Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 627 - 651 of 1893
DAYTON-When the 2018 election is over, there will be several new faces in key positions in Columbia County government, and Chuck Amerein hopes to be one of them. Amerein is running to represent District 3 on the Board of County Commissioners, to replace Merle Jackson, who is retiring at the end of the year. Amerein said he has been attending the BOCC meetings for the past several months in order to develop an understanding of the issues, and he has been shadowing Commissioner Jackson, to...
Thanks to the entertainment industry, which in the last 100 years has shaped societal perspective on reality, many people think of someone in a paint-spattered smock and beret, grasping a palette, and acting in a less than rational manner. “Oh don’t mind him, he’s an artist, you know,” somebody sniffs. But artists, like art itself, are unique and individual, and textile artist Catherine Little, of White Bird, ID, who creates home décor gift and wall hangings depicting wildlife and country scenes, looks and acts like a likable, normal person w...
DAYTON--Safety is at the top of the list for students and staff in the Dayton School District. And now staff and administrators are better prepared to keep a situation like the ones at Columbine, Colo. and Parkland, Fla. from happening. Jon Ladines, owner of Force Dynamics, led GAP training workshop in how to use T-ball bats for classroom defense last week in the Dayton High School auditorium. Why T-ball bats? T-ball bats are considered by the FBI to be lethal weapons, said Ladines. "With the...
DAYTON – Dayton Country Club Board President Roger Trump has been on a mission this year in search of funds for the much-needed irrigation system at Touchet Valley Golf Course. Trump reported last week that he is looking into a grant with the state Recreation Conservation Office, which could yield up to $500,000 for that project. The RCO’s $3 million Land and Water Conservation Fund provides money for projects that preserve and develop outdoor recreation resources, but it carries certain stipulations, including a 20% soft match. Matching con...
DAYTON – For 11 years, Joe Helm has been Chief Deputy for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, and he is now running for sheriff in the 2018 election. If elected, Helm said he would like to restore the fundamental functions of law enforcement which are to enforce, educate, prevent crime. And he wants to make sure deputies are more than mere community guardians, but are also active community members. As Sheriff, Helm said he will strengthen community-oriented policing programs and collaborate w...
DAYTON – Jeff Jenkins says he has many ideas about how to address an understaffed and underfunded Columbia County Sheriff's Department, an inadequate jail facility, illicit drug use in the community, community trust and participation, working with other agencies to solve crimes, and restructuring the department to better serve the community. "I ride around in a patrol car all day, and what else is there to do but think?" he said. Jenkins will be on the 2018 election ballot this fall to r...
DAYTON – Dayton School Superintendent Doug Johnson’s report to the school board at last week’s meeting included an update on capital projects. Johnson said three entry doors have been replaced, one into the kitchen and two on the back side of the high school. He is working on cost estimates for surveillance cameras, which will be placed in the main entryways during the summer. Seventy-five phones have been installed throughout the school system, and the roofing and boiler replacement projects are in the preparatory state. Johnson said he is wo...
DAYTON-Citing public health, safety and liability issues, the Dayton City Council voted last week to close the city pool for the 2018 summer season. The vote was unanimous. "The staff was heart-broken," said City Manager Trina Cole about the council's decision. The pool, which was built in 1982, is developing cracks on top and below the deck and in the crawl space, and is heaving in places. Cole said the entire pool needs to be sandblasted and repainted, and that work cannot be done before a...
DAYTON – Columbia County’s recycling program will be up and ready to begin receiving mixed paper/newspaper, aluminum, and cardboard as soon as Basin Disposal, Inc. places bins at the county’s new recycling station. The station is located in a fenced in area slightly north and east of the entrance to the transfer facility on S. Cottonwood St. BDI will place three bins there to receive corrugated cardboard, mixed paper/newspaper, and aluminum, and the site will be monitored by camera. That’s the good news. The bad news is the market for recycla...
Stop. Look. Think. While these three actions aren't necessarily the best way to cross a busy road, they constitute excellent advice for life itself, especially when it comes to viewing art. Many people, however, are nervous about looking at art, because their major "teaching" in how to do so comes from clips in movies, in which actors playing characters we're supposed to accept as believable stand around and concentrate on perplexing images of irrationality. Given that most normal people...
DAYTON—Colby Litzenberger, of Tucannon Development, LLC, has stepped up to the plate with regard to building number two at the Blue Mountain Station, reported Port Manager Jennie Dickinson, during the Port of Columbia Commissioners’ meeting last week. Work on the building by Litzenberg’s family-owned construction company had stalled over a dispute with the Port about whose responsibility it was to provide electricity to the building. At a meeting with Port officials in February, Litzenberger’s father, Allen Litzenberger said he believe...
DAYTON—During last week’s meeting of the Port of Columbia Commissioners, Port Manager Jennie Dickinson reported that she has met with Adam Schmidtgall, Principal Engineer for Anderson Perry & Associates, to discuss an engineering design application for a $3.5 million bicycle trail between Dayton and Waitsburg. Dickinson said an application for funding of the design will be submitted to the Washington State Dept. of Transportation, Local Programs, in early May. “We’re excited to get started on seeking funding for the Dayton to Waitsburg bike tr...
