Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WASHINGTON — Every day, internet thieves make millions of attempts to take advantage of consumers online. Banks and other financial institutions warn their customers to be constantly aware of scams. They offer information on their websites and online help for customers who get unsolicited or confusing calls or emails from their banks. Three of the most common scams used by cybercriminals during the holidays are: Package Delivery Scams – An estimated three billion packages were shipped last holiday season. Package delivery is an opportunity for...
Election results as of the last ballot counts for competitive races in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. Results will change as all ballots are counted, and counties post results. Full results for Columbia County are available at https://tinyurl.com/3ap7t9e2 Full results for Walla Walla County are available at https://tinyurl.com/28ap2kuu. Columbia County competitive races This is not the final ballot count for Columbia County. As of Nov. 8, 8:24 p.m. there were 1,942 ballots counted and 217 ballots still to be counted. The next ballot count...
WASHINGTON—The small town of Lind, located approximately 75 miles from Spokane, was temporarily evacuated on August 4 as a fast-moving wildfire swept through the town of roughly 500 residents. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to evacuate the town because of the ‘ongoing threat from the flames.’ The fire destroyed six homes and eight other structures before being contained. Nearly 2,500 acres were destroyed by the fire, according to Adams County Sheriff Dale J. Wagner in a Fa...
Disaster can strike at any moment. Pastor Cameron Hedges shared this reference guide from www.ready.gov to help you be prepared in the event of an emergency. After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for days or even a week. Being prepared means having food, water, and other supplies to last for five days to two weeks. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Download a printable...
WASHINGTON — As the coronavirus pandemic eases its hold in some areas of the country, most schools will be calling students back to the classroom soon after months of virtual learning. The American Red Cross wants to make sure your student is safe as they head back to school for the upcoming year. “Parents and kids are both eager to get back to normal and return to the classroom as a new school year starts,” said Alex Dieffenbach, Red Cross Northwest Region CEO. “But let’s not forget to make safety a top priority.” The American Red Cross offer...
On Monday, August 23, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and older. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full approval in the United States. The FDA ruling should help overcome vaccine-hesitancy in some unvaccinated people who have stated this as their primary concern. According to the FDA, the approved vaccine will now be marketed as Comirnaty to prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and old...
Help wanted signs are showing up in storefront windows across the nation, with 9.3 million job openings being reported in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists have been studying this most recent employee shortage and the effects the gaping holes in the workforce have had for businesses, workers and consumers. Locally, businesses have had to adjust to the shortages. Waitsburg Grocery has had to close an hour earlier for nearly a month, missing out on the...
WASHINGTON—Washington State is just shy of reaching a 70% population vaccination rate, but a new wave of COVID-19 has shown just how quickly the virus is spreading among non-vaccinated individuals. On Tuesday, August 3, the state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard showed that 69.9% of Washingtonians aged 12 years or older had received their full dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. However, vaccination rates vary between counties and age groups. “I’m deeply concerned about areas of the state with lower vacc...
WASHINGTON—Soon, we will enter autumn full of gratitude to the incredibly hard-working men and women who suppressed the numerous wildland fires of summer. The Umatilla Forest has been shut down due to fire, with some areas beginning to reopen as the conditions improve. The Blue Mountain Land Trust Blues Crew plans to go back into the forest before snowfall for trail restoration projects improving access for hikers and campers. The Blues Crew has worked throughout the area for years. It is offering a fun and rewarding opportunity for all i...
Green Ridge: The Green Ridge Fire ignited during a lightning storm on July 7 and is burning roughly 30 miles east of Walla Walla. The fire continues to burn in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in steep, remote, rugged terrain, making it difficult for fire personnel to create containment lines. An indirect fire suppression strategy is being implemented, with control lines being established a considerable distance away from the fire's active edge. Pacific Northwest Team 3 took command of the Green R...
WASHINGTON-Crop insurance is a complex topic, but it may come in handy for area farmers as they ride out the fifth driest year since data recording began in 1894. Rainfall is down 2.94 inches from an average year, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), resulting in lower yields for many dryland producers. According to data from the NIDIS, which can be accessed at www.drought.gov, April 2021 has been the second driest month since the system began recording data...
According to data provided by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, agricultural workers are at a greater risk of respiratory problems due to exposure to chemicals, dust, and naturally-occurring materials like crystalline silica. A multicenter case-control study in 2000 found evidence of interstitial lung disease, like pulmonary fibrosis, to farm and livestock workers. In 2006, a study found approximately 32% of ag-workers had pneumoconiosis (any lung...
WASHINGTON —The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced today that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) would re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially, only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday, January 11, and Second Draw PPP Loans on Wednesday, January 13. The PPP will open to all participating lenders shortly after that. Updated PPP guidance outlining P...
Washington State Parks (WSP) are ratcheting up their virtual amenities for those who, due to adverse weather or COVID-19, cannot visit the parks in person. WSP recently launched new learning opportunities to connect students and families to parks via their new Virtual Learning Parks webpage. There and on the WSP YouTube channel, students and park patrons will find videos produced to be used at home, in a virtual classroom, or as part of any online learning. Essentially, a field trip with no perm...
Statewide measures Referendum Measure No. 90 Approved 59.65% Advisory vote No. 32 Repealed 59.6% Advisory vote No. 33 Repealed 57.55% Advisory vote No. 34 Repealed 60.19% Advisory vote No. 35 Repealed 52.74% Senate Joint Resolution No. 8212 Rejected 52.61% Federal Candidates Congressional District 5 Cathy McMorris Rodgers 59.38% Dave Wilson 40.44% Statewide Candidates Governor Jay Inslee 59.37% Loren Culp 40.33% Lt Governor Denny Heck 47.21% Marko Liias 33.73% Secretary of State Kim Wyman 51.75% Gael Tarleton 48.14% State Treasurer Mike...
WASHINGTON—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released a set of guidelines to help keep communities healthy with Halloween just a few weeks away. When planning your Halloween celebration, it is important to bear in mind that Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan limitations are still in effect. Walla Walla County remains in Phase 2 of the reopening plan. As a general reminder, folks must limit gatherings to less than five people who do not live in your household, and group members must...
A devastating wind event swept through Washington on September 7, Labor Day. Weather experts said that a strong cold front moved down from Canada, creating wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour in some areas. In Whitman County, the town of Malden was consumed by one of three wildfires. Whitman County Sheriff Brett Meyers estimated that nearly 80 percent of the town was lost to a fast-moving fire that started near Babb Road in Spokane County, leaving many of the 200 residents without homes. Homes...
