Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 33
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg's Weight Loss Support group began last month with just RN Karla Scott and ARNP Kortney Killgore-Smith staying after work on Wednesday nights to encourage one another in their quest for good health. "It slowly grew to 3, 4, 5 . . . now we're up to about 7 people and we'd love to have more!" said Killgore-Smith. The group, led by Scott and Killgore-Smith, meets every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6 p.m. in the clinic lobby and is open to both males and females. Members may use the...
WAITSBURG - "I'm so great at swim lessons!" announced Alyssa Araya as she exited the dressing room following her Level 3 swim class at the Waitsburg City Pool on Tuesday morning. That statement - along with the fact that 60 children participated in lessons this year -- is a testament to the success of Waitsburg's swim program. This year Waitsburg offered one two-week session of swim lessons, from beginners at Level 1, to the more advanced Level 4 swimmers. Lessons are taught by guards Zac...
PRESCOTT - Two lifeguards and a young mother turn circles in the pool and gently tap their hands on the water while singing "The Wheels on the Bus" in an attempt to coax a reluctant preschooler into the water. Soon, a young Jess Winona hops in the pool to provide another dose of encouragement. Across the pool, another guard instructs a group of advanced swimmers in the intricacies of the breaststroke kick. So begins the second session of swim lessons at the Prescott pool. The Prescott pool...
Board members Randy Pearson, Greg Zuger and Ross Hamann were present. Christy House and Marilyn Johnson were absent. Athletic Director Report (Stephanie Wooderchak): -continue to seek assistant volleyball and soccer coaches at the high school level. Concession stand position has also not been filled. Interested parties should contact Stephanie Wooderchak, Dr. Clarke or Susan Deruwe. - mandatory athlete, coaches and parent meetings are set for August 12 -football and cheer begin Aug. 20; cross-country, soccer and volleyball start Aug. 25...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg's school board agreed last month that the District's 2001 Montana passenger van is due for replacement. Transportation supervisor Colter Mohney has since learned that finding the right rig for the job is more of a challenge than anticipated and is still on the hunt. The eight-passenger Montana is used regularly by District staff traveling to professional development workshops as well as by smaller groups such as FFA and Cross- Country. Mohney said the van has outlived its... Full story
DAYTON - The Dayton Chamber of Commerce has announced that the Chamber's Visitor's Center in its office in downtown Dayton is now open Saturdays. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Chamber office is located at 166 E. Main Street. Dayton Chamber Manager Andrew Holt said last week that the Chamber has hired Katrina James, of Dayton, to staff the center on Saturdays. James will be a senior at Dayton High School this year. The Chamber's Visitor's Center offers a wide variety of brochures and other information and assistance about sites and... Full story
DAYTON - Jack Williams, who published the Dayton Chronicle newspaper for 33 years, died July 7. He was 74. Williams suffered a heart attack on June 29, and was transported to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland. He was transferred to a hospice on July 6. Williams had just retired in early June, after selling the Chronicle to Loyal and Charlotte Baker. A memorial service for Williams was to be held Wednesday morning.... Full story
DAYTON - The race for the District 3 position on the Columbia County Board of Commissioners has grown to three. Dayton resident Dwight Richter filed as a write-in candidate earlier this month. His preferred party is Republican. Voting in this year's primary election ends August 5, and if Richter is one of the top two vote getters, he will appear on the ballot in November's general election. Richter is a lifelong Dayton resident. He served 16 years as chairman of the Columbia County Republican Party, before stepping out of that role two years... Full story
DAYTON - Jimmy Lloyd Rea and Switchmasters will perform Friday, July 25 at 8 p.m. as part of the Middle of Nowhere Sessions at Mace Mead Works in downtown Dayton. Rea, a native of Baker City, Ore., has been considered one of the top blues base players in the country for nearly 50 years. He has performed with artists such as Albert, Freddie, and BB King, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Big Walter Horton, Pete Karnes, Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker and others. He was bass player for the band... Full story
DAYTON - When the pledge period ended for Reggie Mace and Beth Rahn's Kickstarter project on July 7, a total of $11,532 had been pledged by 163 backers. That put them barely over their pledge goal of $11,111. Thus the campaign was successful and they get to keep the money. As we reported in our June 19 issue, Mace and Rahn are raising money to build a live recording studio for their Middle of Nowhere Sessions at Mace Mead Works, on Dayton's Main Street. Mace told us this week that he is about to go shopping for new stuff, including a sound...
