Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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"Home", 2020. That's Waitsburg this morning from Cell Tower Hill. My house is behind the big tree circled in blue and labelled "HOME." "Downtown" is right there in the center of the photo, and Ten Ton Coffee is right in the middle of it (another story). The dark hills in the distance are the Blue Mountains. The sky in the image is rather dull because of the smoke from the Oregon wildfires. It got worse as the day and the atmosphere evolved. Of all the small wheat towns in Eastern Washington that...
DAYTON-What began as a way to sell some extra lasagna has become an ongoing labor of love for Weinhard Café owner Mandi Wendt, and a blessing to the recipients of her generosity. Every Friday, for the past several years, Wendt has been preparing take-and-bake meals for sale. This idea was created in 2017 when Wendt made too much lasagna for a fundraiser in memory of an employee who had recently passed away. "Not knowing how many people to expect, I made about 20 too many lasagnas. I didn't...
WALLA WALLA—The Washington State Penitentiary is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in one of the housing units. In response to the outbreak, officials have developed a plan to keep inmates and staff safe. As of Tuesday, the prison had 121 confirmed COVID cases, with 53 of those cases currently active. The facility houses a total of 2,284 incarcerated individuals. Ten Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) employees have tested positive. The coronavirus outbreak began in late July when an inmate b...
SPOKANE—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Spokane District has increased fire restrictions on public lands administered by the BLM and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in eastern Washington. The fire restrictions order has been modified to prohibit discharging a firearm, except while engaged in a lawful hunt under state, federal, or tribal law and regulations. The building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire of any type, including charcoal briquette fires is also now prohibited. The temporary ban will take effect August 21, 2020, at 12:01... Full story
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg School District is excited to announce that it will be serving meals free of charge for all enrolled students! Starting September 8th, WSD Nutritional Services will begin making home deliveries of meals. Drivers will be making meal deliveries Monday through Thursday coinciding with our 2020-21 school calendar. Thursday deliveries will include meals for both Thursday and Friday, there are no deliveries on Friday. If you would like to sign up to have meals delivered please contact Susan Wildy at swildey@waitsburgsd.org. No... Full story
WASHINGTON—FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved Washington for a FEMA grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. FEMA’s grant funding will allow Washington to provide $300 per week—on top of their regular unemployment benefit—to those unemployed due to COVID-19. FEMA will work with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to implement a system to make this funding available to Washington residents. On Aug. 8, 2020, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have... Full story
WASHINGTON—FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved Washington for a FEMA grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. FEMA’s grant funding will allow Washington to provide $300 per week—on top of their regular unemployment benefit—to those unemployed due to COVID-19. FEMA will work with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to implement a system to make this funding available to Washington residents. On Aug. 8, 2020, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have... Full story
Multi-county for Superior Court judge: Number of votes, percentage of votes: Commissioner Columbia County Commissioner #2 Mike Talbott 151 votes, 26.26% Marty Hall 422 votes, 73.39% Judicial Precinct Results Brooke J. Burns 361 votes, 21.34% G. Scott Marinella 1,187 votes, 70.15% R. Victor Bottomly 141votes, 8.33% Write-Ins 23 votes, 30.18% Total Votes 1,692 Multi-County Results Brooke J. Burns 4,753 votes, 50.74% G. Scott Marinella 3,150 votes, 33.63% R. Victor Bottomly 1,434 votes, 15.31% Write-ins 30 votes, 0.32% Total votes 9,367, 100%...
PRESCOTT—Prescott School District is finishing plans for the upcoming online school year. The district will begin distributing Chromebook laptops to students in the first week of September. Superintendent Justin Bradford said details are still being finalized, and he anticipates K-6 grades will have appointments with teachers to receive any needed materials and information about the online courses. 7-12 grade students will also be scheduling appointments to meet with teachers and gather m...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia will hold a Zoom meeting on Monday, August 31, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. to share information about their proposed broadband project in the City of Dayton and some adjacent outlying areas. Attendees will hear a presentation on the project, be able to ask questions, and will also be asked to fill out a short survey regarding their current service. The Port contracted with PocketiNet, a Walla Walla-based company, to conduct a broadband feasibility study that was completed in February of this year. “Port Commissioners hoped...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, Aug. 20, via Zoom call. Representative Skyler Rude attended the meeting. Principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared documents on class schedules in grades six and up. She also shared an online staff schedule that laid out the periods, virtual office hours, and more. Wooderchak reported that the teachers have written letters for the parents that explain their virtual classrooms, attendance plans, assignment days, and more. The school has begun s...
DAYTON-Washington Federal Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Washington Federal Bank, gifted $1,000 to The Club in Dayton. This money will be included in The Club's operations fund to be used for day-to-day operations. This is Washington Federal Foundation's first financial contribution to The Club....
