Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 1887
DAYTON-In a diary entry dated March 5, 1933, Marie Boldman mentions making the "Flower Garden Quilt," similar to the raffle quilt, which was on display at last Saturday's quilt show at the Boldman House Museum. Sylvia Beuhler said Marie Boldman saved quilt patterns from newspapers during the 1920s and 1930s. Ruby Short McKim published the "Flower Garden Quilt" pattern, sometime in 1929 or 1930. The Spokesman-Review published in their newspaper between 1930 and 1933 and Boldman saved it. "She...
DAYTON-Jurors are seeing some changes in the county courtroom layout, practices, and procedures, now that trials are resuming in Superior Court, and in Municipal Court, after a long recess due to the COVID-19 shut-down. Jury Coordinator Jessica Atwood said Superior Court Judge Gary J. Libey has visited the courtroom and taken measurements to make certain social distancing requirements will be met. The state's Chief Justice Debra Stevens has appointed Libey to Presiding Judge for the Columbia,...
DAYTON-What better location for the County's Public Health Department than the building on North Second Street, which has been a medical clinic, serving Dayton residents, since the 1930s? "I think it's going to be a great move for the community," said County Public Health Director Martha Lanman standing inside the building at the end of July. When the full-scale interior remodel is finished, there will be enough room for all the Health Department staff. Some of the team are working at the County...
DAYTON-Several members of the Dayton's National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) excelled at both local and state-level Career Development Events (CDE's) in the 2019-20 school year. There are five degrees that an FFA member may earn. The degrees, which can be awarded as early as 7th grade, recognize member growth within the organization. This year, Dayton had two members, Nolan Korslund and Mason Garcia, earn their Discovery Degree. The Discovery Degree, which is awarded to students...
Continues supporting the community DAYTON—This week, Bette Lou Crothers is wrapping up a forty three-year career as an insurance agent in Dayton. Not to worry, our Town Mother is not leaving us. “I’m still going to be downtown bugging everybody, doing All Wheels and Christmas Kickoff,” she said. There is nothing retiring about this hard-working Dayton booster. In high school and during college breaks, Crothers worked at Dorsey’s restaurant waiting tables. After she and Gene Crothers got married...
DAYTON-Guy Strot presided over his first school board meeting last week. Strot is the new superintendent for the Dayton School District, replacing Doug Johnson, who retired on June 30. Strot told the Board of Directors the Dayton schools would reopen on August 29. He said the goal is to have all the students back for all five days. He has met with and will continue to meet with, Public Health Director Martha Lanman, regarding COVID-19 requirements. "She is going to be a great partner for us. I...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners is seeking interested candidates to submit applications to fill the District 1 position vacated by Dan Aschenbrenner. Dan and his wife have moved to a new residence in Columbia County that is not located in District 1. Commissioner Ashenbrenner was elected to the District 1 position last November. According to Port Executive Director Jennie Dickinson, Washington State RCW 42.12.070 states that the remaining commissioners of the Port District have 90 days to fill the vacant position with a q...
DAYTON—Dayton residents can phone the Dayton City Hall with non-emergency animal control complaints, and leave a message for staff in the city shops, who will be handling those calls said Mayor Zac Weatherford at last week’s meeting of the Dayton City Council, He said staff have been trained in handling those types of calls, and complaints will be investigated the following business day, including calls that come in after hours, or on weekends. The number to call direct is 382-4571. Wea...
DAYTON—Garry Snyder, owner of Christy’s Realty in Dayton said local home sales remain strong, in spite of the state mandated restrictions on in-person meetings, put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 . “I’ve had a very good year,” Snyder said. “It has been very busy. We’ve had a lot of sales under contract.” Snyder said there are fewer current listings, but that was true for this time of year even before the COVID-19 restrictions. Snyder has thirteen active listings with home prices...
DAYTON—County officials are dealing with projected shortfalls, state required cuts, and are trying to maintain adequate funds to cover expenses. In her second quarter financial report to the Board of County Commissioners on Monday, County Treasurer Carla Rowe offered a dire forecast for state revenue collections over the next few years due to the COVID-19 situation. She said the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council announced an estimated decrease in revenue collection for the 2019-21 budget of around $4.5 billion. “It is rep...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met July 1 for a regular monthly work session via Zoom. The board reviewed the middle and high school principal contract, and the 2020-2021 budget. This work session was Superintendent Guy Strot’s first regular meeting for the district. The board reviewed the middle and high school principal’s contract. Board member Fred White noted that there was one area with non-inclusive language within the contract, and the board agreed to fix the language to read ‘his/...
DAYTON—Finances for the Columbia County Health System continue to be impacted due to the COVID-19 situation, which caused a significant reduction of patient services during the first months of the year, according to CCHS CEO Shane McGuire. An average of 771 patient visits were recorded at the Columbia Family Clinic, during the first three months of the year, but only 542 visits were recorded in May. However, the month of May saw an increase in patient volumes in several areas; including R...
