Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
WALLA WALLA-A grassroots group of people of color from the Walla Walla Valley community organized a second Peace Rally on Sunday, June 7 near Walla Walla's Land Title Plaza. With impassioned speakers and music, the rally gave a platform for people of color to be heard and for non-POC to listen. The gathering attracted a larger crowd than the May 31 rally at the same location. Estimates of crowd size for both events vary from several hundred to over 2,000. There is no disagreement, however, to th...
DAYTON—Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman and Governor Jay Inslee have approved Columbia County to move forward to Phase 3. Individual Phase 3 business sectors can reopen only after the state publishes its guidelines for the specific sector. Individual business is only allowed to reopen after it can implement those guidelines. Dr. Wiesman retains the right to revoke the approval and Governor Inslee retains the right to reimpose restrictions under his authority. Phase 3 went i...
WALLA WALLA—At a meeting on Monday, June 8, Walla Walla County Commissioners voted to cancel the 154th Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioners said that the decision did not come easily. The decision ultimately came down to a safety issue, as coronavirus numbers are slowly beginning to rise in the county again. Meeting attendees expressed that they were uncomfortable hoping that Walla Walla County would be in the proper phase of G...
SPOKANE—With the lifting of public health and safety restrictions enacted by Washington State officials, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Monday, June 8, that the Spokane District is opening certain developed sites in Washington to overnight camping. The BLM is working with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and is using a phased approach to increase access on a case-by-case basis. This week, the following sites will begin to reopen access to overnight camping: • Bli...
WALLA WALLA—In light of restrictions surrounding large gatherings, Providence St. Mary Foundation’s annual themed golf fundraiser will head into the virtual clubhouse for a ‘Fiesta off the Green.’ Instead of gathering for golf, participants can choose from one of two donation levels to support the cause while receiving fiesta-themed goodies served curbside at the Walla Walla Country Club on Friday, July 17. From July 6 – July 17 at 8pm, supporters can preview and bid on creative auction packages including wine, trips and other experienc...
DAYTON-When the universe gives you Covid-19, you make CarVID-20. That's right folks, the annual All Wheels Weekend car show is going virtual this year. The Dayton Chamber of Commerce invites one and all to join them online for the 26th Annual All Wheels Car Show on Saturday, June 20 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. The online event will be held on Facebook and people are encouraged to visit the allwheelsweekend.com website the day of the event for a link to participate. If you would like to be involved...
WALLA WALLA—The Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District announced on June 3, that Illia Dunes will remain closed until further notice. The site is located on the South side of the Snake River bank at mile 102. The Corps has been working with Garfield County Health Officials and with the sheriff’s department and a consensus has been reached that in order to ensure visitor safety, Illia Dunes must remain closed for the time being. It will reopen when it is determined safe to do so. Visitors to other Corps recreational facilities should mai...
WALLA WALLA-The amateur baseball team, the Walla Walla Sweets, announced the cancellation of the 2020 season last week due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects felt across the Northwest. Season ticket members with 2020 tickets will be able to roll over their tickets automatically to next year-and they'll receive tickets to two extra games at no additional charge "We are disappointed that there will not be Sweets baseball this summer," Sweets general manager Cody Miller said. "We did...
WALLA WALLA-The news of repeated break-ins and killings of birds at the Pioneer Park Aviary in Walla Walla has prompted an outpouring of support and funding from community members. Walla Walla Police reported that there have been multiple incidents over the past two weeks of someone cutting the netting at the Aviary and killing approximately 12 birds. The City is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and convictions of the person(s) responsible for the killing of the birds. The reward money...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Food Bank needs able-bodied people who can lift up to 40 lbs. and can be on their feet for three hours to help fill boxes of food, load and distribute them every Tuesday afternoon. Judi Pilcher, who serves on the food bank executive board, said volunteers will receive on the job training at the current food bank location at the county fairgrounds. The National Guard has been providing this service, but it is not known whether they will be available after the month of June. For the past two months the food bank has s...
DAYTON—Eleven grants totaling $52,000 have been recently awarded from the Warren Community Action Fund, which is administered by Blue Mountain Community Foundation. The fund is a project of the extended Warren Family to honor Robert and Nadine Warren. Robert Warren passed away February 11, 2017 at the age of 90. The largest grants are: $20,000 to First Christian Church of Dayton for roof and truss repairs and replacement; $8,000 to Project Timothy through St. Joseph’s to assist with COVID response funds for those in need in Columbia Cou...
WALLA WALLA—Reininger Winery, Foundry Vineyards, Smoky Rose Cellars, and Three Rivers Winery have partnered together with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive in Walla Walla to help our community in need. The event will take place on June 22 from 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sign up to donate blood at Foundry Vineyards, located at 1111 Avadie Street in Walla Walla, or locate a blood drive near you. If you have recovered from Covid-19, consider donating plasma. Sign up for the blood drive at the American Red Cross website located at: h...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County’s COVID-19 cases are on the rise. Since May 31, fifteen additional residents have had confirmed positive test results. These new cases, as well as the County’s threshold for number of individuals tested for each new case during the prior week will prevent the County from advancing to Phase 3. The recent rise of new cases in Benton and Franklin Counties is much more serious, with both Counties still in Phase 1, neither are eligible in any of the four metrics for advancement to Phase 2. Franklin County repor...
