Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Last year on February 7 our communities suffered considerable flood damage. Local state, county, and city governments, and residents came together to help neighbors and repair damage. Though some of the damaged infrastructure has been repaired, many residents are still concerned about areas of the levees that failed during the flood, sustained further damage during the event, and have not been repaired since. Anyone who has concerns should contact their local Flood Control Zone Districts or...
WAITSBURG-The Millrace Grade Improvement Project is one of the projects at the top of the City of Waitsburg's 2021 to-do list. The city initially slated the grade improvement project to break ground in 2020, but, it was pushed back after the area experienced extreme flooding in February, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Waitsburg's City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said that a new start date has not yet been determined, though he hopes for mid to late summer. The project will focus on...
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...
WALLA WALLA—On January 29, at 1:23 p.m., the Walla Walla Regional Airport reported receiving a bomb threat demanding money or an explosive device would be detonated. Airport officials evacuated the building and surrounding areas. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Washington State Patrol (WSP) Bomb Squad, and surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. By 2:31 p.m., officials confirmed the threat was not of a credible source. The building and surrounding area were searched and deemed safe. Walla Walla S...
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—The Columbia County Rural Library District Board of Trustees has chosen Todd Vandenbark of Waverly, Iowa, to be the next Director of the Dayton Memorial Library. He will begin as Library Director on Feb. 16. Vandenbark has a Master’s in Library Science and more than ten years of experience in Library service. He is an accomplished trainer and mentor and has extensive knowledge and experience with digital programming. “Todd’s outgoing personality and maturity, along with his experience and skills, make him a great match for our library...
WALLA WALLA—Gesa Power House Theatre announced three new members’ appointments to its nonprofit Board of Directors: Darcie Furlan, Mike Howell, and Tricia Rice. Darcie Furlan is retired from a career in book publishing and has lived in Walla Walla since 2014. She previously served on the board of the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival for five years before stepping down from her role as President this past August. Mike Howell is a retired veteran who continues to be very active in the community and has served on many nonprofit boards and civ...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board met on January 21 for a regular meeting. The board is still meeting via Zoom. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared that the school is planning on moving forward with state testing over the next two months. Sixth graders will test mid-April, followed in grade order. The testing will take about a week for each class. The second semester will begin February 1, and she reminded the board that it would mark a complete change of classes for students....
Dear Editor, The decision to fire Walla Walla Columbia County Dist. 2 Fire Chief, Michael Moynihan, should be rescinded immediately. It was made secretly in executive session at the Fire Commissioners' most recent board meeting. This amounts to character assassination despite the fact that section 5 in Moynihan’s contract states that termination can take place at will, without cause for any reason, and without available grievance procedures. Even he has no explanation as to why he was dismissed. Moynihan knows his position as a Chief and how t...
Waitsburg Community, Pastor Matt Wyatt and his wife Krystal have a new adventure ahead. How profound a contribution they have made in the life of the Christian Church and in the life of Waitsburg! They will be missed greatly. But not too fast! With their departure set for August we will still benefit greatly from their friendship and their ministry. Stan Hughes Pastor, Waitsburg Presbyterian Church...
January 24 Deputies investigated a report of a hit and run and assault. Walla Walla County January 26 WWCSO assisted the State Patrol with a collision on Highway 12. Touchet January 28 Information report of a female in what appeared to be a mental health crisis. Burbank A juvenile was reported as a runaway and later found by the parents. Walla Walla County. January 29 A bomb threat was received by fax at the Walla Walla Regional Airport Terminal. Walla Walla County A man was arrested for domestic assault in Waitsburg. Waitsburg January 30 A...
Commission sets stronger criteria for permit approval WASHINGTON—The Washington State Parks Commission met virtually on January 28 for their regular bi-monthly meeting. In attendance were Steve Milner from Chelan, Mike Latimer from Yakima, Mark Brown from Lacey, Sophia Danenberg from Seattle, Ken Bounds from Seattle, Diana Perez from Vancouver, Cindy Whaley from Spokane, and Director Don Hock. The commission moved to approve the U.S. Navy’s proposal to conduct special operations training events at several western Washington state parks. Dur...
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...
WAITSBURG—In July of 2020, the Waitsburg City Council voted to implement a $10 utility tax to help fund flood recovery efforts with the increase to be implemented in two phases. The first increase of $5 went into effect immediately after the vote. The second $5 increase went into effect on January 1, 2021, and some Waitsburg residents have voiced questions over slightly higher utility bills this month. At the time of the July meeting, the city estimated it would be responsible for $450,000.00 i...
