Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 1887
DAYTON—City Administrator Trina Cole provided the Dayton City Council with an update about the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project at last week’s council meeting. “We are moving forward with constructed wetlands,” Cole said. She said while it seems like progress is slow, the City and its partners; Anderson/Perry & Associates, the Confederate Indian Tribes of the Umatilla, Washington Water Trust, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Dept. of Ecology continue to work on the project...
DAYTON-Things looked a little different at the Columbia County Fair last weekend. There were no spectators, still-life exhibits or fair food, but that didn't stop the livestock classes or sale. Instead of cancelling, the Columbia County Fair chose to livestream market and fitting and showing classes- and even those looked far different than usual with a limited number of masked participants vying for the purple and white Champion ribbons. The sale, which is typically held on Saturday afternoon,...
DAYTON—In the aftermath of the Flood of 2020, and during the COVID-19 shutdown, Columbia County Commissioner Mike Talbott expressed the following sentiment. “All we need now is a trifecta.” Talbott was referring to the addition of wildfire to the year’s challenges. Columbia County witnessed its first fire of the season this month; the Rattlesnake Fire, thirteen miles southeast of Dayton, burned roughly 475 acres in the Umatilla National Forest. Emergency Management Director Ashley Strickl...
DAYTON—Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney Dale Slack said it took jurors just 45 minutes to return a verdict of Guilty of Assault in the First Degree in the trial for the State vs. William Fletcher. Fletcher had been charged with First Degree Assault for allegedly beating Laura Romig, in her Dayton home, in Jan. 2019. Romig is wheelchair-bound, and the assault left her with substantial injuries requiring treatment in a Spokane hospital. Slack said jurors agreed to a special verdict of D...
DAYTON—On Tuesday of last week, Columbia County Commissioner Ryan Rundell reached out to the Times to present the County’s side of the story regarding talks with the City of Dayton for law enforcement, dispatch, emergency management, and district court services, which have stalled. The City has said the County has not been negotiating in good faith and has asked the County to enter into mediation to renegotiate the Interlocal Agreement or to draw up a new contract. Rundell said the County inf...
DAYTON—Dayton School District Superintendent Guy Strot presented updates on the opening of schools to the board of directors at their workshop last week. “The beginning of the school year has been relatively normal. Teachers are teaching, students are learning, and there have been no real discipline issues since the start of school on Aug. 25.,” he said. Eighteen students at the elementary level, 17 at the middle school level, and 18 in the high school are currently in distance learning mode. El...
DAYTON—Who is caring for the kiddos when mom and dad go back to work, now that there are only two licensed daycare providers in Dayton, Susan’s Home Daycare and Demaris Daycare? Demaris Daycare is currently operating with only two students, a situation Sylvia Demaris hopes will change in the next month depending on her husband’s health. Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson talk about the lack of daycare options at a community round table conversation, on Aug. 13. She said enrol...
Recently the Liberty Theater in Dayton received a message from a woman in Walla Walla: "My friend told me she was getting rid of some old puppets that belonged to her parents. She said she was going to give them to Goodwill. I thought, no, they need to go to a theater!" These are Indonesian rod puppets, in the native language Wayang Golek which were procured by the previous owner's parents sometime during the 20th century during a visit to that country. The age of the puppets is not known;...
DAYTON-Whiskey and brandy distiller "Rusty" Figgins has sold XO Alambic to a large distillery, in the Salem, Ore. area, and he is moving with his family to the Isle of Man, U.K., where he will be the master distiller and manager at Fynoderee Distillery. Not only will Figgins continue the Fynoderee Distillery tradition of gin production, but he will be leading the way into Manx single malt whiskey production, from locally grown barley. Figgins said the COVID-19 shutdown played a part in this...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia held a public information meeting last week to share the results of a broadband feasibility study with the public and to answer questions. Fifty-seven people attended the meeting, along with the Port Commissioners, Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinsons, and Lydia Caudill, who has been tasked by the Port to work on the broadband project. Dickinson said, “I think it went very well.” Internet service providers were well represented, along with a good...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council is seeking mediation with the County over the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Law Enforcement, Dispatch, and Court services after talks have stalled. The decision was made at a Special City Council meeting on Monday after the City Council heard from Dain Nysoe on the Public Safety Committee, Mayor Zac Weatherford, and City Attorney Quinn Plant. “We are at an impasse right now,” Mayor Weatherford said about the negotiations. Weatherford said the City has an oblig...
DAYTON-The Texaco truck stop at 533 W. Main St. is now open for business as the Shop 'n Go 2. The new owners are Gurmit Ghuman, Victor Virk, and Paul Soh, and they held a grand opening for their fifth business on Friday of last week. The family owns four other fuel marts, in Walla Walla, Pasco, Prosser, and Granger. Ghuman said the business located at the corner of Hwy. 12 and Cameron St. is a convenient location for truckers, people passing through Dayton, and for local customers. Look for...
DAYTON—Last week, the Hospital District board of commissioners was invited by Commissioner Bob Hutchens to share their thoughts about whether some of the remaining Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding received by the District should be used for hospital projects and services. Hutchens serves on the District’s Finance committee. CCHS CEO Shane McGuire explained that any project or service must meet COVID-19 criteria. Many hospital districts have received CARES Ac...
