Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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"It was an excellent year, all of our ranches had pretty close to the biggest yields yet. It's hard to beat our land in Waitsburg, but it was a record year all around.," one local farmer said. As harvest wraps up, many farmers are reflecting back on a stellar crop....
The school year is right around the corner, and September 8th is the first day for Waitsburg students. As schools kick off a virtual learning experience, many parents are worried about childcare and ensuring their kids stay up to speed. Waitsburg Schools, partnered with the Valley’s largest non-profit, licensed childcare provider, may have a solution. Walla Walla YMCA CEO Karen Hedine said that the childcare conversation is long overdue in Waitsburg. Still, she couldn’t think of a better tim...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council is seeking mediation with the County over the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Law Enforcement, Dispatch, and Court services after talks have stalled. The decision was made at a Special City Council meeting on Monday after the City Council heard from Dain Nysoe on the Public Safety Committee, Mayor Zac Weatherford, and City Attorney Quinn Plant. “We are at an impasse right now,” Mayor Weatherford said about the negotiations. Weatherford said the City has an oblig...
DAYTON—Columbia County Public Transportation announced a slight schedule change to Saturday services, starting September 5th, 2020. Saturday transportation vehicles will run from 8 a.m until 1 p.m, a change that General Manager David Ocampo said will help the services run as efficiently as possible. After studying data from the last year, Ocampo noticed that the Saturday out-of-town service vehicle was consistently back around 1:30 p.m. That trend has stayed consistent with the restriction in place from the COVID-19 pandemic. This schedule c...
WAITSBURG-Over the weekend, the Waitsburg's Blessing Box located next to the Waitsburg Christian Church was damaged yet again. Vandals broke the glass out of the door and threw the donated food onto the property and street. Instead of being upset, Pastor Matthew Wyatt viewed the incident as a blessing. The Blessing Box gives out hundreds of pounds of food each month to struggling families, according to a letter posted on Facebook by Wyatt. Wyatt thanked the vandals for giving Waitsburg a...
WAITSBURG—The Blue Mountain Region Long-Term Flood Recovery Group has identified many families in the area that are still dealing with the effects of the February 2020 flooding. The group is asking the community's aid in finding housing and basic household supplies for victims still trying to recover from the event. Currently, the group is seeking housing for a family of five- two adults and three small children. Accommodation in Waitsburg is preferred, but the family is open to housing in the Dayton community as well. The recovery group is a...
DAYTON—Incident Commander Mike Almas of the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team is leading efforts on the Rattlesnake Fire burning in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness 20 miles south of the Pomeroy Ranger District and thirteen miles southeast of Dayton. The fire has closed Tucannon Road at the Tucannon Campground with no access to Panjab or Lady Bug campgrounds. Panjab Trail 3127 and Rattlesnake Trail 3129 are closed. Forest Road 4620, known as Patrick Grade, is also temporarily closed at the Forest boundary due to fire traffic. In a...
POMEROY—The Garfield County Fair and Rodeo, scheduled for September 18-20, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fair officials look forward to seeing everyone in 2021....
The photograph by Terry Lawhead illustrating the article Whistling Through the Wallouse on page 7 of the August 27 edition was taken facing northwest on the Middle Point Trail off the North Fork of the Touchet River....
DAYTON-The Texaco truck stop at 533 W. Main St. is now open for business as the Shop 'n Go 2. The new owners are Gurmit Ghuman, Victor Virk, and Paul Soh, and they held a grand opening for their fifth business on Friday of last week. The family owns four other fuel marts, in Walla Walla, Pasco, Prosser, and Granger. Ghuman said the business located at the corner of Hwy. 12 and Cameron St. is a convenient location for truckers, people passing through Dayton, and for local customers. Look for...
DAYTON—Last week, the Hospital District board of commissioners was invited by Commissioner Bob Hutchens to share their thoughts about whether some of the remaining Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding received by the District should be used for hospital projects and services. Hutchens serves on the District’s Finance committee. CCHS CEO Shane McGuire explained that any project or service must meet COVID-19 criteria. Many hospital districts have received CARES Ac...
WALLA WALLA—Did you think this year’s Pond & Garden Tour was canceled? In light of the pandemic and social distancing mandates, Walla Walla Community Hospice considered forgoing the 19th annual event. However, there were still some beautiful gardens to spotlight in the Walla Walla Valley Traditionally the event features ten properties and consists of a self-guided tour, vendors, working artists, live music, Master Gardener presentations, and multiple raffles. It attracts three to four hundred attendees. This year, the event will be, like mos...
Brandon Johnson has integrity and skills. I support Brandon Johnson for Superior Court Judge in Walla Walla. He has a sharp mind, excellent skills for this position, and is a man of integrity. He will be an impartial judge and respect all who enter his courtroom. It is wonderful that we have an experienced, young professional equipped to do an excellent job for us. Brandon is dedicated to the law and our community. Walla Walla will be well served by Brandon Johnson as our Superior Court Judge. Please join me and vote for Brandon. Jane...
