Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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"Foggy Day in Waitsburg", January 14, 2022. The fog crept in on little cats' feet...or something like that. I always head out when it is foggy, and am never disappointed with what I capture in camera....
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) received more than 7,500 public requests to speak at the January 12 meeting. Many comments were in reaction to misinformation that spread like wildfire on social media platforms leading up to the meeting. Executive Director Michelle Davis made Board announcements. She reminded board members that many comments are objections to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). In October 2021, the SBOH convened a...
DAYTON- The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their monthly meeting Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The meeting was held virtually on Zoom. Two commissioners, Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts logged onto Zoom from the Port conference room. The third commissioner, Genie Crowe, attended remotely. The Zoom meeting was attended by over 40 community members. Executive Director Jenny Dickinson said she had sworn in new commissioners, Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts, before the meeting. Dickinson explained that rules mandate a board secretary be appointed....
DAYTON—This new rendition of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg, tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries, gang warfare, and young love in 1950s New York City. For anyone unfamiliar with West Side Story, it is a famous musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. One critic wrote, “For musical theatre lovers, this is the must-see film of the year. It is a masterpiece of design and features some fantastic performances of a well-loved classic”. Rotten Tomatoes “tomatometer” has a 92% favorable review from the critics, and 94...
WALLA WALLA—Due to skyrocketing cases of COVID-19, Providence St. Mary Medical Center is tightening visitor restrictions to one visitor per patient beginning Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. The visitor must remain the same individual throughout the patient’s stay and cannot rotate. The visitor may come once in 24 hours and not come and go within the same day. Visitor restrictions are necessary for the safety of patients, visitors, and caregivers as the extraordinarily contagious Omicron surges. It is estimated that more than one out of 10 people now...
WALLA WALLA— Walla Walla County Department of Community Health confirmed four COVID-19-related deaths this week. County health officials were notified that a man in his 40s, two men in their 60s and a man in his 80s that tested positive for COVID-19, passed away. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the individuals’ families and friends during this difficult time. Case Overview (as of 1/18/22 @ 10:30 AM): • Confirmed Cases: 11,484 • Recovered: 10,025 • Deaths: 118 • Active: 1,341 • 160 WSP inmate • Home Isolation: 1,331 • Hospitalized: 10...
WALLA WALLA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) recently notified Walla Walla County Department of Community Health (DCH) that the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron) has been identified in COVID-19 specimens collected from the county. First identified in South Africa, there is much unknown about the Omicron variant. “It appears the Omicron variant will likely spread more easily than the original COVID-19 virus,” said Public Health Officer Daniel Kaminsky. “While the severity of symptoms does not seem to be as dramatic as previou...
RICHLAND—The American Red Cross faces its worst blood shortage in over a decade. The national blood crisis poses risks to patient care. It forces doctors to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to reduce delays in vital medical treatments. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urged to make an appointment to give in the weeks ahead. In recent weeks, the Red Cross had less than a one-day s...
WAITSBURG— Waitsburg School District is one of many districts with a replacement levy up for renewal on the upcoming February 8, 2022, Special Election. Waitsburg’s proposed Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy will be used to maintain school programs and services that the State does not fully fund. The 2022 EP&O Levy replaces the levy last approved by Waitsburg voters in 2020 and is not a new tax. School districts run levies to help cover the gap between what the state funds and the actual cost of operating our schools. In Waitsburg,...
WAITSBURG—At-home COVID-19 tests are available to be shipped directly to your home, free of charge, through USPS. COVID-19 tests are limited to one order per residential address and includes four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Orders will ship starting in late January. Additional tests cannot be ordered, regardless of the household size. This effort is part of a federal program to provide free at-home COVID-19 tests with free shipping to every residential address and residential USPS post office box in the United States. Orders c...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council convened its monthly meeting at 6 PM on January 12, 2022. Four new city council members, Laura Aukerman, Teeny McMunn, Marchand Hovrud, and Tyler Dieu, were sworn in at the January 12 meeting. Misty Yost and Dain Nysoe remain in their seats through 2023, and position six is vacant. Mayor Zac Weatherford announced the passing of City Council Member Byron Kaczmarski, leaving position six vacant. He also reported that Hovrud plans to serve on the council until her move from the area. The council elected Dain Nysoe to...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg Community Health and Protection Committee met Tuesday, January 18, with discussions centering around flood preparedness and response. Chairman Jillian Henze gave a brief report on the current COVID-19 situation in the area. As of Monday, January 17, there were 1,216 active cases in Walla Walla. Of those cases, 1,208 were in-home isolation, while eight were hospitalized. As of Tuesday, St. Mary Medical Center had only one ICU bed open and had implemented visitor r...