June 11: Frank Donnelly and Kathie Payne, Katelyn Lambert. June 12: Suzanne Moser, Ida Polley, Chad Lambert, Joshua Reser. June 13: Anne Nelson, Michael Raven, Jan Cronkhite, Larry Weir, Bob Newbury, Mike Talbott, Cecilia Acevedo. June 14: Haly and Shawny Ingle, Aaron Moffitt and Anthony Kiefel. June 15: Jeff Hofer, John Segraves, Ryan Mason, Glen Smith, Nicholas and Jonathon Danforth, Ruth Fulton, Diane Conover, Susa Roberts, Darrell Syferd, Cheyenne Gritman and Maude Oberholtzer. June 16: Catherine and her Grandpa John Melvin Reese, Jon Hays...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Library (WSL), a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, has been tasked with distributing $688,000 to public and tribal libraries, and museums for COVID-19 response efforts. The funds are part of the $50 million allocated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to the Institute of Museum and Library Services to assist museums and libraries across the country address the digital divide during the pandemic. Three grant opportunities are available for libraries and museums. All appl...
I am extremely worried about the current COVID-19 situation, and my concern has nothing to do with coughing, sneezing, or any other symptoms of the common cold/flu. In the recent video press release on May 31, 2020 Jay Inslee mandated that all workers in Washington state, effective June 8, must now wear a face covering at all times, and if they don’t abide by these rules are subject to all sorts of fines, although, in classic Inslee fashion, he is indefinite about the specifics, leaving us to infer the worst. Inslee loves to talk about S...
This last Sunday I was fortunate to be in attendance at the Peace Rally held in Walla Walla. I was there to take photographs for the The Times. I was immediately impressed with the number of people who turned out for the event. As I was taking photographs, I got caught up listening to the speeches from the impressive lineup of scheduled and impromptu speakers. The topic of our country’s systemic racism and its effects on people of color is difficult to hear. It was a big reminder that we must listen, truly listen, to voices other than our o...
DAYTON-New businesses opening in Dayton, despite the coronavirus slow-down, is a testament to a community that will step up and help each other. It also says a lot about the pluck and determination of three entrepreneurs who are opening or have just opened businesses in town The new owners of the Weinhard Hotel, at 229 East Main Street, are open to hotel traffic and have opened their new cafe, Jacob's Public House. "I love people, food, and hospitality," said Christina Dingman, who along with he...
June 2 A vehicle that had been tagged for almost a month at an address on W. First and Main Street was towed in Waitsburg, WA. A Smith and Wesson handgun was reported lost in the Walla Walla River while kayaking at an address on Byrnes and Maiden Road in Touchet, WA. June 3 A victim alleged her vehicle was stolen on May 28 from an address in the 300 block of Orchard Street in Walla Walla. June 6 Fraudulent debit card charges were reported from an address on Old Milton HWY in Walla Walla County. An adult male reported three dogs severely...
DAYTON—CEO Shane McGuire told the Hospital District Board of Commissioners he is now cautiously optimistic about Columbia County Health System finances. “2020 won’t put us out of business and we are ready for fall,” he told them, at their regular board meeting in May. The CARES Act set aside one billion in aid from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services for hospitals and health systems to weather the COVID-19 challenge, and the CCHS has been allocated around 4.4 million dollars, he said. McGuire said an initial award in the amount of $654...
We had hoped to receive some guidance from the state, Governor and State Superintendent of Schools, regarding returning to school next fall yesterday. What we received instead was a note explaining they are still working on guidance and are waiting for information from the Department of Health and other agencies. They hope to share information with all school districts by the end of the week. While this is disappointing, it is also a message illustrating the many complex pieces returning to school will bring and the desire to provide best...
Yay! Governor Inslee has approved Phase 2 status for Walla Walla County. Such fortuitous timing, in the midst of so many other "phasing" events, like high school and college graduations, now those students will phase into their new lives as college freshman, or (hopefully) employees-maybe graduate school? June is also a big month for weddings, and couples "phasing" into married life. And some of us are just phasing into rural life, (and loving it). But, like all things in life, "phasing"...
(We last left our intrepid adventurer and her mother in the plague-stricken wastes of SeaTac International Airport, where nobody could be bothered to wear a mask despite being crammed like sardines into the concourse-and-a-half that was actually open. However, given that mask policy has become a hot-button political issue, our intrepid adventurer will use her lightning-quick reflexes to avoid this topic until later in this serial, where she will be stuck in consecutive four-hour layovers and...
WAITSBURG-Walla Walla county businesses got the long awaited 'go-ahead' to move into Phase 2 of Governor Inslee's Safe Start plan and Waitsburg business owners are preparing to provide sit down dining, post-pandemic haircuts, shopping, and more. Blush Salon and Spa: Brooke Mikesell and Madison Mings have begun accepting appointments for hair, nails, lashes and more at Blush Salon located at 214 Main Street. Beginning June 1, the salon is open for clients by appointment only. All clients must...
DAYTON-Dayton High School's Class of 2020 graduated last Saturday. Like graduation ceremonies across the nation, Dayton's ceremony looked a lot different than in years past. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, only graduates and family were able to attend the ceremony. Dayton High School provided a live-streamed feed on Facebook for the community to enjoy. The stream is still available to watch on the Dayton Secondary Facebook page. Graduation celebrations started Saturday afternoon with a...
