Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 305 - 329 of 1893
Former Washington State Representative Terry Nealy said Gary Lowe approached him several years ago about creating a pull-out along Hwy. 12 for people to stop and view the Green Giant image, on the hillside, just west of Dayton. Rep. Nealy said he pitched the idea to the people at the state Department of Transportation, shortly before he retired from the legislature in 2018. "The DOT responded very favorably, and said they'd widen the highway at a favorable location, but the community would need...
DAYTON-Roughly ninety people attended the Touchet Valley Trail open house, at the fairgrounds Pavilion, in Dayton, on Monday, Sept. 16. Joy Smith President of the Waitsburg Commercial Club spoke to the attendees about the importance of outdoor recreation and trails to the economic vitality, health, and safety, of the local communities. Smith said she ran an overnight rental for seven years, in Waitsburg, and two thirds of the overnight guests came with bicycles. Also ten percent of renters were...
Immunizations Dayton School District Superintendent Doug Johnson said the state legislature has changed the laws used to guide school districts regarding immunization policies and infectious diseases because of its concerns about the return of measles. The exemptions for the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine, which were granted for personal and philosophical reasons, are no longer. Exemptions are still possible based on religious reasons, Johnson said. School employees and children enrolled in school who have not received the MMR, and cannot...
DAYTON—During their regular session on Monday, Sept. 16, the Board of Columbia County Commissioners adopted the county’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan Update, and its three new ordinances regarding; water availability for the new building, critical areas, and zoning. Some of the Hirst decision language was incorporated into Ordinance 2019-04, regarding water availability for the new building, said Dena Martin, Planning Associate. “It generally doesn’t affect us, but it is in there,” she told the...
DAYTON-Columbia County Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman said $1500 is all it would take for 28 students enrolled in the Starbuck School District to have lunch prepared by the Dayton General Hospital dietary staff and have them delivered four days a week for the entire 2019-2020 school year. That number is based on a cost of $3 per child, and all lunches meet the state requirements for nutrition, said Lanman. Last year lunch was delivered to Starbuck schools, twice a week, and this was...
DAYTON— With the budget deficit in mind the Dayton School District Board of Directors and Administration have agreed not to fill the vacant position for elementary school principal. At their monthly work session last week, Superintendent Doug Johnson discussed with them his plan to reassign some of the duties and responsibilities of that position. “Fortunately, there are many experienced and talented employees willing to accept new responsibilities,” Johnson said. At that meeting the board approved a plan for compensating those who are accep...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia is sponsoring a class in Home Buying 101 on Thurs., Sept. 12 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Port of Columbia office at 1 Port Way in Dayton. Shawn Brown with Evergreen Home Loans and Julie Bickelhaupt with Blue Mountain Realtors will present information on what it takes to become a homebuyer and what to expect during the mortgage application process. To register for this free class contact Kathryn Witherington at Kathryn@portofcolumbia.org or by phone at: (509) 382-1871. In addition, the Washington State Housing F...
DAYTON-Setting up for the fair last week was no easy task. Just ask Rose Engelbrite, the Superintendent in charge of the Pavilion. Englebrite referred to last Wednesday as "panic day." She said the booths had to be set up by 10 pm that night for the next day's judging of them. When she came on board eighteen years ago, Englebrite said bales of straw were used to divide the entries. Now the booths are constructed out of wood frames. "It's really changed a lot," she said. There were over thirty...
Around the age of 10, a certain percentage of girls goes crazy nuts for horses. Artist Alison Oman of Clarkston was one of these girls, and her experience was idyllic: she learned to ride in the fields and parks around her home in London, England, just like a character in a book. Adding to her passion for horses was the discovery of drawing, which meant that when she wasn't riding horses, she was drawing them. Years later, upon moving to the U.S. and becoming a citizen, Oman added a third love...
Teacher Jeff McCann and Dayton Middle School students took advantage of fair traffic to hold a carwash outside HomeStreet Bank on Fri., Sept. 6. The students are working to raise money for a ski trip later this year....
LYONS FERRY—Columbia Pulp stands on the threshold of its facility startup with a “go live” date the week of Sept. 15, According to Columbia Bio-Polymers Product Manager K.C. Kuykendall. Kuykendall said the Lyons Ferry facility has transitioned the site safety program from the general contractor (PCI) to the Columbia Pulp program and oversight. In addition, the Pomeroy pilot plant has temporarily delayed operations as of the end of August in preparation for the Lyons Ferry facility startup. “All operational maintenance staff are reporti...
DAYTON-"Timeless Traditions" is the theme of the 130th Columbia County Fair, and from the time of the opening ceremonies at 9 a.m., on Fri. ,Sept. 6, until the fair close, at 5 p.m. on Sun., Sept. 9, young and old alike are sure to enjoy this year's line-up. Entertainment Freddie Prez's popular Crazy Contests will return this year. See Freddie Prez at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., on Friday, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., on Saturday, and at noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Also, catch Freddie Prez's $5,000 Frisbee...