DAYTON—Doug Johnson is a man who loves kids and he will be involved with them, in some way, even after he retires at the end of June. Johnson has been in the field of education for over 41 years, teaching history to middle school students, serving as a school principal, and as a school superintendent. For the past year, he has performed a balancing act at the Dayton School District, as school superintendent and principal of the elementary school. Johnson stepped in to fill the vacant e...
DAYTON—The Touchet Valley Trail Steering Committee has released a detailed concept plan for the trail which is in the planning stages between Dayton and Waitsburg. The committee conducted a weekend of workshops, a semester of design work, and several virtual review sessions in the process of developing the plan, which currently has no funding attached. The plan incorporates all public comments received during last year’s survey, and from numerous public and private meetings about the trail. Aft...
DAYTON—This is year two of the Dayton Country Club’s five-year strategic plan to achieve financial independence and sustainability for the Touchet Valley Golf Course, said Sean Thurston who has led the charge for securing grants for Club projects. The primary goal in year two is the installation of an underground irrigation system, which will reduce labor expenses and decrease electrical expenses for the County while increasing the quality of the golf course and fairgrounds. Saving water for...
DAYTON—The Board of County Commissioners on Monday announced the discontinuation of non-contracted services to the City of Dayton in the areas of Emergency Management and Dispatch and Law Enforcement for non-criminal and non-emergency calls. Non-contracted services include calls such as dog bites, abandoned vehicles, and city code violations. The reason the County gives for the discontinuance is due to unresolved contract negotiations with the City. The County claims fees to the city have not b...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Public Health Department has reported nine positive cases of COVID-19, stemming from the same household. None of the nine people are over 60 years of age, but one of them has been hospitalized. Of the nine cases, two live in Benton County, where they are being managed by the Benton Franklin Public Health Department, according to Martha Lanman, the County Public Health Director. There was an increase of testing by Columbia County Public Health staff after a man v...
DAYTON—The Board of Columbia County Commissioners has agreed to ask voters for help with funding the Flood Control Zone District (FCZD), again, this year. Proposition 1, asking voters to approve a permanent general excess levy of $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed value to help fund the Flood Control Zone District, will go before voters again in the November General Election. If passed, the levy will generate an estimated $100,000 each year to be used by the FCZD for grant matches and a program that will include a sandbag program for public use. Floo...
DAYTON—Kim and Tracy Clark are shown with their 1960 Ford truck at the Dayton Sports Complex on South Cottonwood Street just before last Friday’s All Wheels Cruise. Dayton Chamber Manager Molly Weatherill-Tate said the idea for the cruise came from Jeff Jenkins and had the full support of the All Wheels Committee.The All Wheels Cruise was meant to be a local celebration marking the 26th annual All Wheels Weekend. That event had to be cancelled this year because of safety concerns due to the COV...
DAYTON—It could be the middle of August before a solid plan for reopening Dayton schools can be presented to the community. At last week’s school board meeting Superintendent, Doug Johnson said he and incoming school superintendent Guy Strot have been participating in many online meetings, including a meeting with neighboring school district superintendents about that topic. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has released instructions for reopening schools throughout the sta...
DAYTON—Both city parks and the Dayton City Hall are now open to the public since the county has moved to Phase 3 of the governor’s plan to reopen Washington State. Mayor Zac Weatherford said social distancing regulations are still in place. “We are still practicing social distancing and protecting ourselves as best we can,” he told the Dayton City Council at their regular meeting last week. Weatherford ‘s report included an update from the public works department. He said the City crew has...
DAYTON-People shopping at the Blue Mountain Station Co-op market have been able to find some of the items they couldn't find at retail grocery stores, because of hoarding by panic-stricken shoppers reacting to the coronavirus pandemic. Market Manager Valerie Mudry said there were no impacts or disruption to their supply chain, largely because all products at the market are locally sourced. People are now consistently buying their meat, produce, dairy, and eggs from the Co-op, she said. Business...
DAYTON—Tom Dingus, owner of Dingus/Zarecor & Associates, Certified Public Accountants, presented the 2019 Basic Financial Statements, and Independent Auditor’s Reports to the Hospital District Board of Commissioners at a special meeting last week. 2019 Financial audit Dingus said the 2019 financial audit went smoothly. “Half the hospitals in your group are doing better and half are doing worse,” he pointed out. He said the Hospital District has the resources to pay its obligations, as they be...
DAYTON—At the Port of Columbia Commissioners meeting last week, the Touchet Valley Trail Steering Committee presented a draft trail concept plan, along with a recommendation to allow its use by Anderson/Perry & Associates, as they continue to study the feasibility of the trail and work on the preliminary design. Eighteen stakeholders on the steering committee signed the letter of recommendation and 12 people on the committee spoke about how organizations they represent support the project, a...
DAYTON—Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman and Governor Jay Inslee have approved Columbia County to move forward to Phase 3. Individual Phase 3 business sectors can reopen only after the state publishes its guidelines for the specific sector. Individual business is only allowed to reopen after it can implement those guidelines. Dr. Wiesman retains the right to revoke the approval and Governor Inslee retains the right to reimpose restrictions under his authority. Phase 3 went i...
