Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Green Ridge: The Green Ridge Fire ignited during a lightning storm on July 7 and is burning roughly 30 miles east of Walla Walla. The fire continues to burn in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in steep, remote, rugged terrain, making it difficult for fire personnel to create containment lines. An indirect fire suppression strategy is being implemented, with control lines being established a considerable distance away from the fire's active edge. Pacific Northwest Team 3 took command of the Green R...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia has taken a significant leap forward in its quest to bring broadband, high-speed internet access to the local community. In Olympia last week, the Port’s Executive Director Jennie Dickinson and Robert Greene, Manager of Communications and Internet Telecommunications for Columbia Rural Electric, met with representatives of the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) to talk about how the local economy will benefit from such a project. Dic...
Queen Bees While her house undergoes repairs, fiercely independent senior Helen (Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn) moves into a nearby retirement community just temporarily. Once behind the doors of Pine Grove Senior Community, she encounters lusty widows, cutthroat bridge tournaments, and a hotbed of bullying “mean girls,” the likes of which she hasn’t experienced since high school, all of which leaves her yearning for the solitude of home. But somewhere between flower arranging and water aerobics, Helen discovers that it’s never too late to make...
SPOKANE—Hundreds of trained American Red Cross disaster volunteers are helping 24-7 in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California to support people affected by wildfires throughout the western states. “July has already been an incredibly busy month for the Red Cross with hundreds of disaster workers responding to help people whose lives were turned upside down by wildfires and other disasters,” said Alex Dieffenbach, Northwest Region CEO. “We need your help now. Please consider becoming a Red Cross volunteer, giving blood, or making a donatio... Full story
WAITSBURG—Fire season is here, and the Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 has the run logs to show it. Over the last month, the district has responded to ten fire calls, ten medical calls, and two combination calls, for a total of 22 responses. The district’s commissioners met on July 14, in person for the first time in over a year. Fire commissioner meetings will now be held at the Waitsburg Fire Station, on Main Street, on the third Wednesday of the month. Commissioner Anne Higgins informed...
Dave was born in Colfax, Wash. His first years were in Garfield, Wash. The family moved to Waitsburg, Wash. after his dad purchased The Waitsburg Times. He attended Waitsburg grade school, and WHS where he played basketball, and was active in Boy Scouts where he achieved the highest honor of Eagle Scout. He attended WSC for a year after which he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1952. He spent three years in Waco, Texas. His next tour was Wiesbaden, Germany. He married Beth Ann Brinker on April 24, 1955. They were in Germany a year before his... Full story
Duke O'dell Morrow Sr, 74, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 12, 2021, at the Palouse Veterans Home in Walla Walla, Wash. Born December 3, 1946, to JM and Leora Morrow, Duke was one of six siblings raised in the local area. He attended local schools and graduated from Waitsburg High School in 1965. Shortly after graduating, he joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Vietnam. Our Veteran never talked about his time in the war and was very guarded when asked about his service for our country.... Full story
Over the last two years, I have had the pleasure of serving as one of the six Fire Commissioners for Columbia Walla Walla Fire District 2. Many of you know, better than I, about the long history of community members volunteering for the Waitsburg Fire Department, now the “CWWFD2”. Past volunteers may include you, your family members, neighbors, and/or friends. Those who have volunteered and are part of this history know the amount of time and effort required to train, obtain the needed certifications, and, most importantly to respond to EMS... Full story
To the Editor, Recently, I have had a series of incidents at my home in Waitsburg. Someone has been knocking on the door, going into the backyard from the alley and trying to peek through the window late at night. I want this person to knock it off or the next time I will call the sheriff. Diane Zuger Waitsburg Comment from the editor: This is one of several complaints we have received in recent weeks concerning unusual late-night activity around homes in Waitsburg. Walla Walla County Undersheriff Joe Klundt asks that anyone who feels...
Mike Ellsworth is a strong supporter of the Touchet Valley Trail, and with good reason. The long-time Dayton resident had just gotten back into cycling when he hit the road for an early morning ride on June 25, 2015, headed towards Waitsburg with a goal of 25 miles. Ellsworth was roughly three miles outside of Dayton, just in front of Joann Pullman’s house on Highway 12 when a vehicle struck him from behind. “What we think happened- the gentleman who hit me had worked all night at Smith Frozen Foods. He had worked all night, was on his way home...
WAITSBURG—The Friends of Weller Public Library gathered at Town Hall with nearly forty community members on July 14, to brainstorm ways to keep Weller Public Library at its current location on Main Street. President Lisa Winnett said that there was a letter written by the Board of Trustees, to the City of Waitsburg, stating that all library leadership is against moving the library. The city recently purchased the former NW Grain Growers building at the north end of Main Street, with the i... Full story
DAYTON—Senate Bill 5044, passed by the Senate in April, was the topic of the public comment period at the July Dayton School Board meeting. The bill, which reads, “Concerning professional learning, equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in the public school system,” requires public school districts to designate one of three professional learning days to focus specifically on equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism training. The parent, who had approached the b...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council has passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Zac Weatherford to execute an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between Columbia County and the City of Dayton for temporary Planning Department services. This will be on an hourly basis, as needed, and as availability and resources allow. It is hoped personnel in the County’s Building and Planning Department will step in on a temporary basis to fill the void after the City’s Community Development and Planning Director was termi...
