Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 261 - 285 of 1805
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg Superintendent Advisory Committee has met three times and has nailed down a purpose statement and action plan. The committee was formed in the last quarter of 2018 as an advisory committee to the superintendent. Committee Chair Matt Wyatt shared the following goals with the board: Identify all needs and goals among community, parents and students to increase the communication and effectiveness of the district/community Provide the superintendent with feedback and insigh...
WAITSBURG - At the December 20 regular school board meeting, Waitsburg School District Superintendent Jon Mishra surprised school board members by tendering his resignation. Mishra cited family needs as the determining factor in his decision to leave Waitsburg. Mishra will terminate his employment effective June 30 and said he submitted his resignation early so that the district can move forward with the search for a new superintendent. Mishra, along with his wife, Loreena, and son, Aakash,...
WAITSBURG – Friends since first grade, Waitsburg High School grads Colton Townsend and Connor Talbot have built a successful website design business in the Seattle are. Townsend, son of Mike and Carla Townsend of Waitsburg, graduated from WHS in 2007, as salutatorian, and then attended Washington State University where he earned a degree in international business. Talbott, son of Becky Huwe and Jon Talbott, graduated a year later, and also headed to WSU where he earned a degree in a...
LaVerne Filan has been enjoying the company of a friendly moose at his property, just outside of Waitsburg off Highway 12. Filan said the young bull moose has visited several times now and waits for him to feed bread to his peacocks. "He's a pretty good-sized animal. His legs are so long it's hard for him to reach down and get the bread, so he got down on his knees to eat this last time," Filan said. Filan said he's had several moose visit over the years, but this one seems to be staying. "He's...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg school counselor Rosy Nechodom wants parents to know about two opportunities for families taking place in February. Rodeo clown JJ Harrison will give a bullying prevention and intervention presentation on Feb. 6 and a Strengthening Families program will begin February 14. JJ Harrison While he likes nothing more than making people laugh, Ellensburg's favorite rodeo clown, JJ Harrison, has an important message to share. Harrison, who is a WSU alum and taught middle school f...
Waitsburg students got a lesson in law enforcement on Wed. Jan. 10 as Walla Walla County Sheriff's deputies made an arrest right next to the elementary school playground. Joshua J. Hershaw, driving an older model limousine, was pulled over on an outstanding warrant and cited for driving while license suspended, third degree, and having no interlock device on the vehicle, according to Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider....
In this multi-part series, The Times visits with businesses, organizations and agencies to learn their plans for 2019. This week, we continue our walk around Main Street. In future issues we will wrap up Main Street and talk with off-Main businesses, churches, clubs and organizations. Waitsburg City Pool It's business as usual for the city pool according to pool administrator Kelly Steinhoff. If time allows, the City may apply another coat of liner, she said. Steinhoff does want to urge anyone...
WAITSBURG – Local entrepreneur Dan Cole said he hadn’t intended to rid himself of more than one business, but when the right offer came along, he and wife Trina decided to accept. After 32 years in business, Cole sold Waitsburg Grocery, Inc. to Jamie Allen and Jesse Smit in September of 2018. On Jan. 1, he handed over the keys of Touchet Valley Communications, a Waitsburg Internet provider, to fellow entrepreneurs, Erik and Diana Young, of Prescott. “Erik approached me and said he heard I had sold the store and asked if I would be inter...
WAITSBURG – A Waitsburg woman has been formally charged with second-degree murder for the stabbing death of her boyfriend, Marcus J. Allessio, 25. Leslie Melgar Moreno, 25, of 206 Wheatland Drive in Waitsburg, is accused of fatally stabbing Allessio on Dec. 28, 2018. She was arrested and charged the following day. According to court reports, Walla Walla County Dispatch received a call from Moreno at approximately 3:35 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 28. Moreno allegedly told dispatchers that her boyfriend had a knife wound, was unconscious, and that she w...
WAITSBURG – In a 2018 budget recap, Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn listed completion of the Main Street Bridge as one of the most important projects completed in 2018. Looking forward, the Waitsburg City Council approved a 2019 budget of $1.98 million, slightly lower than last year’s $2.17 million budget, at its Dec. 27 meeting. While “substantially complete” in 2017, the Main Street Bridge project was finally checked off as officially complete in 2018. The roughly $1.8 million, three-year project...
Council members Mayor Marty Dunn, KC Kuykendall, Kevin House, and Kate Hockersmith were present. Terry Jacoy and Jim Romine were absent. Following a public hearing, council approved the 2019 final budget. (See story on this page.) Danielle Carpenter provided a Parks and Recreation Board update. Discussion on the possibility of changing the current City election process to fall in line with election laws of the state. Passed a resolution allowing the city administrator to submit a grant application to the Washington State Military Department...
