Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG-Waitsburg community members were slinging sandbags again over the weekend, but this time, there was no threat of flooding. Volunteers were busy removing the last bit of flood devastation from Waitsburg's Preston Park on Saturday. Matthew and Krystal Wyatt were walking through Preston Park last week and had to climb over a sagging wall of sandbags and weeds to get to the river to go fishing. "We have this motto that we've lived by for a long time, 'if you see a need, fill a need.' We...
DAYTON-Jurors are seeing some changes in the county courtroom layout, practices, and procedures, now that trials are resuming in Superior Court, and in Municipal Court, after a long recess due to the COVID-19 shut-down. Jury Coordinator Jessica Atwood said Superior Court Judge Gary J. Libey has visited the courtroom and taken measurements to make certain social distancing requirements will be met. The state's Chief Justice Debra Stevens has appointed Libey to Presiding Judge for the Columbia,...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia will once again serve as the conduit for grant funds for Columbia County businesses that have suffered financial harm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four different funding sources have provided or promised a total of $229,639 in financial aid to be allocated through a grant program coordinated by the Port. “The first grant program we coordinated helped 25 local businesses with grants totaling more than $154,138,” stated Jennie Dickinson, executive director of the Port of Columbia. “But it’s not enough. We’ve been gett...
WALLA WALLA—On Sunday, July 30, the Washington Department of Ecology announced water restrictions for many Touchet River basin irrigators beginning as early as this week. DOE’s Regional Watermaster Eric Hartwig is planning to call or visit junior water rights holders to inform them of the curtailment order, and he will follow up with status updates throughout the season. The Touchet River is running about 50 cubic feet per second near its mid-section, and under 20 cubic feet per second at its confluence with the Walla Walla River. The enduring...
DAYTON—Columbia County Public Health released the following announcement on Monday, August 3, regarding its first confirmed COVID-19 related death: The individual was male and over the age of 50. He tested positive for the virus on July 27, and passed away in a Spokane hospital. As a small community, we are saddened by the passing of this individual and our thoughts and condolences go out to the family. Columbia County Public Health is collaborating with Columbia County Health Systems, Dayton School District, and other businesses to insure h...
DAYTON—On Monday, July 20, the Columbia County Commissioners considered whether to place an advisory ballot before voters in November to assess the people’s interest in becoming part of the State of Liberty. Earlier in July, they were approached by a Liberty State representative, urging them to do so. During a work session on Monday of last week, the commissioners decided not to proceed with that. Commissioner Ryan Rundell said he cast his vote as more of a “not yet” vote rather than a straight...
WALLA WALLA—A free Wi-Fi connection is now available for visitors to the new Plaza on First Avenue between Main and Alder streets. PocketiNet is providing the Wi-Fi hotspot via its downtown Walla Walla Fiber backbone. It offers high-speed internet access to all visitors as they enjoy the Plaza environment. Visitors can access the Plaza’s free hotspot by connecting their device(s) to “PocketiNet Free Hotspot.” Each device (laptop, tablet, phone, etc.) logged in can enjoy two hours of internet connection per day on the hotspot. It is active...
DAYTON—School clothes will be available free of charge on Sunday, August 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Seventh Day Adventist Church-Community Service Center, this event takes place in the parking lot at 1525 4th Street in Dayton. Call for more information regarding possible COVID-19 mandated closures (509) 382-4020....
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School District is preparing for an uncertain school year, as they develop a plan to safely reopen the school’s doors this fall. The district is adding two online curriculum options, so parents and children can attend school in whatever way they feel is safest. “We want to make sure our kids are safe, and we want to make sure the protocols in place keep everyone safe,” Superintendent Mark Pickel said. The district will be offering online education opportunities through...
Firefighters from a Umatilla National Forest Type 6 engine dig up and quench remaining hot spots along the line of the Matlock Fire. The lightning-caused fire burned 85 acres in the Umatilla National Forest, 13.5 miles northwest of Ukiah, Oregon, it is now 95% contained. Some hazards and fire traffic remain in the area of the Matlock Fire, so to protect public and firefighter safety, the public is asked to avoid the fire area. A road closure map can be viewed on the Matlock Fire InciWeb site at...
DAYTON-What better location for the County's Public Health Department than the building on North Second Street, which has been a medical clinic, serving Dayton residents, since the 1930s? "I think it's going to be a great move for the community," said County Public Health Director Martha Lanman standing inside the building at the end of July. When the full-scale interior remodel is finished, there will be enough room for all the Health Department staff. Some of the team are working at the County...
July 27 Officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Orchard St regarding theft of gates and aluminum roofing. The items taken were actually stored on property in the 200 block of Donald. Walla Walla County. Dispatched to the 200 block of Columbia Road for a burglary and theft. Suspect was located and arrested. July 28 Theft of saw on Wallula Ave. Walla Walla County. July 29 An individual violated a protection order at an address on E Street in Prescott, WA. July 30 Officers assisted with a Driving Under the Influence investigation at an...