WAITSBURG-Registered Nurse Heidi Ely, of Waitsburg, has recently completed both rounds of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. She said that it had given her a renewed sense of hope, and she hopes that her story as a nurse, and a mother, will ease minds. Over the past year, Ely, who works in Providence St. Mary's Same Day Surgery department, has seen the effects of the COVID-19 virus firsthand. She watched as the medical facility needed to change protocols, often by the hour, and how the staff adapted...
This past week we have received more information about the subject of last week’s column: Maude (Baim) Brown. Her little autograph book, discovered in Dayton in 2019, holds a series of handwritten messages dated 1912-1923. We received a call from Marilyn Groom, of Waitsburg. Marilyn’s parents, Harold and Marianne White were close friends with Rodney and Donna Belle Brown. Rodney is the late son of Maude and Homer Brown. Maude’s autograph book contains an early message from her future husba...
This year’s Super Bowl will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 7th at 6:30 E.T (3:30 p.m. local time), on CBS. The Kansas City Chiefs will travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. This is the first time in Super Bowl history a team gets to play in their home stadium. Kansas City is the favored team but is still dealing with a few injuries going into the championship game. The Chief’s wide receiver, Sammy Watkins, is listed as questionable with a calf injury. Both wide receiver Dem...
Don Sutton didn't make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first try in 1994, but he finally made it in on his fifth try in 1998. Sutton was the only person inducted that year, with six others on that year's ballot. Tony Perez, Ron Santo, Jim Rice, Gary Carter, Bruce Sutter, and Bert Blyleven would go on to be inducted themselves in later years. Except for his 1980 season when he led both leagues with an earned run average of 2.20, Sutton didn't have to have stand out seasons. Instead,...
“My sister, Peggy E. Dorsey, is in the White Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jersey and I, Mary Lee Dorsey Bly, am in the red jersey,” said Mary in a letter to the paper. The sisters were kind enough to send this photograph, taken with a copy of The Times, in front of the Raymond James Stadium where the 2021 Super Bowl will be played this Sunday. “We both grew up on our Family Ranch in Prescott and attended and graduated from Prescott High School,” she wrote. “Peggy now resides in Tampa, FL and I reside...
Recently I have been watching a number of sports-related movies. I’m not sure if it’s because I miss going to games (baseball and basketball especially), or I’m trying to get excited about the Superbowl. But even the anticipation and hype for the clever commercials and extravagant half time show hasn’t sparked my enthusiasm this year for the big game. However, one movie, in particular, has been on my mind recently. Oddly, I admit, with some trepidation, that as much as I like baseball, this is...
WAITSBURG-Jen Galicia, an owner of Mae B's Custom Designs, is ready to add a little bit of sparkle and a whole lot of creativity to Waitsburg's Main Street. Nestled in at 101 Main Street, Mae B's Custom Designs uses dye-sublimation printing and vinyl transfers to create custom, well, just about anything! T-shirts or sweatshirts for sporting events? Mae B's can handle it. A custom travel mug or tumbler? Just have to say if you want sparkles or not. Face masks, hats, and baby bottles are just the...
Having a dog who requires long and frequent walks, I have begun listening to audiobooks. Often, if the book is a good one, I continue listening after our walks. I tend to rotate the selections between historical non-fiction and Scandinavian murder mysteries. The last book falls into the former category. The Space Race is a documentary-drama series released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing. The ten episodes cover the space program focusing on the relationship...
Ten Years Ago February 3, 2011 The Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office requests local residents’ assistance in locating Adam Hermanns, whom they call “a potential witness” to last Tuesday night’s fire at his parents’ residence on West 2nd Street. A group of about a dozen businesses based in Waitsburg and Dayton are creating a new organization to help promote tourism in the Touchet Valley. Diane Dill and her son Alex didn’t lose everything Saturday. Their horses were outside when the fire in the barn on Bolles Road started just before noon, and two...
Spread the love I have always believed that a heartfelt homemade gift outshines one mass-produced. The childhood joy of cutting and adorning perfect hearts out of brightly colored construction paper was only soured when the fear of actually giving them to my classmates set in. Thankfully, there was always plenty of candy to ease the anxiety. As an adult, my preferred valentine has gone from glued paper to sweet treats from my kitchen. These classic cookies made with raspberries and almonds are...
DiscoveryPlus is the latest network-specific streaming service that the world of television has to offer, and it is as great as it sounds. Whether you love drama, crime, or cooking shows, DiscoveryPlus has you covered. Popular channels like HGTV, TLC, Food Network, and Animal Planet and their more than 55,000 episodes are available on-demand, with prices starting as low as $4.99 per month after a free seven-day trial. If you're a Verizon customer, check out your MyVerizon account and get the...
