Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 508 - 532 of 1893
DAYTON-Tony Waldo, Operation Manager for Columbia Pulp, spoke about the Lyons Ferry Straw Pulp Mill at the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update meeting, on Dec. 19. Waldo said that construction of the facility has been a little behind schedule, but it will be operational late in the first quarter of 2019. "All the buildings and equipment have been set," said Waldo. "Right now they're working on piping and wiring, and instrumentation." Waldo said 60-100 skilled people will...
DAYTON—At the annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy update meeting on Dec. 19, community leaders discussed some of the projects in the Dayton area in the works, and progress that is expected in the next year. Dayton Development Task Force and Dayton Chamber of Commerce Dayton Chamber of Commerce Director Melissa Bryan said the Main Street Approach framework used by the Dayton Development Task Force is working, as people can see in improvements to the building facades, the r...
DAYTON-Voters in Columbia County were busy this year, with the passage of two levies, along with an election that will result in changes to key positions, in Columbia County. In February, the Dayton School District passed another two-year capital-projects levy. This year the levies paid for new asphalt on the elementary playground and at the bus loading zone, a new heating system, the upgraded communication system, and repairs to the flat portion of the HS roof. The entrance to the elementary...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council decided to table a request from PocketiNet, of College Place, for a franchise agreement with the city to install fiberoptic line north of Main St, between Front St. and 2nd St, and the ability to expand in the future. During the public hearing Mayor Craig George read letters of support for local businessman David Klingenstein, owner of Touchet Valley TV, whose family has been in business in Dayton since 1953 and who is providing local cable and internet service. Klingenstein told the council he plans to build o...
Drivers passing through downtown Dayton this Christmas season have been greeted by Santa Claus, showing off the town's new antique tractor, which is on display in front of Flour Mill Park. The tractor was donated to Dayton's All Wheels Weekend event by Bill and Michele Konz, of Dayton (shown in this photo with Santa). It's a 1939 Farmall Model M, made by International Harvester, and it runs like a top. All Wheels Weekend Committee Chair Bette Lou Crothers says the event committee is planning to...
DAYTON-The Friends of the Fairgrounds-Columbia County have an abiding interest in maintaining the rural and historic nature of the county fairgrounds, said the group's president, Julia Mead. Since forming in Oct. 2017, the group has accomplished much, under the umbrella of the Columbia County Community Network. "They have been invaluable to our progress with guidance for prioritizing projects, setting a budget and seeking grants," said Mead. Eventually the FFCC will spin off as an independent...
DAYTON—Talk to someone about how you feel. That was the take-away message about suicide when the Columbia County Coalition met last week. Matthew Wyatt, Pastor of the Waitsburg Christian Church, said the topic of suicide is something most people want to avoid. “That’s not working”, he said. “Let’s get the message out.” Wyatt said the best policy is to encourage adults and youth to talk about suicidal feelings with people they can trust. “As a leader I am doing my very best,” said Rick Walters, Prevention Counselor at the Dayton School Dis...
Economic Development Coordinator Kathryn Witherington and Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson posed with the “Jolly Green Giant” at the Port’s first annual Night Market at the Blue Mountain Statin on Friday night. The replica of the Green Giant was one of the items purchased by Dickinson from the estate of Jan and Owen Agenbroad. Owen Agenbroad was a research agronomist for the Green Giant Company in Dayton for 30 years. He and Jan passed away in 2016....
DAYTON-Tyler Usco and Amanda Toms want you to relax when you visit their new café and boutique at 217 East Main St. in Dayton. Usco said there was a soft opening for the Winter Rose Café & Boutique during Christmas Kickoff and now they are ready for some serious business. "We've been steadily picking up business," he said. Usco, who got his start cooking at the Marcus Whitman Restaurant in Walla Walla, said his Spicy Avocado Bagel has been a hit. He also recommends the Papa Scramble and the P...
DAYTON—A pre-trial conference for accused murderer Benjamin Orozco has been set in Columbia County Superior Court for Jan. 9. Orozco has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of second degree murder in the shooting death of Dayton resident Lance Terry, and first degree assault, in the wounding of Dayton resident David Eaton 20 years ago. Orozco and an acquaintance, David De la Rosa, became involved in a confrontation with Eaton and Terry behind the PDQ convenience store in downtown Dayton o...
December 5, 2018 DAYTON—High School Senior Kaleigh White was interviewed and accepted by members of the Dayton School Board at last week’s meeting to be a student representative on the Board. White said she is interested in political science and the opportunity to be a representative on the board will give her a “feel for things.” White cited a lack of respect by students for their fellow students and teachers as problematic, as well as a lack of student participation in sports and clubs....
DAYTON-The Friends of the Dayton Community Pool met with city officials last week to discuss whether, and if so, how to move forward on repairing or replacing Dayton's pool. The city's 35-year-old pool was closed for safety reasons this summer because of infrastructure problems, including a leaking pool tank, inoperable boiler and water heater systems, and dangerously cracked decks. City officials and the Friends group have reviewed the condition assessment report performed by an architectural f...
