Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 905 - 929 of 1893
After more than five years in the planning stages, the regional way-finding signage project has been implemented in downtown Dayton. The signs are part of a regional project, bringing a consistent look for signs throughout the Walla Walla and Touchet Valleys....
DAYTON – The City of Dayton has filed suit in Columbia County Superior Court, asking the court to declare the property at 119 E. Commercial Street in Dayton a public nuisance. The property, which is owned by George "Bill" Waltermire, is the site of a house that partially burned on July 15, 2015. The standing portion of the burned structure has since been removed, but the lot is still covered with debris. Besides the declaration of public nuisance, the city is also asking the court for a w...
DAYTON—Have you been perusing garden seed catalogues and wishing you had adequate space to grow fresh vegetables and fruits for yourself and your family? The Dayton Community Garden, located on 1/3 acre, off the main entrance on Cemetery Road, may be the answer. And what could be simpler? Watermaster Bob McCauley tills the garden, does the watering, and keeps a watchful eye. The only thing required of each gardener is to keep the weeds down, the trash out, and contribute to a “secure, hap...
DAYTON - Joan Akers, Community Outreach Coordinator for the area Alzheimer’s Association, will talk about healthy habits for seniors when she speaks at the Dayton Senior Center at 11:30 a.m. on April 13. Akers will also present information about two classes beginning on May 10 also at the Dayton Senior Center. Staying Connected is for people in early stage memory loss, and for their spouses, children, friends and other caregivers. The class will take place from 10 - 11:30 a.m. on May 10, May 17, May 24, and May 31. Powerful Tools for C...
DAYTON—At last week’s department head meeting, the Columbia County Commissioners asked for feedback on how to fund essential services in 2018 in light of continued reductions in state funding and continuing budget issues. “Our budgets are not flush for the next couple of years,” said Commissioner Norm Passmore. The commissioners and department heads discussed the merits of asking voters for general budget help, or for specific help in particular areas, such as Law and Justice, which has seen drastic revenue shortfalls. According to Distric...
Two-year-old Bridger Abel gave snowboarding a try and Ski Bluewood's annual Bluewood Bash last weekend. Bluewood will be open April 1-2 and April 8-9, which will be the last weekends of the season....
DAYTON – Last year, Vicki Zoller, library assistant at Dayton Memorial Library, wrote a grant request to Umpqua Bank asking for help funding the library's monthly Family Story Time and Dinner. They responded with a $3,800.00 contribution. The money goes toward food for the dinner, provided by Melissa Weatherford of Grassroot Catering at Blue Mountain Station, and for new books each month for participating families, Zoller said. "Studies have shown that book ownership helps increase literacy, a...
DAYTON—When the Columbia County Hospital District Commissioners met last week, CEO Shane McGuire discussed the progress of the hospital renovation and enhancement project. Phase III of the renovation project will begin the week of March 27, when demolition begins for the new laboratory department. There are a few projects yet to be finished in Phase II, and McGuire said those would be accomplished by the third week in April. Installation of the new CT scanner will begin on March 27. The old C...
DAYTON – Woody's Bar & Grill (214 E. Main, Dayton) is hosting a Benefit Dinner & Auction to support the Rascal Rodeo on April 29 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. The fundraiser benefits the non-profit organization that provides "Exceptional Rodeos," free of charge, for anyone, of any age, with mental and/or physical disabilities. The benefit will begin at 5:30 with a brisket dinner and live music. An auction will be held at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 per couple and $25 per individual. Tickets may be pur...
DAYTON—Last week, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5023, the “levy cliff” measure, into law. The bill extends the safety net for local levy collections an additional year. According to local school officials, this was needed because the State Legislature has reduced the amount of money local school districts can collect from voter-approved M&O levies, in anticipation of full funding for basic education, as ordered by the State Supreme Court, in the McCleary ruling. “The bill is a plus,” said Dayton School Superintendent Doug Jo...
Arraignments: -Raymond Joe Cate, 55, Walla Walla; charged with one count of delivery, manufacture, or possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and one count of use of drug paraphernalia not used for marijuana. Cate was taken to the Col. Co. Sheriff’s Office on a failure to appear warrant. When he was unable to obtain the $600 bail he was booked into jail. While being booked, police reports allege that methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia was found in his possession. Cate entered a plea of not guilty and was released on a $5,000 u...
The Dayton Chamber of Commerce's annual Brix & Brew Festival was held Friday evening at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavillion. The event, which included dinner, and live and silent auctions, is the main fundraiser for the chamber, and was a big success again this year, according Chamber Manager Andrew Holt. Holt said that approximately 180 people attended the event, and "everyone had a great time."...
DAYTON-Since September, a group of stakeholders has been meeting to develop a plan for improving the facilities at the Columbia County fairgrounds. Last week, a draft of the plan was presented to the committee for comment by Meagan Bailey, Columbia County Planning Assistant, who has been coordinating the effort. Her department has been tasked with the job by the Columbia County Commisioners. The purpose of the project, which is broken down into three phases, is: To provide a safe, healthy,...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met last week and received updates on a wide range of topics. Kristine Warren, who is the graduation counselor for Dayton High School, talked to the board about the work she is doing to prepare students for graduation. She said student graduation requirements are being met, and that she has been busy helping with scholarship applications, test applications, career counseling, and keeping track of community services reporting. “The kids are on track for gra...