Dayton Senior Round Table Lunch Menu Dayton Senior Center 403 E. Patit St. 12 p.m. Drive Up Only Thursday, August 27 Spaghetti Mixed vegetables Salad Garlic Bread Peaches / Milk Tuesday, September 1 To be announced Waitsburg Senior Center 504 Main Street 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 1 Lasagna Italian blend vegetables Coleslaw Garlic bread Fruit... Full story
Why I will vote Frances Chvatal As a woman, I will vote for Frances Chvatal because she knows what it feels like to have to fight for equal opportunity, for respect, and for the right to be who and what she is. As a person of color, I will vote Frances Chvatal because she has shown compassion for our community. She recognizes that we have different struggles and that we have the equal right to work towards our American dream. As a working mother, I will vote for Frances Chvatal because she knows what it means to have to leave the home every...
My daughter, Jenny Mayberry, is running for Walla Walla County commissioner. Jenny is very honest, intelligent, purposeful and has the drive needed to get things done. I know for a fact that she is passionate about working hard for ALL the people and she will do it with a commitment to excellence and open mindedness. Jenny PROUDLY supports Farmers, Small Businesses, Law-Enforcement and Fire/EMS. Jenny loves Walla Walla County and loves the United States of America. That is why I am voting for my daughter! Won’t you join me in voting for J...
Letter to the Editor I am writing in support of Mike Mitchell for Superior Court Judge, Position 1. It is imperative for our community to elect a judge with depth and breadth of quality legal experience. Mike has been on both sides of almost every fence the court straddles. He understands each side’s arguments and positions having made them as an attorney during the last 42 years. This includes criminal law (both prosecutorial and defense), civil litigation, family law, estate planning and probate, business formation, juvenile law and d...
After eight years together, Chris Carter and Clint Atteberry have made it official! The couple was married on August 8, 2020, in a ceremony attended by a small group of family and friends in Dayton, WA. The wedding was officiated by Ordained Minister, Gordon Farley and a private reception followed.... Full story
Slade Gorton who served as a U.S. Senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and again from 1989 to 2001, has died on Aug.19 in Seattle. He was 92. He had a 40-year career representing Washington state as a centrist Republican. He served in the state legislature, as the state attorney general and a three-term U.S. senator. Mr. Gorton was born in Chicago, Ill to the New England family that started the well-known frozen fish company. He served in the Army near the end of World War II and...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met Wednesday, August 19, for a regularly scheduled meeting. As the district prepares to welcome students back to in-person classes, they are adjusting their protocols and procedures to stay aligned with the Department of Health recommendations. Principal Kristina Brown began her report by thanking the school board for being patient with staff and administration as they prepare for the school’s opening. The district is anticipating a ‘Red and Gold’ schedul...
WAITSBURG—Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider, Undersheriff Joe Klundt, and fifteen Waitsburg community members met in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, August 25, to discuss recent suspected criminal activity in the city. Matthew Wyatt, who lives in the neighborhood where Skylar I. Glasby was arrested earlier this month on unlawful imprisonment and domestic violence charges, said now, more than ever, he fears for the safety of his family, and his community. Glasby was released earlier this w...
David Ocampo, General Manager at Columbia County Public Transportation (CCPT), is proud of what the agency has done over the years, but even prouder of the way it has found its niche during COVID-19. And now, to add to its unique role in the community, CCPT has added two new "XL Hybrid" vehicles to its fleet. XL stands for "extra large." "Before COVID, on a really busy day, we were putting as much as 5,000 miles a month on a transit bus," Ocampo said. "We were running twelve round trips a day. N...
There are so many ways to appreciate the beauty of the wheat harvest. Each is a function of who you are-maybe a member of a farming family, perhaps a local person who respects what goes into the hard work of growing wheat, maybe an artist attempting to capture the beautiful landscape. Or maybe just a visitor stunned by the incredible views of fields and hills of our region at different times of the day. Maybe a bit of all those things. Although it may never quite get the kind of admiration the...
Head football coach Troy Larsen was kind enough to talk to me this past Sunday evening about the upcoming high school sports year. What follows is part of our conversation. E.U. – Do you have any idea how many might be coming out this year for football? T.L. – I do not. We didn’t have spring football, so usually, that’s a barometer. And then I get to see all the freshmen that are coming up. We missed out on all of that, and without school, I wasn’t able to have my spring meeting with all the k...
Gardening is inherently humbling. Perhaps this is because a gardener is an architect and a janitor, literally in the dirt with earwigs and ants crawling alongside as one attempts to render a masterpiece. Anytime I invite someone into my garden, I lead with a disclaimer. "Mistakes have been made," I say, "good plants have died here." Most recently, we said goodbye to a tomato plant. It's fallen over three times now. The fruits that have come off it tend to have rotten spots and represent an...
OLYMPIA—Gov. Jay Inslee today announced and updated guidance as part of Washington’s Safe Start phased reopening plan. “We have worked with stakeholders for weeks and sometimes months to arrive at these guidelines. We continue to balance the need for activities that contribute to physical, mental, and emotional well-being with the steps needed to control the virus. Our ability to reopen depends on every Washingtonian doing their part to ensure fewer, shorter, and safer interactions,” said Inslee. These guidelines allow museums in Phase 2 count...