WALLA WALLA-Kathryn Witherington stepped into her new job as Executive Director of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation in early February of this year. Previously the Economic Development Director of the Port of Columbia, Witherington, joined the Foundation just in time to help merchants handle the damages of February's flooding. And then in March came the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier efforts this summer to boost businesses downtown included the creation of extra dining space in front of six...
WALLA WALLA-The Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days board of directors discussed the livestock sale, among other items at the last fair board meeting. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days was canceled in early June. Shortly following the cancellation announcement, the board of directors began exploring options for a virtual livestock sale. The board quickly learned that the Fair was unable to host a sale for a multitude of reasons. In years past,...
PRESCOTT—New Prescott School Superintendent Justin Bradford is inviting the community to meet with him to share their concerns, hopes, and vision for the Prescott School District. On Wednesday, August 12 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mr. Bradford will be available to meet with at the Prescott School Library. The library is located at 207 South A Street in Prescott. A second opportunity to meet the Superintendent will be on Friday, August 14 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Vista Hermosa Community Center, located at 1111 Fishhook Park Road. Please note: V...
WALLA WALLA —The Walla Walla City Council’s second Town Hall held to address police policies and other issues in the region took place over Zoom on Thursday, July 23. Fifty-four individuals spoke, having previously signed up in advance for the opportunity. They were each given three minutes to speak, and as Mayor Tom Scribner said, the council “made no attempt to order the comments in any fashion.” The remaining council members were also in attendance at the virtual gathering, as was the City Attorney, Tim Donaldson, and City Manager, Nabiel Sh...
Since discovering tenkara fly-fishing a few years ago, I don't travel much without a tenkara rod. Tenkara rods are telescopic, collapsing down to about eighteen inches and only require a fly line, leader, and a handful of your favorite flies. Minimal gear and super simple. Absolutely unfettering after years of lugging a minimum of four fly boxes, two reels to accommodate floating and sinking fly line, fly line sink tips, split-shot and strike indicators for nymphs, a variety of leaders and...
WALLA WALLA-Clearing brush and fallen trees is a task that makes most people shake their heads. For Blues Crew volunteers, though, it's an excuse to head to the mountains and explore the Umatilla National Forest while making the trails enjoyable for all. The Blues Crew came to be in 2018 after an outdoor recreation initiative went through at the Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT). Coordinator Greg Brown said he thought about getting a group together to clear already-established trails from winter...
After a slow start, the Seattle Mariners find themselves in third place at 4-6 in the American League West behind Houston and Oakland. This week they will play the Angels (Aug. 4th-6th) and the Rockies (Aug. 7th-9th) at home, then travel to Texas (Aug. 10th-12th) to play the Rangers. The Mariners had opportunities in two of their back to back 3-2 losses to Oakland, but couldn’t come up with the big hit. The Angels are 3-7 on the season and have already lost a series to the Mariners at home last week. Mike Trout will be back with the team to s...
At some point, I imagine most of us say, "never again." I have had to "eat my words" one too many times, so I try not to say, "never will I..." When the last of my dogs had to be put down about six months before I moved here, I vowed, no more dogs! No more coaxing and dragging prissy dogs out in the rain waiting for them to "do their business" while I got drenched in the process. No more trying to retrain my lab, who couldn't wait to go out in the rain, because what lab doesn't love water....
By the time you read this, I’ll be back in South Bend, Indiana. The temperature will be in the seventies. So will the humidity. I will be fanning myself with my new lease agreement and yearning for the three-digit temperatures of home, which at least had the courtesy to be a dry heat. My apartment things will come out of storage, smelling like the inside of a plastic bag. I’ll shake them out and dust them off and put them in their old places. I’ll buy a couple of air fresheners, so the entire ap...
Working from home has become so common, so ingrained in such a short time that it has already earned its own acronym – WFH. The Urban Dictionary defines WFH as “a concept where the employee can do their job outside of the office.” It goes on to enthuse that “WFH offers the flexibility to achieve company goals while supporting a healthy work/life balance, cutting down on commuting time and costs, as well as fostering a comfortable work environment.” As a long time WFH’er myself, I can attest...
Dayton's Wenaha Gallery will feature junk journals by Des Moines, WA, artist Trudy Love Tantalo. Her show runs from August 11 though September 4. Trudy Love Tantalo is a Des Moines, Wash. paper artist who creates junk journals, which she defines as "a unique handmade journal made with a variety of papers, with additions and embellishments that make it fun and interesting to use." A lifetime journal user herself, she describes junk journals as the perfect place to write about your day, tuck in a...