DAYTON – Juan Castaneda, of Pasco, has pleaded guilty to multiple counts relating to a home invasion and shooting in Dayton last September, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. According to Columbia County Deputy Prosecutor Dale Slack, on April 4, Castaneda entered guilty pleas to counts of first-degree burglary and first-degree assault, both with firearm enhancements, and also to unlawful imprisonment. The charges stemmed from an incident at Cameron Court trailer park in Dayton on Sept. 20. Law enforcement reports said that Castaneda a...
DAYTON – The brilliance of the four large historic stained glass windows at the Dayton First Christian Church has been restored and preserved thanks to a grant from the Warren Community Action Fund. The church applied for and received the grant last year. Associated Crafts, of Winona, Minn., a company specializing in stained glass restoration, agreed to discount the cost of the restoration project to the amount of the grant. The work was completed in March. The stained-glass windows were p...
DAYTON— The Columbia County Commissioners have set a hearing to receive public comment about proposed changes to speed limits on some county roads. Public Works Director Andrew Woods said the proposal is for the speed limit on all primitive roads in the county, and some roads having steep grades, be set at 35 m.p.h. A reduced speed limit, from 40 m.p.h. to 35 on North Touchet Road, from the Dayton city limits to the South Touchet Road turnoff, is also proposed. Woods said that about 18 months ago, the commissioners were approached by a group of...
DAYTON – The Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library are hosting the second annual Cowboy Poetry Night on Thursday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Delany Room. This free event kicks off with samples of many types of western finger foods, along with beverages. Western music and lyrics will be performed by local musicians, and poetry readings of original work is planned. Organizers urge people to come early to get a good seat. Last year more than 60 people were in attendance. For more information about Cowboy Poetry Night, contact Lois Hemphill at...
DAYTON—In late March, the Columbia County Commissioners met with WSU Extension Agent Paul Carter, who presented 2017 annual report. “It’s a bleak picture,” Carter said about cuts to WSU’s budgets, and possible regionalization of extension agents. Columbia County could lose its local extension agent if regionalization of services is put in place by WSU, said Carter. In that case one agent could be serving several counties remotely, Carter said. He said that despite the uncertain future, “It has been a pretty good year. We focus on the needs o...
DAYTON – Commissioner Merle Jackson formally announced last week he will not seek reelection to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners when his term is up at the end of 2018. He has served one term. He said he is finally going to take life a little easier, to enjoy travels with his wife Joelle, and visits with his sons Dave and Mike and their families. When he is not traveling, Jackson said he will be at home going through the barn, the basement, and the garage which are filled with the b...
Before the TV reality show that had little to do with its title, the simple life was one wise people have lived for thousands of years. It involves a lot of thinking, a sense of gratitude, and an appreciation for day-to-day elements which we tend to take for granted – especially in a corporate-based society emphasizing the over possession of advertised products to achieve happiness. But happiness, as Dixie artist Ellen Heath knows, has nothing to do with owning a particular model of car, d...
DAYTON—Capital projects, the athletic combine and the makeup of the hiring committee for prospective coaches were topics at last week’s Dayton School Board meeting. Superintendent Doug Johnson said the district has enough funds allotted to address the remaining capital projects on its list. Yet to be accomplished this year are upgrading the phone system, repairing and replacing the heating system, and replacing the high school roof. Johnson said 75 phones are to be installed by Tri-Tech Communications on March 26, and cable drops for int...
DAYTON – Comedians Tyler Boeh, from Portland, and Greg Kettner, from Walla Walla, will headline a fundraising event for the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton on April 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion. The evening will feature stand-up comedy, as well as a live auction. The auction will feature a bronze sculpture donated by artist Keith McMasters, creator of the Dayton Historic Depot’s Stationmaster. Also up for bid will be a Coeur d’Alene golf package, a Lake Coeur d’Alene sailing package and a package includi...
DAYTON— Angie Sanchez, Managing Principal with Financial Consulting Solutions Group in Seattle, has been working with the City of Dayton for the past year to complete a water and sewer rate study. Speaking at last week’s city council meeting, Sanchez said, “The goal of the study is to provide counsel to help the community make informed decisions. Financial sustainability can be achieved over the long term.” The rate study used data which included the city’s population growth, along with utilities revenue, expenses, reserves, contingen...
DAYTON-Kristie Korslund was hired in February to take over for Vicki Zoller, who took a job in the county's Emergency Management Services Department in January.While Korslund is performing many of Zoller's outreach duties, she is also helping with the after school programs and providing general customer service. Korslund is also in charge of the Bookmobile, and will be taking books to the senior center every month, beginning in April. She said working at the library is a good fit for her. "I...
DAYTON—The first quarter of the year has been busy for the staff at the Columbia County Planning and Building Department. Planning Director Meagan Bailey outlined some of the projects her office is working on during a recent interview. Land Swap The planning office is working on an adjustment to Dayton’s urban growth area, involving a land swap. The plan is to incorporate additional land just outside Dayton’s east city limit into the UGA, which is expected to be developed in the next few years. A comparable amount of land just west of Dayton th...
