Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 681 - 705 of 1805
Search consultant Dr. Bill Jordan stresses the importance of community feedback WAITSBURG – Following an executive session with members of the Waitsburg School Board, Dr. Bill Jordan, of Northwest Leadership Associates, addressed the public with an update on the timeline and process for Waitsburg School District's superintendent search. Jordan stressed the importance of community involvement in the later stages of the selection process. Jordan said he will meet with the board to review files a...
WAITSBURG – Thirty-seven kids from the Touchet Valley participated in the Top Chef Contest on Feb. 23-25 and Feb 27-28 held at the Walla Walla County Extension Office and St. Patrick's Church in Walla Walla. Four members of the Waitsburg Homegrown Go Wild 4-H club participated, and all walked away with awards. Timothy Daves received three first-place awards. The first was in "Table Setting" for his "Fourth of July"-themed spread. Next, he won "Food for All Occasions" by serving a marinated Londo...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg High School seniors unanimously agreed they would rather spend two Saturdays in school to make up snow days, than make up the missed days after graduation, District Suprintedent Carol Clarke told the school board at their March meeting. Waitsburg students have missed four days of school and had two late starts due to weather so far this year. Clarke said the district is required to make up at least three school days. Those three days will be made up on June 12-14. Clarke sa...
WAITSBURG – United States Air Force Airman Caitlyn Jones, 2016 Waitsburg High School graduate and daughter of Collette Jones, of Waitsburg, has reached another educational milestone. Jones completed her Basic Military training in November and graduated from the Class 015 Dental Assistant Apprentice Course in March The intensive eight-week basic training included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Jones a...
WAITSBURG – A record high number of musicians from the Waitsburg High School band participated in the Southeast Washington Music Educators’ Association High School Honor Band in Colfax on Monday. Eight Waitsburg musicians participated, including Jacob Elder on tuba, Kevin Murphy and Bradley Sandau on tenor saxophone, Anna Miller on baritone saxophone, Kitty Lambert on alto saxophone, Leena Baker on clarinet, and Loren Negron on percussion. The first honor band rehearsal took place March 6 at Clarkston High School, where band members met wit...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg FFA Chapter has four State FFA Degree recipients and eight members who received proficiency awards. Members will receive their degrees and awards at the State FFA convention in May. State Degree recipients are: Tom House, Brandon Boudrieau, Jared Farley, and Devin Newman. The State FFA Degree is given to the top members of a State FFA Association. Recipients must meet a minimum of nine requirements, that include 180 hours of ag instruction, participation in a supervised ag experience program, demonstration of l...
Waitsburg Elementary School students enjoyed dressing up, reading Dr. Suess books, and participating in fun, Suess-related activities as part of Dr. Suess Day last week....
WAITSBURG – The City of Waitsburg received an unpleasant surprise when bids for the Main Street Bridge project were opened on Feb. 23. The lowest bid came in nearly $100,000 over the engineer’s estimate, leaving the city to re-evaluate their options. The cost discrepancy wasn’t due to a shortage of bidders. Twelve companies submitted bids for the job, with totals ranging from a low of $1,379,825 from Harry Johnson Plumbing and Excavation, Inc., to a high of $2,591,216 from Wesslen Const...
WAITSBURG – The annual Waitsburg city government election process is underway. As The Times went to press, incumbent Marty Dunn had filed a declaration of candidacy for mayor as had prior council member and mayor candidate Debra Callahan. K.C. Kuykendall and Karen Gregutt had filed to retain their council seats. Candidates have through March 10 to file declarations. The top five council candidate vote-getters will receive council positions. Ballots will go out in the mail on March 17. Completed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on April 3 a...
WAITSBURG – WHS senior Emily Adams was honored at a Boys and Girls State Honor Night at Town Hall on Mon, March 6. The event was hosted by the Waitsburg American Legion Post #35 and the Legion Auxiliary, which sponsor Waitsburg students each year. Adams attended the 2016 Evergreen Girls State at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. last June. She said she left the experience with a much better understanding of how government runs and politics works, and made many lifelong f...
Celebration Days banners will liven up Main Street this spring WAITSBURG – Waitsburg's Main Street will pack a patriotic punch this spring when Celebration Days boulevard banners are hung from the Main Street light poles in April. The Celebration Days banner committee hopes to raise enough funds to purchase winter banners as well. The WCD banner committee worked with John Sasser, of Integrity Designs in Walla Walla, to create a design that both reflects the current Waitsburg Celebration Days a...
WAITSBURG – Last March, the Waitsburg Resource Center board purchased 60 emergency blankets and 100 hand-generated flashlights to aid the community in the case of disaster. The WRC will continue their emergency preparedness efforts by hosting a disaster preparedness course on May 6. Flood warnings from The National Weather Service for Walla Walla and Columbia counties in February have kept residents on alert this winter. To date, runoff from a high snow pack combined with exceptionally heavy r...