September is National Library Card Sign Up Month! If you haven’t already, come to your local library and get sign up today. Additionally, banned book week takes place from September 22-28. Censorship keeps us in the dark. Keep a light on, by reading a banned book. Discovery Kids 10-11 a.m. Every Wednesday A new, revamped and improved interactive story time for those in the toddler years! Come sing, dance, play and learn with our Flash the Sloth. Family Story Time 6-7 p.m. September 5th Story time with the whole family. Take the stories home a...
DAYTON-"The start of a playground kicked off one idea, which led to another, which led to a beautiful town center for all to use," said Dayton Development Task Force (DDTF) Chair Bette Lou Crothers. Caboose Park has been several years in the making and started with a desire by former task force member Cara Watts, to build a small playground in the empty lot near the caboose at the Dayton Historic Depot. From there, the project continued to bloom and grow. A public restroom was added in 2016. In...
COLUMBIA COUNTY—Comprehensive plan updates for Columbia County, the City of Dayton, and the Town of Starbuck are wrapping up with final public hearings planned for September and October, according to Columbia County Planning Director Meagan Bailey. “All three plans were submitted for 60-day review at the end of May and that review period closed the end of July. All three plans received, essentially, accolades from the state with no required updates, indicating that all Growth Management Act req...
DAYTON-"It's been a long time coming," said Ed Terry last Friday, when a jury returned verdicts of "guilty" to all three charges in the Benjamin Orozco case. Orozco has been charged with second degree murder of Ed Terry's son, Lance, first degree assault of David Eaton, and unlawful possession of a firearm in a shooting that took place in Columbia County, on July 7, 1996. Terry's father said every human has his doubts, but he had faith that Orozco would be brought to justice. Lance Terry's...
DAYTON—Barring a majority of ‘nay’ votes, Columbia County Planning Director Meagan Bailey will become the new City of Dayton Planning Director next month. Mayor Zac Weatherford called an Aug. 27 special meeting with two actions items; the affirmation of Weatherford’s appointment of Bailey to serve as the Director of Planning and Community Development and approval of a Resolution authorizing Weatherford to sign an employment contract with Bailey. In June, the Dayton City Council voted to terminate interlocal agreements with the County for Pla...
DAYTON—Dayton artist Steve Henderson’s art has gone big – literally! As a winner in a Fine Art America contest, his image, Ocean Breeze, will grace a Los Angeles billboard this fall. Ocean Breeze received the required popular votes to advance to the final selection stage of the 2019 Pixels Billboard Contest where it competed for one of five 24’ by 12’ billboard spots. “I don’t remember the initial number of images entered into the contest, but I think it was around 20,000. In order to adva...
DAYTON-Craig George, who served as Dayton's mayor from 2008, until his resignation on April 30 of this year. He passed away at his new home in Tucson, Arizona on Aug. 15. George and his wife, Kathy, were well-loved Dayton citizens and civic volunteers. George first served on Council in 2004, until he was elected mayor in 2008. In April, County and City staff friends and colleagues gathered to show appreciation for George's 15 years of service to the City. City employees presented him with a...
DAYTON-Columbia County Fair entry books are available at Waitsburg City Hall, Waitsburg Grocery and at businesses throughout Dayton. Pavilion Supervisor Rose Engelbrite reminds citizens that the fair accepts entries from residents living within the Columbia County Health System hospital district, which includes Waitsburg and surrounding areas, not just Dayton and Columbia County. "I don't think people always realize that," Engelbrite said. Open class entries will be accepted on Sept. 3 from 8...
DAYTON-At last week's Dayton City Council meeting Mayor Zac Weatherford said he has received three applications for the position of Community Development Planning Director, and he has formed a committee to interview the applicants. He said a special council meeting will be called, within the next week, to ask the council to confirm his appointment to the position. Mayor Weatherford has met with the City Planning and Economic Development committee and received support for his letter of intent to...
DAYTON—At last week’s Dayton City Council meeting Planning Director Meagan Bailey talked about the perception most people have regarding what defines affordable housing, saying most people think it relates to low-income housing. Housing is considered affordable if the household is paying no more than 30% of their income, for housing costs, for rent or mortgage plus utilities, she said. She said subsidized housing is made affordable to occupants through direct government financial support, tar...
PRESCOTT—Dorietha Kay Rothe, 69, died in a single-vehicle accident south of Prescott on Hart Road Friday afternoon. At 1:25 p.m. on Aug. 16, the vehicle was reported to be upside down and on fire with an occupant trapped inside. According to a Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office (WWCSO) release, heroic efforts were made by the reporting party to rescue the driver from the vehicle, but the vehicle was too badly damaged and inaccessible to free the occupant. Reports say the vehicle was traveling northbound on Hart Road when it entered the gra...
DAYTON-At their regular meeting last week, Port Commissioners Earle Warren and Fred Crowe appointed Dan Aschenbrenner to fill the remainder of Gene Warren's term on the commission, which was to end on Dec. 31, 2019. Port Executive Director Jennie Dickinson said Warren and his wife, Mary, have moved to the Warren Farm, outside of town. In May, Aschenbrenner filed for the District 1 position, and is running unopposed for the six-year term, which begins on Jan. 1. "Since he is the one that will be...
