Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON – Fires are on just about everyone's mind right now. In Columbia County, investigators are struggling to reach conclusions regarding five fires in the last four weeks. "We're just swamped with this," County Fire Marshal Kim Lyonnais said. Many of these officials also have their hands full giving aid to firefighters battling the Blue Creek Fire, which has consumed over 6,000 acres of land and one home in Walla Walla County (see story on Page 10). The series of local fires began on the l...
WAITSBURG – At their July 27 meeting, Walla Walla County Commisisoners agreed to let voters decide whether or not the City of Waitsburg Fire Department will be annexed into Walla Walla County Fire Protection District No. 2 (WW Fire 2). Commissioners Jim Duncan, Jim Johnson and Perry Dozier voted unanimously to pass a resolution calling for the special election proposal that will go before voters in November. Both the City of Waitsburg and WW Fire 2 are in agreement that the annexation, as well as the annexation of the Waitsburg Ambulance Servic...
DAYTON - Clara Dickinson-McQuary graduated from Dayton High School in 2004. She left the Touchet Valley at age 18 and traveled the world. A year ago, she returned to Dayton. "I thought I was just passing through," she said. But that wasn't the case at all. For the first time in her life, she fell in love with her birth place. "It's taken me a long time to appreciate this area," she said. Now she is employed full time by Washington State Parks to share that love with the world and bring visitors...
WAITSBURG - An organizational meeting for Friends of the Waitsburg Pool will be held Thursday, July 30 at 1 p.m. at the Weller Public Library. Attendees will discuss formally organizing a group to support the pool with needs such as pool improvements, enrichment activities, help with lifeguard certification fees, summer pass scholarships and more. Anyone willing to help or who has ideas to offer is encouraged to attend. For more information call Kate Hockersmith at 337-8789....
WAITSBURG – Roy and Jean Hylton lost everything but the clothes on their backs in the Blue Creek Fire on Monday, July 20. Jean is the mother of Tricia (Clarke) Havens and mother-in-law of Cody Havens, who are both Waitsburg natives and WHS graduates. Tricia and Cody currently reside in Walla Walla. “Thank you to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We lost everything this afternoon, including our beloved 5 dogs and 2 cats, in a wildfire that pretty much destroyed everything in the wild fire. Please continue your prayers for us as we reb...
DAYTON – New Dayton Secondary Principal Paul Shaber spoke to the school board last week regarding two items he believes to be important to the overall environment of the district, according to Superintendent Doug Johnson. First, Shaber shared information and a plan regarding the recognition of positive behavior by students in grades 6-12. Shaber has determined, after talking to some staff members and reviewing district data, three behavior areas where improvement is needed include: tardiness, truancy and responsibility (completing and t...
Ten Years Ago August 4, 2005 Yields of fall-planted wheat are higher than expected, reports J.E. McCaw, manager of the local branch of Northwest Grain Growers. Small grains harvest in the Touchet Valley area is over half completed, he estimated. “Fall yields are coming in higher than expected,” McCaw said. “We’re hearing yields everywhere from 85 bushels per acre up to 105. Considering we’ve had six inches less rain this year since last year, that’s very good.” Simply by framing in old garage bay doors and spiffing up the interior, Columbia Cou...
FREE SUMMER MEAL PROGRAM Monday - Friday Breakfast 8-8:30 a.m. Lunch 11:30 a.m. – noon All children 18 & under receive meals free of charge....
Waitsburg Nothing reported. Dayton July 20 Semi truck with blown tire partially blocking Highway 12 near milepost 368. Deputies responded to a landlord tenant dispute on E. Patit Avenue; deputies stood by to keep the peace while the tenant moved out. Dayton resident Miguel Acevedo, 29, was arrested on S. 4th Street during a traffic stop on suspicion of violating a protection order. Deputies assisted staff at Dayton General Hospital with an unruly patient. Fireworks complaint on S. 3rd Street; two subjects were cited for fireworks violation....
July 31: Glen Vogt, Joan Hamberg, Elizabeth Jorgensen, Joanna Lanning, Rob Danforth, Angela McKinley, Don Richardson, Kenneth and Richard LaRue. August 1: Karen Lyman, Jessie Winnett, Terry Lambert, Christina Bunch and Amber Woodworth. August 2: Heather Herion, Terry Presler, Malia Kalahele. August 3: Shannon Hodges, Christian Pearson, Stacey Estes, Troy Head, Karen Myers, Jeff Leid, Peter Koper. August 4: Rebecca Vaughn, Alex King, Benjamin Bloor. August 5: Dale “Skip” Buroker, Jonathan Schuler, Jo Ann Hansler, Bill Clayton, Dianna Riggs, Deb...
It’s better to want what you have than to have what you want. ~Ancient proverb Those are good words to ponder if you’re looking to have a more satisfying life. But they beg one other question: What if you have a lot of stuff you don’t want? Answer: hold a yard sale. Last weekend, many of us who live on the South Touchet Road near Dayton took part in the third annual South Touchet Yard Sale. In our case, we passed the first two years. But as proud owners of a large barn, we felt we were guilt...
*A press release Monday stated that the cause of fire on the night of June 29, that destroyed homes at 203 and 205 E. Washington Ave., is unknown and suspicious in nature. *The fire that seriously damaged a home at 119 E. Commercial St. on July 15, at 1 a.m., does not appear, upon initial investigation, to be an act of intentional arson and “possible causes are known.” *A brush fire on the Touchet River dike west of the city of Dayton, behind the wastewater treatment plant, later in the afternoon on July 15, doesn’t appear to be arson. The c...
