Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 5591
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on December 13, 2023. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson attended at the port office and Genie Crowe via Zoom. Dickinson updated the commissioners on five leases. The Desperado Cowboy Bullets and Blue Mountain Co-op renewed their leases for two years. Rae’s Studio in the Cameron Street CoWorking building extended its lease for another year. The Columbia County Conservation District signed a new lease for the garden spa...
Walla Walla-The Combine Art Collective in Walla Walla has extended its gallery hours through December 23rd. The gallery hours from Monday, December 18 through December 23, will be 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Combine features a unique selection of items, including jewelry, boxes, cards, glass, ceramic, painting, sculpture, and ornaments by member artists, artisans, and guest artists. Here is the list of artists who will participate in this year's "The Gift of Art" show: Combine Members: Lauri Borer,...
DAYTON—Each year in December, the Port of Columbia holds its Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) meeting for stakeholders in the community to review and update an ongoing five and ten-year project list, cast ballots for the three projects each of them deem most important for the community, listen to guest speakers about progress on current projects, and learn about specific economic indicators for Columbia County. This year, stakeholders voted for their top three project priorities i...
DAYTON - Columbia County Health System announced the retirement of esteemed doctors Dr. Gwynneth Neace, a board-certified pediatrician, and Dr. Lewis Neace, a board-certified emergency medicine physician. The two talented physicians chose to come home in 2016 to lend their considerable skills to the communities they love. Giving back to the towns where they were raised has been the capstone of their accomplished medical careers. After eight years of devoted service, they have decided to retire....
DAYTON — The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:36 p.m. on December 6, 2023. School Board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. Matthew Smith, who briefed the Dayton City Council on the Community Needs Assessment the previous evening, gave essentially the same briefing to the school board. The board turned its attention to EPO (Educational Programs and Operation) Proposition 1 and Capital Levy Proposition 2. The EPO would f...
DAYTON- Mayor Zac Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. on December 5, 2023. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen joined Weatherford at City Hall. Jasmin Helm presented results from the Community Needs Assessment completed by the Coalition for Youth and Families under the Columbia County Department of Public Health. She said the coalition hired Tanner Accountants & Advisors (TAA) to help the department address the issues i...
My name is Deanne Wilbur, and I was a friend and co-worker of Melissa Harting. Over the last month, I have been working closely with her family, friends, and Walla Walla Community College to initiate a nursing scholarship to honor an incredible person. Melissa had a rare and exceptional work ethic. She was the staff member that everyone else was measured against. While working in the high-stress environment of the emergency department, she still found the time to provide compassionate and...
WAITSBURG – In the late afternoon of November 29, Waitsburg was the scene of a vehicle accident on the north side of town following a 20-mile police pursuit by Walla Walla Police. The suspects' vehicle, a motorhome, damaged three power poles near the intersection of Preston Avenue (Highway 124) and Coppei Avenue (Highway 12.) The motorhome landed in a lot across from Preston Park, ending the chase. It left Main Street commercial and residential customers in the dark for several hours. The pursui...
DAYTON — People residing in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than their urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease. Columbia County Health System is committed to changing that. For efforts to optimize acute cardiac care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, Columbia County Health System received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Rural Recognition Bronze award for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The Americ...
DAYTON -Friends and supporters of Lisa Naylor found a creative way to bring attention to her need for a kidney donor. This thoughtful group of residents helped Naylor mount a large sign on Joanne and Bill Poolman's barn on eastbound Highway 12. The sign with Naylor's image gives contact information on how to become a living kidney donor. Anyone interested in becoming a living kidney donor should contact Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for more information. There is an online questionnaire...
DAYTON- Mayor Zac Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 21, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su'euga, Michael Smith, and Shannon McMillen were present in City Hall. Kyle Anderson participated using Zoom. Dain Nysoe and Laura Aukerman were not present. Most of the action items for this evening's meeting had been discussed during earlier meetings. This special meeting was scheduled for the council to vote on resolutions in their final form so that the city administration can...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg's Friends of the Pool with Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) hosted a Pool Kick-off celebration and fundraiser at the Royal Block Wine Bar on Thursday, November 16. The event featured a silent auction, Walla Walla DJ music, and Daniel Rossi catering. Pool Committee member Wendy Carter and Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn made speeches on the efforts to build a public pool in the city. Jesse Brown was recognized for her ideas and energy in making the well-attended event...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library on November 15, 2023. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Ryan Paulson, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart and student representatives Madison Richardson and Lila Hutchens were also present. One of the Board’s first actions was to approve Lila Hutchens as a student representative to the Board. She joins Madison Richardson as the second student representative. The student representative and ASB reports recap student act...