On August 28, the Walla Walla County health officials were notified of the fifth COVID-related death in the county. A woman in her 80’s, who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, passed away. “We wish to express our deepest sympathies to the woman’s family and friends during this difficult time,” said Meghan DeBolt, Director of Walla Walla County Department of Community Health (DCH). As of Tuesday, Sept. 1, Walla Walla County had 770 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 139 active cases. There are only three cases that are currently hospita...
WALLA WALLA—One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 1999, the Blue Mountain Land Trust has been doing just that for the people of Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon. Today the Blue Mountain Land Trust announced it had renewed its land trust accreditation – proving again that, as part of a network of accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work. “There...
DAYTON-The separation from family and friends and decreased socialization with each other have been difficult for Booker Rest Home residents since the facility was locked down in March to protect its vulnerable population. There is now a little light at the end of the tunnel since Governor Jay Inslee announced his Safe Start for Long Term Care Facility Reopening Recommendations and Requirements on Aug. 12. The good news is the Booker Rest Home is now in Phase 2 of the governor's four-phase...
August 25 Deputies were dispatched to a death investigation near Russett Road. Walla Walla County A female was transported to the hospital for crisis evaluation. Burbank A caller reported a stolen pressure washer in the 700 block of Main Street. Waitsburg A hit and run incident took place in the 1100 block of S. Wilbur Street. Walla Walla Theft of fuel from a Blaze King company vehicle. Walla Walla County August 27 A man was arrested for DUI by State Patrol. Waitsburg Officers responded to a domestic dispute that involved a firearm. Touchet...
I don't know when Dad purchased the gun or from whom or where, but one of its few outings captured on film was in 1977. My brother was a toddler and dad had hunted a gray squirrel on his parent's farm in what used to be the middle-of-nowhere Appalachia. The Herrington and Richardson Topper Model 158 (H&R) was the shotgun built for everyone. An ordinary, functional firearm built for the budget-minded. Overly simplistic yet wholly reliable described the H&R firearms line from 1871 to 1986 under th...
A conversation with Julia Mead When Julia Mead graduated from high school at the age of 17 and started college, she decided her motto would be, "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way." She finished nurse's training in Walla Walla in 1982. A year later, she met her first and only blind date, Charles "Skip" Mead IV. When asked, "Who is Julia Mead?" her answer is, "A transplant to Columbia County who sank her roots down." Two sons, six grandchildren, and 37 harvests later, she hasn't...
The Mariners marketing department must be wondering if it is still a good idea to sell jerseys with names on the back. Dan Vogelbach, Taijuan Walker, Taylor Williams, Austin Adams, Dan Altavilla, and Austin Nola will all be wearing different uniforms next season. The Mariners were very active during this year’s trade deadline and have made deals with the Toronto Blue Jays and the San Diego Padres. Here is a breakdown of the trades starting with the two Toronto moves. Mariners acquired cash from the Toronto Blue Jays for Dan Vogelbach. D...
Local artists Wayne Chabre and Jeanne McMenemy create special show for the occasion WALLA WALLA-Combine art collective is celebrating its one-year anniversary with featured artists Wayne Chabre, sculptor, and Jeanne McMenemy, owner of Calligraphica. Though there will be no reception, a showing of the artist's work will be available for viewing beginning Thursday, September 3 at the gallery's regular business hours. Wayne Chabre, born in Walla Walla, graduated with a B.A. in Art from Gonzaga...
A slug could slime its way across the country faster than it will take to complete our kitchen remodel. The cabinets need different trim than they anticipated. Evidently, the walls and ceiling were even more crooked than initially thought. The wrong doors have to be replaced with the right doors and glass panels, three drawers still do not have facing or knobs, need I go on? Like dominos, Daniel can’t finish his part (moldings, trim, painting, pantry door paint, and doorknob), or install the dis...
Now that quarantine rules have relaxed a bit, we've been going out a little more. I finally got to go grocery shopping again, and it almost felt like a vacation. Mom says it's because I'm a textbook extrovert. The slightly-relaxed rules have given me a chance to test out the heap of different hand sanitizers Mom has collected lately (some people have a shoe problem, my mom has a hand sanitizer problem). Not sure what sanitizer you want? Here are a couple of my favorites! One of the biggest...
WALLA WALLA-Record Store Day (RSD) comes around just once a year. This past Saturday, August 29, Hot Poop celebrated the thirteenth annual event with a somewhat demure version of its usual festivities. Record store day is all about getting music lovers inside brick and mortar record stores, connecting listeners with the establishments that keep music and musicians alive. To participate, store owners sign contracts attesting that they will not sell any of the select RSD merchandise online for at...
The Washington State Parks Folk and Traditional Arts Program (WSPFTAP) has teamed up again with the organizers of Refuge Outdoor Festival. In past years the festival was a three-day camping experience geared toward people of color. It centers on building community through outdoor recreation, conversations (community talks, workshops), music and art that appeal to a diverse and inclusive audience. This year, the festival is going virtual. Due to the current social distancing measures and efforts...