I had glorious plans for this week which involved Bennington Lake and my little blue kayak, but due to the wildfire situation, Bennington Lake is closed to boaters lest they be unwittingly scooped up by water-carrying helicopters. But because I’m still in a lake-y state of mind, I think I’ll reminisce about the wonderful trip to Lake Pend Oreille I took a couple weeks ago. Five of us went – me, my mom, Chris, Chris’s friend Kyle, and my cousin Ariel. We traveled to Sandpoint, Idaho, in my grandp...
DAYTON – The summer maintenance crew at the Dayton School District has been working on completing a number of summer projects, Superintendent Doug Johnson reported to the school board last week. Projects include: Three sections of concrete were repaired, two where tree roots had lifted and ruined the sidewalk along North 2nd Street and a large section at the end of the elementary school where the cement and asphalt are decayed. Preparation continues for the upcoming oil and sealcoat process on the elementary playground asphalt and high s...
WAITSBURG/DAYTON - ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is looking for local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 18 from a variety of countries including Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Japan. The students will experience the American culture while practicing their English and love to share their own culture with their host families. Hosts welcome the students, not as guests, but as an additional family member. The exchange students have money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability...
WAITSBURG – There's no need to worry about what's for dinner on Tuesday. Just head out to the Waitsburg athletic field and enjoy the free goodies provided as part of the country's National Night Out Celebration. Waitsburg will join in the festivities for the first time this year, and the athletic field will be alive with food and fun from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., that evening. Kids can learn how to make a proper 911 call and the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Department will be on hand with a patrol b...
DAYTON – It's that time of year again. National Night Out, the annual anti-crime and anti-drug family event that takes place across the country, is next Tuesday. The Dayton City Park will be filled with exhibits, activities and free food from 5-8 p.m. Last year nearly 1,000 people attended this annual event here, sponsored by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and many local partners. The event is designed to: (1) Heighten crime- and drug-prevention awareness; (2) generate support for, and par...
First Appearance/Arraignment: Christina L. Johnson, 45, Starbuck; entered not-guilty plea on all charges for behavior reportedly taking place on July 8 including: second-degree assault for the alleged strangulation of her husband, a class B felony; driving under the influence (DUI), a gross misdemeanor; disorderly conduct for abusive language; and contempt of court for disobeying the judge’s orders of release after leaving the county jail. Trials Set: *Marshall Hernandez, 54, Dayton; charged in January with arson, reckless burning, and p...
WALLA WALLA – The public is invited to a public forum to meet and talk with ArtsWA Executive Director, Karen Hanan, on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Foundry Vineyards (1111 Abadie St., Walla Walla) The town-hall style meeting is part of a series of regional arts forums held in communities across the state. The forum will allow Karen Hanan to discuss the status of the Arts in Washington State and how the government organization, ArtsWA, is active in enriching and supporting the arts. Representatives from local arts organizations have b...
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days is hosting a free Royalty Workshop at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds on Aug. 15 (7:45 a.m-5 p.m.) and Aug. 16 (9 a.m. – finished). All girls who may be interested in trying out for a royalty court in the future are encouraged to attend. The workshop will include presentations from professionals on Rodeo 101, Hair & Makeup, Interviews, Public Speaking, Modeling and more. The second day will include a horsemanship clinic with lessons on grooming to grand entries and everything in between. Girls int...
DAYTON – Three out-of-state, professional archeologists were charged last week in Columbia County Superior Court with theft of prehistoric artifacts from the Umatilla National Forest and Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in 2013. Richard Lee Lyman, 64, is a professor and chair of the department of anthropology at the University of Missouri and holds a doctorate of anthropology from the University of Washington. Lyman was arraigned on Wednesday, July 22, on charges of second-degree theft and s...
WAITSBURG – Whiskey Creek Sports Bar & Grill was thrown a curve ball when their general manager was benched due to health problems just as the restaurant opened. But the restaurant's owners think they've hit a home run with new general manager, Sara Cunnington. Cunnington lives in Walla Walla and was formerly employed at Applebee's where she says she began as a server, moved to the bar and then into management. "When I heard about this position, I went for it. I'm really excited about it," s...
PRESCOTT – Prescott school board members wrapped up their July 23 board meeting with a walk outside to inspect some of the many improvements that have been made to the school grounds and facilities over the summer, including the renovation of what will soon become the new ag building. The district is looking forward to a year of growth, with the addition of a new agriculture economics program, the school's first FFA chapter, and an ECEAP preschool program. Superintendent Brett Cox said that h...
Board members: Karen Tonne (chair), Sara Fletcher, Mark Hauck, Eva Madrigal, and Erik Young with Hauck absent. Also present: Superintendent Brett Cox, Principal Jodi Thew and Business Manager Patti Johnson. Informational: *Thirteen students completed elementary summer school and 34 completed the jr. high program. *Nine girls participated in volleyball camp. *District is working on a career and technical education competitive grant which would be used to purchase tools and equipment for the new agricultural economics program. *New sidewalk and...
WALLA WALLA – Residents of the back country in Columbia County and elsewhere in the Touchet Valley watched the spread of the Blue Creek Fire east of here with unease over the last week. It has been several years since a fire of this magnitude threatened the valley. At press time on Tuesday, the wildland fire on Blue Mountain Road and Klicker Mountain Road east of Walla Walla was 73-percent contained. At its largest, the fire was reported to have burned 6,225 acres. The blaze, which ignited on J...
