Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG-"It never fails, the hottest day of the year is always graduation day," spectators echoed jokingly last Friday at the Waitsburg Football Field. Instead of gathering in the Waitsburg High School Gym, as is tradition, friends and family of the Class of 2020 stood outside the field's fences and watched a socially distanced high school graduation. If you've ever attended a WHS graduation ceremony, you know that they fall on what seems like the hottest day in spring, with the infamously...
DAYTON-Rancher Marty Hall will face incumbent Commissioner Mike Talbott, for Position 2 on the Board of County Commissioners in the November general election. "I want to do what I can to keep Columbia County a good place to live, to do business in, and to attract more families with good living wage jobs," Hall said. Hall said the most important issue facing the county is the budget shortfall because of damages to county from the recent flood, and from the consequences of the COVID-19 challenge,...
WALLA WALLA-The announcement for the protest was seen on a Facebook post, listing the 1 p.m. time, the Land Title Plaza as the place, with the words 'Peaceful Protest' as the title. The post also featured an image of George Floyd's face and the words "I Can't Breathe." George Floyd's death on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, sparked other protests across the country, in Europe, and beyond. The idea for the event came to social media specialist Lindsey...
WAITSBURG-Early morning on Monday, June 1, glass from one of the front doors as well as glass from a side door were broken in a possible attempt to gain entry at the Waitsburg Grocery on Main Street. Video from the store shows the same vehicle passing in front of the store early Monday morning nine different times, with two suspects rattling the front door at 1:45 a.m. Owner Jaime Smit-McMillen said that the glass on a side door was broken and the security bar was removed. The end caps from the...
WALLA WALLA-Normal operating hours at the Sudbury Landfill resumed on Monday, June 1, and the Household Hazardous Waste Facility will reopen. Operational hours will be 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The pit area closes at 5:30 p.m. If you have questions, please call the Landfill at (509) 524-4591 during operating hours. More info: https://www.wallawallawa.gov/government/public-works/solid-waste/landfill....
DAYTON—Dumas Station winery conducted a soft opening recently and were pleased with their social distancing setup, giving them confidence in their ability to conduct tastings in a way that will keep their customers and their team safe. The winery will now be open by reservation only - no drop-ins. Initially they will be open only on Saturdays with nine tasting spots available for groups of five people or less. Tasting groups will be seated at a table, and once seated, patrons will be served six different wines they will pour themselves, in sani...
OLYMPIA—Gov. Jay Inslee announced on May 27 the state’s plan for restarting religious and faith-based services for Phases 1 and 2 of Washington’s “Safe Start” reopening plan. Currently, religious and faith-based organizations in Phase 1 counties may host up to 100 people for outdoor services. In Phase 2, they can host up to 25% of their capacity or 50 individuals, whichever is less, as well as conduct in-home services of five people. “As I have said before, this crisis may affect our ability to physically connect but it should not affect our...
DAYTON—On Monday, the county Board of Health accepted a recommendation from the Columbia County Medical Director, Dr. Larry Jecha, to apply for Phase 3 of Governor Jay Inslee’s four-phase coronavirus recovery plan, and the Board of County Commissioners adopted that recommendation. “I see no reason for you in Columbia County not to go to Phase 3,” said Dr. Jecha at the meeting of the BOCC. Jecha said he was basing his recommendation on adequate hospital preparedness and no new cases of COVID-9 since last March. “Fifty people is the magic num...
WA—Some of Washington’s most notable musicians are coming together for a livestream benefit event dubbed “All in WA: A Concert for COVID-19 Relief”. The concert takes place Wednesday, June 10th at 7 p.m. PDT, and will feature a number of our state’s favorite musicians and personalities. Among the confirmed talent are Pearl Jam, Brandi Carlile, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Macklemore, Allen Stone, Mary Lambert, and The Black Tones—all of whom are Washington state natives...
OLYMPIA—On Friday, May 29, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the expansion of Safe Start—Washington’s Phased Reopening plan. The expansion comes as the current 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy' order ended on midnight Sunday, May 31. The expansion moves Washington through the phased reopening on a county-by-county basis. With this new approach, counties will have more flexibility to demonstrate they can safely allow additional economic activity based on targeted metrics. “We are able to do this thanks to millio...
OLYMPIA-In addition to the new Safe Start reopening plan, Gov. Inslee also announced new safety and health requirements for businesses operating in Washington. Beginning June 8, all employees will be required to wear a cloth facial covering, except when working alone in an office, vehicle, or at a job site, or when the job has no in-person interaction. Employers must provide cloth facial coverings to employees, unless their exposure dictates a higher level of protection under the Department of...
OLYMPIA—On Friday, May , the Washington State Department of Health updated the definition of a COVID-19 close contact to align with new CDC guidance. The new guidance states that a close contact is defined as someone who was within six feet of someone with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes. Previous guidance stated 10 minutes. “Our guidance has changed over time as we learn more about COVID-19, and will continue to do so in the future,” said State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. “This update doesn’t change our recommendations for members o...
WALLA WALLA—Twenty-seven local nonprofits will receive a total of $400,000 in grants from Sherwood Trust. The grant recipients, announced this week, are from the Trust’s 2020 General Support Grant program. This one-time grant program is different from the Trust’s traditional core grants in that grants are available for unrestricted operational costs for Walla Walla Valley nonprofits. The Trust’s Core grant program will return next year and continue its long-term focus on specific nonprofit initiatives. “We know our local nonprofits are being...
