opposed to Wednesday through Sunday as the schedule had been in the past. The daily operating hours will remain the same, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the resort will open for the Christmas...
SPOKANE - The Dayton Bulldog soccer team fell in the first playoff game against St. George, 9-0, in Spokane last Tuesday. The loss comes after the triumphant extra overtime win against Valley Christian last Thursday. Head coach DJ Frame said the Bulldogs gave up a few easy goals, which didn't help out in the long run. "St. George is a good team," Frame said. "Our future looks bright and we started the process for next year." Frame said the whole team played hard for the seniors' final game. T...
MABTON - Dayton head football coach Dean Bickelhaupt told his team they had to open big against the Mabton Vikings to gain enough momentum to score their first win of the season. And the team took his advice to heart, taking the Vikings down in a shutout, 39-0. The Bulldogs took the field and didn't waste a play. Lowden Smith returned the first kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the first seconds of the game. The point after attempt was unsuccessful, but the Bulldogs weren't satisfied wi...
DAYTON - Dayton's First Congregational Church bubbled with activity last Friday as com- munity members and volunteers filed in for the annual Dayton General Hospital Auxiliary Luncheon. The dining areas filled quick- ly as attendees greeted each other like old friends, making the entire event feel more like a family re- union than an annual fundraiser. That feeling is exactly what keeps luncheon organizer and auxiliary President Aleta Shock- ley coming back. "My favorite part (of the lun-...
DAYTON – The Dayton City Council for the first time in three years is considering a 1 percent increase in property tax in its 2013 budget. “We are looking to (in- crease the property tax) for the first time in three budget cycles,” Mayor Craig George said. The tax increase will bring in an extra $3,300 in revenue for the city. George said revenues are projected to be down for 2013. He added the relatively small price tag on the property tax increase was the reason the 1 percent hadn’t been imposed for the last few years. The grand total o...