WAITSBURG – With a new year ahead, and the paper under new ownership, The Times thought it would be fun to take a walk around Waitsburg to learn what local agencies, businesses and organizations are anticipating in the coming year. In this multi-part series, The Times will work its way up and down Main Street, check in with off-Main businesses, and talk with churches, clubs and organizations to learn their plans for 2019. The series kicks off this week with a Waitsburg School District update f...
WAITSBURG-Times owner and publisher Ken Graham has sold the newspaper to Waitsburg resident Lane Gwinn. The sale was effective Jan. 1. Gwinn is also owner of the 10 Ton Press art studio on Waitsburg's Main Street, as well as the building that houses the studio and 10 Ton Coffee. "I know Lane is committed to maintaining strong news coverage in Waitsburg and throughout the Touchet Valley," Graham said. "I'm confident The Times will be in good hands for years to come." Gwinn becomes the ninth...
WAITSBURG--How to move forward with the Waitsburg Fairgrounds, and particularly the grandstands facility, continued to be a major challenge for the Waitsburg City Council this year. A fairgrounds task force, which was formed in 2017, asked the told the council in February that they would like to receive more community input regarding options for the grandstands. The council agreed to add an advisory item on the April city election ballot, asking voters to select their preferred option for the...
WALLA WALLA—Bluegrass group Grandma and the Boys has released a new album with classic gospel favorites. The band is led by Grandma Jo Shay, who plays mandolin and 12-string guitar. Grandma is accompanied by Joe McCutcheon, who plays lead guitar and her son, Shawn Wray, on bass guitar. Grandma and the Boys have been making music together for eight years. They play regular gigs at assisted living facilities and attend the annual Blue Mountain fiddlers’ jam. Shay is also a familiar face at the Mythical Movable Bluegrass Jam hosted by Kate Hockers...
Dottie Williams honors the memory of John Stellwagen (Aug. 18, 1946 - Nov. 7, 2018) who created these ornaments that now adorn Williams’ front yard tree. Both durable an festive, they are made from colorful duct tape....
December 6, 2018 WAITSBURG—Present at the most recent Parks & Recreation Board meeting were board members Danielle Carpenter, Justin Stegall, and Sandra Morrison, as well as community member Tom House. The group agreed to change their regular meeting times to accommodate Carpenter’s Town Hall Board meeting schedule. Beginning in 2019 Parks & Rec will meet every first and third Thursday of each month. Parks & Rec will host a Christmas movie night Dec. 22 at City Hall with a free hot cocoa buffet....
Views from the Hometown Christmas event held December 1st and 2nd....
Santa took up shop at Ten Ton Coffee this past weekend and visited with children of all ages....
Present at last week’s meeting of the Waitsburg City Council were members Terry Jacoy, Kevin House, Jim Romine, and Kate Hockersmith, along with Mayor Marty Dunn. Basin Disposal, Inc., which contracts with the city to provide garbage pickup services, will be increasing its rates starting Jan. 19. Once the city’s administrative costs – which cover the state’s refuse tax, among other things – are factored in, the typical monthly garbage bill will rise to $21.75. Sheriff John Turner provided the co...
WAITSBURG-The 33rd annual Hometown Christmas is upon us. Of course this means a weekend of activities along Main Street, including Santa's first official appearance of the season. Sponsoring businesses, along with many volunteers, are busy hanging garland and lights. Waitsburg Elementary students will take turns hanging their ornaments Friday, reaching the highest branches with the assistance of far-reaching Pacific Power employee Doug Hinds. Saturday Festivities begin at 9 a.m. in Town Hall,...
Waitsburg Hometown Christmas Past...
WAITSBURG-Volunteer Jenny Jones at the Waitsburg Resource Center found the doorway crowded Thursday by local first graders lined up with donations. Mrs. Hinchliffe's class held a food drive, asking for Thanksgiving donations of nonperishable foods. In just over seven days, the group was able to gather 130 items, more than they could hold. Luckily the group brought along a wagon to shoulder the weight. The Resource Center now receives about 7,000 pounds of food annually as in-kind donations from...
Nov. 19, 2018 WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met for a regular business meeting Monday. Members in attendance were Ross Hamann, Christy House, Jason Kaehler, Russ Knopp, Lisa Morrow. Also in attendance were school secretary Becky Dun, Superintendent and Elementary Principal Jon Mishra and Secondary School Principal Stephanie Wooderchak. The board approved several Dayton-Waitsburg Athletic Combine coaching appointments. Josh Wilson was approved as high school assistant boys’ basketball coa...
WAITSBURG-As reported recently in The Times, Mrs. Hinchliffe's first grade students are raising salmon with the help of Andrew Bassler from the Tri-State Steelheaders. So far, the salmon eggs have half-hatched and progressed to the alevin stage. Alevin have a yolk sac attached to their bellies which is to be their nutrient source for the following 30 days. They hide among the gravel, avoiding predators, or in this case excited young onlookers. Students worked with Bassler to create booklets...