Dear Waitsburg Families, As the final month of the 2019-20 school year approaches, we want to take a moment to thank you all for the tremendous efforts you are making to help your children stay engaged in learning from home. Our staff truly appreciate the partnerships that were made with you during this difficult time in our state and nation. We know that this is a stressful time for students and families, and we are committed to helping all of our students finish the school year strong. With a...
June 4: Kyle Dozier, Anthony Morgan, Dick Hodge, Angela Campbell, Charlee Long. June 5: Robert Zuger. June 6: Angie Lincoln, Bill Wert, and Melissa Lehr. June 7: Judy Adkins and Dana Maki. June 8: Jamie Gritman, Patty Hendrickson, Sarah Price, Gary Cox and Kevin Erickson. June 9: Kay Heady, Jack Roberts, Barbara McCauley, Edward Fisher, Ed Sickles, Jenny Rencken, Marne Henderson, Cathy Abel. June 10: Jake Long, Belinda Johnson, Linda Doyle and Mike Drew. June 11: Frank Donnelly and Kathie Payne, Katelyn Lambert....
Two mistakes were brought to our attention regarding the article ‘The candidates have filed, and the races are on!’ in the May 28 edition. Tom Cooper, candidate for Walla Walla County Commissioner District 1, is a former, not a current employee of the Walla Walla County Sheriff Department. Current Walla Walla County Commissioner Jim Johnson resides in Walla Walla, not in Waitsburg....
May 8 Victim had to leave his vehicle between the hours of 1 a.m and 7 a.m. on Stateline and Locher Rd. During the night, unknown suspect(s) caused $12,000 worth of damage. Touchet, WA. May 13 Adult male reported lost firearm on Hanson Loop in Burbank, WA while on a walk the night before. May 14 Male contacted at hospital with gunshot wound. Address listed was in the 30000 block of W HWY 12 in Wallula, WA May 16 Deputies investigated a report of hit and run accident on 151 E. Langdon Road, Walla Walla County. May 17 Officers responded to a...
Gov. Jay Inslee ordered a statewide activation of the Washington National Guard on Sunday, May 31 in response to the spread of destructive protests and looting in Washington state. The activation will allow unarmed troops to be deployed in response to requests from local governments. The governor already authorized at least 600 troops earlier this weekend to help in Seattle and Bellevue. The state received a request from Spokane County on May 31 for National Guard assistance after what was described as a rogue group began looting and damaging...
How have I lived this long and never heard of Ranger cookies? The Cookie Monster has nothing on me when it comes to cookies. While on one of my recent walks, I chatted with Claudia (socially distant) and the subject went to hand written recipe cards, which lead to this recipe as one of the family's favorite cookie recipes. She shared that her mom added dates, walnuts and used corn flakes instead of rice krispies. For those who have been in this area for a while, Claudia shared her mom, Hazel Pen...
Valedictorian Kylee Laughlin Salutatorian Kira Boggs 2020 Graduates: Marissa Barzo McKenzie Dobbs Jurnee Griffen Emma Houdak Alex Jenkins David Lewis Kiya McCaw Carlos Norris Lillian Patterson Quinton Rapoza Sergio Rivera Tayven Seney Elise Steinhoff Josiah White...
I believe that what starts here at Dayton High School can change the world. Although this year's path has been rocky, twisty, windy and rough, you have overcome and will be the change you want to see in the world. I have always loved Dr. Seuss. One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books declares: "You're off to great places! Today is your day! You're mountain is waiting, so get on your way!" What starts here changes the world, but it will not be on your terms, nor your timeline. As...
Congratulations on graduating from high school.That seems normal to say this time of year, but as we all know too well, nothing is normal now. Watching all the social media posts, the downtown banners, and the school pride displays has educated all of us on how special this class of 2020 truly is. As a High School coach, I always think back to what the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) says about participating in High School activities. "Activity programs instill a...
Shortly before graduation the idea to line Main Street with custom banners honoring the graduating seniors quickly gained traction. Senior Advisor Matt Wyatt contacted DiJulio Displays in Brier, Wash., to help him create and print the banners. This is the same company who worked with Scott Kirk on Dayton’s senior banners. Rita Pruczinksi, of DiJulio Displays took on the task of printing the red banners and developed an unexpected relationship with Dayton and Waitsburg’s Classes of 2020. A sma...
I would first like to congratulate all of you on all your accomplishments and graduating this year! I know this was not the way you seniors had in mind on how you would have liked to end your high school athletic careers, I did not either, but you will move on and accomplish new goals. I would like to thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives. It has, and always will be, an honor and a privilege to work with and get to know you. When you seniors go out to college, work, military, or...
You know what sounds great right now? Some nice escapist literature. You know what I'm not in the mood to do right now? Think up a nice escapist plot. This, then, is the story of an intrepid adventurer (and also her mother) on a quest through the plague-stricken wastes of Middle America to retrieve the long-lost Treasure of Apartment 1-B in time to avoid the Curse of the Lost Security Deposit. Our quest begins at an obscenely early hour as our two heroes race down the darkened highways of...