Dear Editor, Law enforcement is dangerous work. Law enforcement officers in the U.S. suffered a 24% increase in deaths by gunfire from 2009 to 2010, according to a recent report. In the Walla Walla sheriff's race we need to remember officers' families and all families. Until 4 months ago, when my husband retired, he'd been a Walla Walla County deputy for more than 37 years. My oldest daughter is a deputy sheriff in Idaho. Last month a man from Waitsburg shot a police officer in Rainier, Oregon. Another man walked up to 2 Las Vegas officers who... Full story
Dear Editor: Sheriff Turner has done an excellent job in his first term as sheriff of Walla Walla County. Sherriff Turner made good on his promise to conduct 24 hour patrols in the rural areas of the county. He has visited the outlying areas and met with us on a regular, communicated schedule, something his predecessor didn't ever do. We have a positive presence of the Sheriff's office on our middle school campus in Burbank, and a win-win for both the school district and Sheriff's office, another first under his administration. He has been...
Dear Editor, I was proud to be a deputy sheriff with the Walla Walla Sheriff's Office for 37 1/2 years. I served in several different capacities and retired Feb. 28, 2014. I served under five sheriffs. Each of the first four sheriffs brought their skills and leadership to this department. The fifth sheriff, Sheriff John Turner, is the hardest working, most dedicated, most honorable, and most ethical law enforcement leader I served with. Since his first day in office he averages 65-80 hours of work per week, far more than any prior sheriff....
Dear Editor, Who is Barry Blackman? Here are some definitions that describe Barry Blackman and their relevance in his qualifications for Sheriff. Savvy: defined as a person who has a practical understanding, well informed and perceptive, experienced along with common sense. I believe this has pulled more successful law enforcement officers up through the ranks than any text book regiment could hope for. Pragmatic: dealing with problems that exist in a specific situation in a reasonable and logical way. Blackman is this from day one. I was prese...
Dear Editor, Is Sheriff John Turner part Hollywood? In 2010, Sheriff Humphreys told me that John Turner would cause a destabilizing influence on the Sheriff's Office . Some Deputies were impressed with John Turner. He talked their language and had defended Police in California regarding difficult situations. From Turner's web page, and internet searches: In 1984 at age 21, John joined a small Police Department. He was a student in college. In May, 1988 he joined the LAPD and in October 1988 completed Police Academy . By July 1996, he received...
Dear Editor, I feel the candidates for County Sheriff; Mr. Blackman and Mr. Cooper, have no respect for other peoples' time. I drove two and a half hours with a friend to hear the debate in Burbank on Tuesday only to find Blackman and Cooper left the venue due to not wanting to be videotaped. Grow up men! We are in a world of people videoing people in public. What a shabby thing to do. Isn't that what law-enforcement do when they want to be sure the facts remain straight and honest? What, five Sheriff Turner committee members scare you off? At... Full story
I 've gotten my fair share of college recruitment mail since last fall, and I now consider myself something of a connoisseur of the medium. I have my own private museum of college correspondence anomalies, each labeled with my personal nickname for it. Among the highlights are: - The U of Chicago Tablecloth, a poster three feet by four feet in size. It came folded up, with the obligatory "Join Our Mailing List" postcard attached to the middle with a small amount of very springy glue. - The... Full story
Last summer I attended my 40th high school class reunion in Vancouver, Wash. That evening I had the pleasure of listening as several of the "kids" I went to school with described how wonderful their grandchildren are - some at great length. I was happy to get that over with, but I also came away with a new appreciation for the strong connections people have, not only with their former classmates, but also with their former high schools and their former communities. In a large high school like the one I attended, each class is pretty much on...
July 18: Andrew Estes, Jean Krause, Mike Hinchliffe, James Hamilton, Connie Maiden, Judy Groom, Courtney Gritman, Stephanie Thomas. July 19: Ray Johnson, Jessica Hofer, Jacob Johnson, Adam Mellish, Zachariah Beasley, Marilyn Stellwagen, Porter Larsen. July 20: Gary Marshall, Beverly Low, Janice R. Zuger, Brandon McKinney, Alexa Groom, Jamie Pettichord, Lisa DeCoria, Joan Winslow. July 21: Jill Wood, Andy Mays, Susann Anderson, Jackson Hogan. July 22: Virginia Neace, Tom Keeney, Kathy Buroker, Krissy Lytle. July 23: Inez Fletcher, Danielle...
Prescott July 10 2nd degree assault on N. "E" Street. Fight between two males with one combatant receiving a broken leg during the fight. Dayton July 8 Welfare check on E. Dayton Avenue; wife threatening to break things. Report of assault at Dayton pool. Report of missing 4-wheel ORV. Report of subject sleeping in car at park. July 9 Report of dog locked in car. Trespassing on Vernon Lane. Traffic citation issued on E. Main Street. Violation of protection order on S. 4th Street. Report of disabled vehicle on E. Main Street, just adjusting...