WAITSBURG – Inclement weather, combined with other factors, resulted in fewer than anticipated applications for the soon-to-be-open Waitsburg School District Superintendent position, according to retiring Superintendent Dr. Carol Clarke. In response, the superintendent search timeline has been extended. The deadline for applications has been moved from Feb. 17 to March 10. Preliminary interviews, originally slated for March 7-8, will take place March 21-22. Final interviews will be held March 28-31 with site visits, background checks, and c...
WAITSBURG – The cost of starting a neåw business in Waitsburg just got a little bit cheaper – at least for the next year. At their Feb. 7 meeting, the Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to waive the requirement for new businesses to pay a $50 registration fee. The suspension is good for one year – through Feb. 6, 2018 – as a good faith gesture to encourage business owners to do business in the city. An extension of the waiver is not anticipated unless the suspension “is wildly successful...
Waitsburg Elementary students raised approximately $1,200 for the American Heart Association through their annual Jump/Hoops for Heart event on Feb. 22....
It was a full house in Waitsburg's Town Hall on Friday night at the coronation dinner for 2017 Waitsburg Celebration Days Queen Cheyanne Shoun. Court advisor Ann Adams said approximately $2,300 was raised between the spaghetti dinner, dessert auction, and silent auction....
PRESCOTT – In September, long time music teacher Rebecca Wilson moved from the band room to the classroom and began teaching fourth grade at Prescott Elementary School. Jeremy Irland was hired as her replacement and is very much enjoying his gig as the district's new K-12 music teacher. Irland's down-to-earth attitude and contagious enthusiasm belie his impressive resume. The Canadian-born opera singer lived in California and Seattle before moving to our area in junior high, but says he c...
WAITSBURG – The death of a man whose body was found in Preston Park on the afternoon of Tues., Feb. 2 has officially been ruled a suicide. Sheriff’s deputies found the body of William Joseph Irving, who operated Irving’s Leather in Waitsburg, with a note and a handgun. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, according to coroner Richard Greenwood. Eyewitnesses to the event immediately contacted officials and were able to redirect traffic and pedestrians until Walla Walla County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene....
FFA members voted on 2017 Harvest Ball court members who then competed in "ag olympics" events to earn the title of king and queen. The titles were won by seniors Jade Alleman and Devin Newman....
WAITSBURG – Sheriff's Office officials were on the scene to retrieve a dead body discovered in Preston Park at about 2:30 p.m. on the afternoon of Tues., Feb. 21. Walla Walla Sheriff's Office Chief Matt Brown said the death was an apparent suicide and the victim's will not be released until the family has been notified. He said there is no reason to believe there is any risk to anyone. No further information is available at this time....
Waitsburg Bluegrass band Switchgrass Delta provided entertainment and played the national anthem at the Walla Walla Veterans Home Grand Opening and ribbon cutting in Walla Walla on Sat. Feb. 18 as an act of community service. The $34 million state nursing care facility, located on the campus of the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center has 80 private rooms for residents. Following the ceremonies, visiting dignitaries, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris...
WAITSBURG –Brooke Mikesell has dreamed of opening her own salon ever since she graduated from cosmetology school in 2011. Next week, that dream will come true when she opens the doors to Blush Salon & Spa, in the former home of Tricho Cuts, on Waitsburg's Main Street. Mikesell and her husband, Greg, have put in long hours and late nights creating an elegant atmosphere that sparkles with glitter (one wall is literally covered in silver glitter!) and glam. The shop is decorated in monochromatic bl...
This Preston Park tree, with the bark stripped away, received a good bit of attention on Facebook over the last week. Many people were concerned over apparent vandalism that they thought would kill the tree. The Times inquired with City Manager Randy Hinchliffe to learn that the tree is an old Black Walnut tree that has been dead for two year and is awaiting removal. Hinchliffe said the tree is dead and as the bark starts to lift, kids are picking it off. Removal of the tree has been delayed...
WAITSBURG – Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an engineer? Area high school students got a first-hand taste when students from Waitsburg, Touchet, and College Place attended a "Try Engineering" workshop at Walla Walla Community College on Feb. 16. Eleven WHS students attended under the supervision of advanced math teacher Brad Green. The workshop, hosted by WWCC professor Michelle Schmode, was designed to expose students to careers in engineering and show them how to get there by t...
Council Confirms Utility Rate Increase Funds will be leveraged to obtain a loan to improve infrastructure WAITSBURG – At their January meeting, the Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to approve a utility rate increase to fund imminent infrastructure repairs and upgrades, but opted to review the numbers one more time before making a final decision. The council approved the proposed increase, with minor changes, at their February meeting. The council voted to raise utility rates by 5% on b...