DAYTON—Loyal Baker, the publisher of The Chronicle, was on the agenda for public comment at the July 14 council meeting. Baker asked the council to rescind its selection of The Times for the City’s official newspaper services. He offered as evidence to his complaint copies of the City of Dayton’s 2021-22 call for bids and the submitted written proposals from The Chronicle and The Times. Baker said the call for bids spelled out bid requirements, contract periods, and submittal requests. Under reward criteria, an eligible bidder must meet RCW r...
ELLENSBURG—Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announced that, due to extreme fire danger and ongoing drought, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is temporarily closing all recreational and public access to DNR-managed land in eastern Washington starting July 23. The temporary closure will apply to all DNR-managed state lands, conservation areas, community forests and any associated trailers, campgrounds, recreational sites and facilities. “This summer is smashing all our records and leaving the state bone dry, lea... Full story
PENDLETON, Ore —With persistent extreme hot and dry conditions, active large wildfires, limited firefighting resources and concern for public safety, forest officials have temporarily closed the entirety of the Umatilla National Forest effective July 16 The objective of the closure is to proactively protect public and firefighter safety as work continues to actively suppress large wildfires in the forest, while also responding to new smoke reports. Hot and dry conditions have challenged firefighters in suppression efforts battling the Lick Cre... Full story
It certainly has been hot lately, not only is it bringing out the sloth in me, but it is also obliterating my garden. The combination of my heat-inspired slothiness and my normal forgetfulness has caused some unfortunate plants on the side patio to wither and die. No eggplant this year, I guess they thrive when they are watered. But, lettuce, not so much. I have four varieties of lettuce, all of which have gone to seed and turned into lettuce trees sporting beautiful royal blue blossoms. Like...
Miracle Workers TBS, three seasons, (2019-) Miracle Workers is a comedy series that uses the same ensemble cast in different storylines for each season. The storylines are from the writings of humorist Simon Rich. The first season is based on Rich's 2012 novel "What in God's Name." It takes place at Heaven Inc.'s corporate headquarters, where God, played by Steve Buscemi, is a little bored and looking for new interests. Feeling frustrated with how Earth and humanity have turned out, he starts...
The Seattle Mariners are currently in third place in the American League West behind the Houston Astros and Oakland A’s at 50-44 on the season. They are also just three games out of the second wildcard spot. With forty games left against AL West opponents, they certainly have an opportunity to move up in the standings. Outside of Mitch Haniger offensively, they haven’t been that impressive, and as a team, they are hitting just .219/.295/.380. The offensive scores an average of 4.13 runs per game which ranks 22 in the league out of thirty tea...
KENNEWICK—For the first time in league history, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will buck into Kennewick, Wash., welcoming fans to the Toyota Center Sept. 10-11 for the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s PBR Tri-Cities Classic. For two nights only, some of the best bull riders in the world will battle the sport’s rankest bovine athletes in the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness. The PBR Tri-Cities Classic will also tentatively mark the first major ticketed touring event hosted at full cap...
I have owned dogs living in apartments and houses. My first dog, Tupac, a miniature dachshund, lived with me in an apartment in Seattle. Apartment life means no yard, so we would go for walks around the neighborhood and local dog parks. Walks were when he could do his "business." Unpaid, of course. After Tupac found the perfect spot and checked his p-mail, I would pull out a poop bag, open it up, slip my hand in and pick up his gift-to-mom. I can't lie; that first bagful was a test of my love...
DAYTON-Good food, great music, and all things vintage could be found at the Blue Mountain Station over the weekend, for the 2021 Foodstock and Vintage at the Station. The event highlighted the great vendors at the artisan market in Dayton, including three craft beverage producers, the Co-op and Nursery, and Mama Monacelli's Kitchen. Local vendors for the Vintage Faire, showed off sweet finds that included glassware, books, jewelry and much more. Attendees enjoyed tie-dying t-shirts, painting...
WAITSBURG-The Mythical/Moveable Blue Mountain Bluegrass Jam is back! Friday, July 16, musicians gathered at Ten Ton Coffee for an evening full of music. Singing is still considered a high-risk, and jam organizers are asking that only fully vaccinated musicians join the jams for the time being. If you are not fully vaccinated and intend on being a spectator, organizers ask that you wear a face mask, covering both your nose and your mouth. The jam moves to different venues each Friday so visit... Full story