WAITSBURG— All members were present at a meeting of the Waitsburg School Board on Wednesday, November 15. Secondary Principal Joe Wirtzberger reported that he was pleased with the district’s overall full-time enrollment attendance rates. However, the high school’s junior class is currently under expectations, with half of that class under a 90% attendance rate. He said that the administration will continue to look at ways of improving that statistic. Wirtzberger reported that the Preston Hall...
WAITSBURG - Last summer, the Waitsburg Commercial Club reached out to the Gaudy Gals to see if they would host the 2023 Hometown Christmas arts and crafts show. Kimi and Lori gladly accepted the challenge and are working hard to create a beautifully curated show at Waitsburg Town Hall. A call for vendors went out in August and filled up within a few days. To ensure a successful show for vendors and shoppers, interested vendors provided photos and descriptions of their wares to prevent...
WAITSBURG - The Weller Public Library looks fresh after Walla Walla's Meticulous Touch Painting, LLC finished painting the front room and hallway. The building's historic tin ceiling stands out with a new coat of paint highlighting its decorative details. The shelves in the front room are painted and ready for library staff to restock, with books available for checkout starting on November 29. The Friends of the Library are busy with holiday projects and programs. They held an ornament painting...
WAITSBURG - The seats were filled in the Waitsburg High School gymnasium for the Veterans Day program, "Honoring Those Who Served," under the direction of music director Elizabeth Jagelski. Principal Joe Wirtzberger and ASB President Blake French welcomed veterans, followed by the presentation of the flags. The K-5 students entered the gym singing Neil Diamond's "America." French, Makenna Barron, and Cedar Stegall gave the history of Veterans Day. The students worked many weeks to prepare for...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 PM, November 8, 2023, in the Port Office. Commissioners present were Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. During the first public comment period, four individuals supported Lyon’s Ferry Marina and the effort to maintain KOA membership by adding required pull-through sites. Bryan objected to approving the last meeting’s agenda because its summary incorrectly characterized one of his statements as saying the breakwater at Ly...
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Commerce is pleased to announce the 11 winners of the 2023 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards. The program has been presented annually since 2006 and recognizes local governments and their partners for exceptional land use planning and development. The awards showcase the effective implementation of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA). The honored local programs and projects serve as leading examples for other communities as they seek to address similar land use planning issues or look for i...
DAYTON- Mayor Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 7, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and Council Members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, and Shannon McMillen were at city hall. Laura Aukerman participated using Zoom. Washington State Representative Joe Schmick attended the meeting and spoke during the first public comment period. Schmick said Dayton should have a policy to charge fees for public record requests, in part to cover staff time. He advised the city to amend it...
WAITSBURG - The Royal Block Reading Series welcomes prolific author and globally renowned explorer Richard Bangs for a reading from his 20th book, "The Art of Living Dangerously," at the Royal Block in Waitsburg on November 22, 2023, at 6:30 PM. Admission is free and open to the public (21+). In 1973, Richard Bangs co-founded Sobek Expeditions, now MT Sobek, the world's original and largest adventure travel company with over a million clients guided since its beginning. The Art of Living...
DAYTON —YWCA Walla Walla will open the waitlist on for its new childcare center, RoseMary’s Place, coming to Dayton in Columbia County. The waitlist for the YWCA-operated childcare facility will open promptly at 7 a.m. on November 15, 2023, at ywcaww.org/rosemarys/. Families in Dayton, Waitsburg, and neighboring areas needing childcare services this spring are encouraged to make note of this date and add their names to the list. The center is set to officially open its doors on April 1, 2024, and the first names on the time-and-date stamped lis...
WALLA WALLA — Sherwood Trust is awarding $102,000 in Impact Grants to eight organizations serving local communities, said CEO Brian Hunt. Impact Awards support youth, community outreach, and recovery programs. The competitive grants are available to organizations that have not recently received Sherwood Trust funding. “To support equity in our grantmaking, we want to make sure we are learning from organizations that have not applied or received Sherwood Trust funding,” said Hunt. “This year’s Impact grants were an opportunity to focus on...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the high school library at 6:30 p.m. on November 1, 2023. School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, members Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Grant Griffin, and Interim Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. After approving the consent agenda, the Board interviewed Ryan Paulson for the vacant School Board position. Paulson was the only applicant and answered several questions from the board members. The Board approved Paulson’s appointment after an executive session. He will be sworn into office at the next meeting...
WAITSBURG - It was a scary time in the Preston Hall gym on Monday, October 30 for those who dared to walk through the haunted house. With the leadership of Waitsburg staff member, Dusty Wirtzberger, the gym was transformed into five rooms featuring scary clowns, a chainsaw madman, ghosts, goblins, and creatures with glowing green eyes. Numerous adults and students hung black plastic from the balcony to create a maze for attendees to venture through. The decorations were scary, and there was a...