Bruce Goodell, Darla Brown, David O Campo, Melissa Ferrians, Steve Mertens, and Dayton Mayor Craig George are shown with the 2017 Safety Stars trophy the Columbia County Public Transportation Board Authority received from the Washington State Transit Insurance Pool for consistently being a good performer in terms of agency auto losses. The Safety Star Award also comes with a cash award of $1500, to be used for employee recognition. The award is to recognize member transit agencies who maintain...
DAYTON—In his report to the Hospital Board of Commissioners at their regular meeting last week, Columbia County Health System CEO Shane McGuire said a lease has been signed with the Port of Columbia for office space in the Rock Hill Industrial Park. He said the Certified Nursing Program, Palliative Care, and Marketing Services will move into this building. Dr. Kyle Terry has completed provider training for the CCHS Wound Care Program and will be the Medical Director there. This will allow Dr. K...
Santa Claus arrived in Dayton Friday and set up shop at the Village Shoppes on Main Street. Here he joined a local family for a photo in the store's front window....
DAYTON-County Emergency Services Director Lisa Caldwell is leaving her position to go to work as a Subject Matter Expert for the Michael Baker Institute, starting Jan. 7. Caldwell said the Michael Baker Institute is headquartered in Pittsburg, Penn., and works in the area of public safety and mapping with Geographic Information System Technology (G.I.S.) She said she will work from her Dayton home as part of a virtual nation-wide team. "My job will be building relationships and providing...
Dayton's Christmas Kickoff...
DAYTON-Community education can make all the difference in the quality of life for people living with dementia, and for their loved ones. That was the message Katie Roughton delivered to a group of business leaders, caregivers and patients at two workshops in Dayton on Nov. 7. "This is so you as a community know how to approach a dementia patient who is out and about," she said to those in attendance. Roughton said there are 85 different types of dementia, and they are caused by structural and...
DAYTON-Newly-elected county officials Carla Rowe, Dale Slack, Anne Higgins and Chuck Amerein are gearing up to assume office on Jan. 1. They met with the Columbia County County Commissioners last week to receive encouragement and guidance. Treasurer-elect Carla Rowe said she would like to receive training in the "underutilized" software program currently used in the Treasurer's Office, and she hopes to meet with individual department heads to discuss streamlining reports. Rowe said she is...
Nov. 14, 2018 DAYTON—The Dayton City Council held the first of three public hearings for the city’s proposed $7,078,230 budget for 2019, during their monthly meeting last week. The budget reflects an increase of 3.9% over 2018’s, and it includes rate increases for water and sewer utilities that will go into effect in January. The proposed increase is $5.95 for sewer and $4.05 for water, for a residential unit within the city limits. Mayor Craig George said the purpose of the increase is to help...
DAYTON—During a presentation to members of the public last week, Washington State Parks Planner Laura Moxham gave an overview of plans being developed for three area state parks: Lyons Ferry, Palouse Falls and Lewis and Clark Trail. Before inviting the public to share their ideas for the parks, Moxham discussed some of the pros and cons of each park. She said that since being designated the state’s official waterfall in 2014, increasing numbers of people are visiting Palouse Falls State Park, up from 85,000 visitors in 2010, to around 190...
DAYTON—Dayton is known as “The Town that Still Believes,” and to celebrate the holidays once again, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce is putting on the 12th annual Christmas Kickoff celebration the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. On Friday the Backroads Club in Dayton will hold its Ugly Xmas Sweater 5k walk/run, on a 3.2 mile course around town, starting and ending at the Columbia County Courthouse. The race is dog, stroller and wheelchair friendly, and there are cash prizes in individual and group-related categories, said organizer Rache...
More than two years ago, members of the Dayton Kiwanis Club had a vision to send high school students to Washington D.C. to reinforce leadership skills and give them an inside look at democracy in action using the nation’s capital as a living classroom. The club received a donation and a grant from Blue Mountain Community Foundation. The group is called Dayton Kiwanis Road to Leadership. Working with Dayton High School and the Close Up Washington D.C. nonprofit organization, the group offered s...
DAYTON-Dayton Mayor Craig George was given the Citizen of the Year award last week at the Dayton Chamber of Commerce's annual Awards Banquet. George, who is in his third term as mayor, was traveling, and unable to attend the banquet. George recently announced that he will be stepping down from his position early next year. In her introduction to the award, Chamber Manager Melissa Bryan said that George "has shown complete dedication to Dayton, advocating for our community locally and statewide....
DAYTON-Whimsical costumes, confectionary props and a 70s vibe will captivate the audience that turns out to see the Touchet Valley Arts Council's 18th-annual fall musical production of "Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka," which will debut at the Liberty Theater on Nov. 15. The show is based on the book, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," by Roald Dahl, and tells the story of the enigmatic Willy Wonka, who stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five candy bars made in his candy factory. The pr...