DAYTON-The separation from family and friends and decreased socialization with each other have been difficult for Booker Rest Home residents since the facility was locked down in March to protect its vulnerable population. There is now a little light at the end of the tunnel since Governor Jay Inslee announced his Safe Start for Long Term Care Facility Reopening Recommendations and Requirements on Aug. 12. The good news is the Booker Rest Home is now in Phase 2 of the governor's four-phase...
DAYTON-What began as a way to sell some extra lasagna has become an ongoing labor of love for Weinhard Café owner Mandi Wendt, and a blessing to the recipients of her generosity. Every Friday, for the past several years, Wendt has been preparing take-and-bake meals for sale. This idea was created in 2017 when Wendt made too much lasagna for a fundraiser in memory of an employee who had recently passed away. "Not knowing how many people to expect, I made about 20 too many lasagnas. I didn't...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia will hold a Zoom meeting on Monday, August 31, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. to share information about their proposed broadband project in the City of Dayton and some adjacent outlying areas. Attendees will hear a presentation on the project, be able to ask questions, and will also be asked to fill out a short survey regarding their current service. The Port contracted with PocketiNet, a Walla Walla-based company, to conduct a broadband feasibility study that was completed in February of this year. “Port Commissioners hoped...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met Wednesday, August 19, for a regularly scheduled meeting. As the district prepares to welcome students back to in-person classes, they are adjusting their protocols and procedures to stay aligned with the Department of Health recommendations. Principal Kristina Brown began her report by thanking the school board for being patient with staff and administration as they prepare for the school’s opening. The district is anticipating a ‘Red and Gold’ schedul...
David Ocampo, General Manager at Columbia County Public Transportation (CCPT), is proud of what the agency has done over the years, but even prouder of the way it has found its niche during COVID-19. And now, to add to its unique role in the community, CCPT has added two new "XL Hybrid" vehicles to its fleet. XL stands for "extra large." "Before COVID, on a really busy day, we were putting as much as 5,000 miles a month on a transit bus," Ocampo said. "We were running twelve round trips a day. N...
DAYTON—The Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library have installed their first free Little Library in the courtyard of the Historic Dayton Depot Museum. Books for children and adults stocked in the Little Library are provided by the Friends of the Library. The books come from donation and from library books which have not sold in their book sales. People who take a book can also leave a book. The main goal is to get books into the hands of the public and let them travel among readers instead of be...
Virtual activities planned DAYTON—It has been “overwhelmingly” decided by The Club’s board of directors, not to open to coincide with the Aug. 25 start of school, but to delay opening for up to four weeks, depending on the local COVID-19 situation. “I agree with their very thoughtful decision. It wasn’t an easy one to come to,” said Jim Pearson, Director of The Club, on Monday. The board met on Aug. 11 and discussed all the complicating factors, as they considered whether to open or not. He sa...
Paige's Floral and Gifts to open the end of Sept. DAYTON-"Who can go into business with their daughter? How often does that happen?" asked Laura Auckerman, who took time out from learning the business at SnapDragon Floral and Gifts for an interview last Friday. Laura Auckerman and her daughter, Paige Auckerman, will be taking the business over from mother/daughter dynamic duo Vicky Beckmeyer and Cara Watts at the end of September. The Auckermans have to jump-in the same way Watts and Beckmeyer...
DAYTON—During the regular Dayton City Council meeting last week, special guests Judi Pilcher and Dianne McKinley requested and received authorization to move forward with a research and compatibility study to use the two most southern bays of the City Hall Fire Department garage for expansion of the Food Bank. The Columbia County Food Bank has seen an increase in service from 40 families each week to 185 families, and the current facility is not adequate to meet the increase of needed food stock...
DAYTON—Museum Event Coordinator Shellie McLeod said the Sat. Aug. 1 benefit for the Dayton Historic Depot was a resounding success. A game was played where attendees were shown an architectural element of a particular Dayton building, and then asked to identify it, using the chat function on Zoom. The first person to answer correctly won a pair of Depot wine glasses, beer glasses, or coffee mugs, of their choosing. McLeod said Emcee Shawn Brown did an outstanding job of keeping things light and...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Youth Livestock Sale Committee announced on Monday that there would be a youth livestock sale. The fair board has had to make some significant changes to comply with state restrictions. The sale will be held on Sunday, September 13, at 1 p.m. Traditionally, the sale is held on Saturday following the Fair BBQ. There will be no food vendors on the grounds, so buyers and supporters will need to plan accordingly. All attendees must wear a face mask or covering. The physical sale will be held in an outdoor ring, and the s...
DAYTON—With less than two weeks before the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, Jan and Sterling Leonard are concerned about sending their two children, Leann, and Christian, back into the classroom, considering the COVID-19 outbreak. “I constantly question if we are making the right choice to have them return to school,” Leonard said. “It’s my biggest hope that all school personnel will do whatever they can to take social distancing and mask-wearing seriously, to keep everyone safe.” Pa...