DAYTON—The General Manager of Columbia County Public Transportation, Stephanie Guettinger, is on paid leave, pending an investigation of issues relating to performance of her duties and responsibilities. “We’re looking into the internal management of the organization,” said City of Dayton Mayor Craig George, who is the president of the CCPT board. George said that an end-of-year report from Diversified HR of Wenatchee, and some “whistleblower” complaints, lead to the decision by the CCPT board...
DAYTON—Accused murderer Benjamin Orozco waived his right to a speedy trial when he appeared before Judge Scott Gallina in Columbia County Superior Court last week. Two weeks have been set aside for Orozco’s trial, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 23. Orozco has been charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of Dayton resident Lance Terry, and with first degree assault in the wounding of Dayton resident David Eaton, in July, 1996. He has entered a plea of “not guilty” to the charges....
WALLA WALLA—When she spoke at the Dayton Senior Center in, on March 7, Mary Cleveland who is the Local Program Coordinator for the Southeast Washington Aging and Disability Resource Center, talked about programs available for seniors, and for adults with disabilities, through the local area Aging and Long Term Care offices. Cleveland said the cost of nursing home care is 2.6 times more expensive than care at home. Programs through ALTC help people receive care in the home setting, which is l...
DAYTON--Megan Schmidt, a senior at Dayton High School, has received an "A Legacy of Legends" scholarship to study "natural horsemanship" with people who studied under Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance. Hunt and Dorrance are considered to be the "greatest and most influential horsemen, of all time", according to the "A Legacy of Legends" website. Megan saw a post on Facebook about the scholarship a couple of months ago and, after going back and forth in her mind, decided she would apply, according to...
Staffers from McMorris Rodgers’s office also visited Columbia County last week DAYTON—“A picture is worth a thousand words,” said Commissioner Merle Jackson, at the March 6 meeting of the Columbia County Commissioners. Fairgrounds Facilities Improvement Plan Coordinator Meagan Bailey asked the commissioners to approve using some money from Planning and Building Special Assessments funds to pay for aerial photography of the fairground. The photos would be used to create a visual artistic vision...
DAYTON—The Washington State Department of Ecology has accepted the tri-county Southeast Washington Shoreline Master Program Update, with “no proposed changes”. “This is a huge deal,” said Columbia County Planning Director Kim Lyonnaise. “It’s really big.” Lyonnaise met with officials in Garfield and Asotin Counties in February 2014, about the possibility of collaborating on updates to their respective regional master shoreline plans. Because of similarities in topography and demographics, a...
DAYTON—At their February 27 meeting, the Dayton City Council approved an agreement between the city and Columbia County for the city to provide code compliance services to the county. The City Code Compliance Officer’s weekly hours will increase by eight, and the county will pay the city $11,000 per year. Councilman Dain Nysoe said the city’s approach to code enforcement has been proactive, but the county “only responds to nuisance issues if someone complains.” Nysoe asked the County Planning...
Arraignments: Travis Rogelio Garcia, 30, Dayton; charged with unlawful imprisonmet – dv, coercion – dv, 4th degree assault – dv, possession of methamphetamine and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records indicate that sheriff’s deputies were searching for Regelio at his parent’s home after hearing testimony from the alleged victim at the prosecuting attorney’s office. The victim claimed that Rogelio, accompanied by Michelle Martinez (aka Sampson), entered the home where she was staying, cut her hair, and threatened...
DAYTON-- Paul MacKay and his partner, Amy McGuire, have been busy putting their own touches on the Moose Creek Café and Bakery since MacKay bought it from Chuck and Raylene Sursley in January, 2016. MacKay is a financial manager, and McGuire looks to the day-to-day operations at the business Since their "very quick" opening in February, 2016, the two have expanded seating at the café to an outside patio, introduced some seasonal local produce, and added an additional restroom. They are now in th...
DAYTON--Anne Higgins, Columbia County Emergency Management Homeland Security Assistant, introduced an updated 2008 Columbia County Community Wildfire Protection Plan to stakeholders and landowners at a meeting last week at Fire Station District No. 3. “Over time things change,” said Higgins about work that has been done on the CWP Plan. The biggest change has been the effort to coordinate all local, state, and federal agencies in firefighting efforts, she said. Higgins said a $9,000 grant fro...
DAYTON – Directors Jae Nichols and Tracy Barron said the audience at this year's TVAC Spring Variety Show should expect the unexpected. "A Spectacle of Miscellany" is a departure from the past tradition of choreographed numbers, and is a true variety show. "There's so much amazing talent in the community. There is much more talent than just singing and dancing that we haven't been able to showcase with the prior variety shows. Doing a true variety show has allowed more people to be part of t...