WAITSBURG-As area residents start to monitor the river every morning on the way to work, Pastor Cameron Hedges has been busy preparing for his first flood season in Washington. Hedges has been going through various FEMA training. He is learning how to prepare for and navigate a natural disaster, document volunteer efforts, and communicate with other response divisions. The pastor of the Waitsburg Christian Church, Hedges, said that there was no hesitation to say "yes" when the City of Waitsburg...
On Saturday, the Dayton Waitsburg Boys basketball team played a solid game, showing their toughness and resolve against the larger and taller Tri-City Prep Jaguars. They frustrated TCP in the first half with solid defense, holding them to only 16 points and outscoring them in the second period. However, TCP came out hot in the second half with 18 points, and the Wolfpack had a hard time matching it. After a well-fought game, Dylan Bledsoe had 16 points in the second half, and Monte Pettichord...
DAYTON - The Dayton Waitsburg Lady Wolfpack basketball team met the Tri-City Prep Jaguars in a conference game on Saturday night. TCP played a full-court press for almost the entire first half of the game and successfully wore down the DW players with a swarming defense. They followed up in the second half with both a 1-on-1 and a 1-3-1 zone defense and were able to shut the Wolfpack out entirely in the second half. While the Jaguars came away with the win, the Wolfpack had some bright spots,...
WAITSBURG-After a couple seasons of rest, the Waitsburg MatBirds will return to the mat this spring. Wrestlers, both boys and girls, ages 5-14 are welcome. The first practice was Tuesday, January 18, but program coordinator Kristy Taylor said that registrations will be accepted through February 15. The MatBirds practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, at the Waitsburg Elementary multipurpose room starting at 6:30 p.m. Athletes and parents must wear a mask while in the building....
Cole Porter, known for his profound lyrics, was “en pointe” with this particular song relating to our recent reopening of the restaurant. I have familiarity with this song title from the Broadway show Kiss Me, Kate. The show, roughly based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, is also somewhat “en pointe” because, on a rough night in the kitchen, Daniel can be shrewish. Porter’s lyrics reverberated in my brain all evening during our recent reopening. The new reduced hours and reduced men...
DAYTON-Reily draws strongly upon her heritage as a Pawnee, an indigenous group of Native America that lived in the area around what is now Oklahoma. Each piece of work represents intense research into the meaning and symbolism of the image, not only for the Pawnee people but for numerous indigenous peoples of what is now called the United States. Reily has been beading for more than 40 years, and she describes the process as one requiring patience, a good eye, perseverance, and time. She notes...
Ten Years Ago January 19, 2012 The WP Tigers wrestling team brought home two fourth-place medals from a big regional meet in Royal City on Saturday after reeling in two pins at a smaller meet in Ritzville on Thursday. "I'm happy with the improvements and performance out there," tigers head coach Lanny Adams said. The Royal City meet was among the largest meets in which the WP team has participated so far. Fifteen teams attended from WP, Royal City, Pomeroy, Reardan, Riverview, Wahluke, Davenport...
Brussels sprouts are sadly in the category of misunderstood produce. When poorly prepared, such as being boiled to oblivion, they become bitter and mushy, a taste that is sure to leave a negative opinion. However, with correct handling, they can be sweet, robust, and nutty. Chefs today encourage the formation of these flavors by searing, roasting, or charring the little brassicas. Here the nuttiness of roasted Brussels sprouts combined with sweet roasted squash, briny cheese, and a smooth...
