Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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OLYMPIA—On July 3, Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties to move to a modified Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan. Effective July 3, the following activities are permitted in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties: • Construction as permitted in Phase 2 guidance. • Manufacturing as permitted in Phase 2 guidance. • Restaurants for outdoor seating only at 50% of existing outdoor capacity. • In-store retail at 15% indoor capacity with indoor activities limited to 30 minutes. ...
PENDLETON, Ore.—For only the third time in its history, The Pendleton Round-Up has been cancelled. Organizers could not ensure the safety of the community due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Happy Canyon Indian Pageant and Wild West Show have also been canceled for 2020. The events had been scheduled for Sept. 16-19. The Round-Up was previously cancelled in 1942 and 1943 due to World War II. "It is with a heavy heart that the 2020 Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon will not be taking place thi...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Small Business Administration expanded the eligibility criteria for the EIDL program earlier in June. Small businesses may check eligibility and apply for an EIDL on the U.S. Small Business Administration website, located here: https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/ . Interest rates are 3.75% for small businesses, 2.75% for nonprofits. EIDLs may be used on common operational expenses that cannot be paid due to effects of the pandemic, this includes debt payments, payroll, accounts payable and other bills. EIDLs can be u...
DAYTON—The State of Washington has announced additional grants for emergency small business support funded through the federal CARES Act. Details will be posted in the Port of Columbia newsletter, as they become available. The grants will be administered by Port officials. This new round of grants is in addition to the those awarded to local businesses last month, through the Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant Program, according to Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson and Dayton Chamber Manager Molly W...
June 19 The reporting party in 1300 block of Barleen Drive was scammed out of 1,000 dollars, Walla Walla. June 22 A hit and run occurred in the county at an address on Interchange Road over the weekend. Walla Walla County. June 24 Reporting Party stated that items that fell out of the back of his SUV were picked up and taken in the 13900 block of Dodd Road. Burbank, WA. June 25 Reporting party in the 57 block of Farmland Road reported being scammed out of money, Walla Walla. June 29 Deputies responded to the 100 block of W. Birch St regarding...
Governor Jay Inslee and Secretary of Health John Wiesman announced on Saturday, June 27 that the Washington State Department of Health is putting a pause on counties moving to Phase 4 of the Safe Start recovery plan. Eight counties were eligible to move from Phase 3 to Phase 4 before the pause. “Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity and we can’t do that now due to the continued rise in cases across the state,” Inslee said. “We all want to get back to doing all the things we love in Washington during the summer, and fully open our eco...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Food Assistance program distributed 1.3 million pounds of food and served more than 192,000 clients during the week of June 25. In addition, during the first two weeks of June, WSDA and the state continued its support of the COVID-19 response partnership distributing 168,174 Washington Emergency Food Boxes across the state. The governor’s food security coordination team is looking ahead to address staffing concerns in August as Title 32-funded National Guard deployment winds down....
DAYTON—The Columbia County Rural Library District is moving ahead with summer programing despite the pandemic. Young readers are encouraged to sign up for their new Summer Reading Program, which began on June 15. The program gets a technological spin this summer as readers are encouraged to sign up for a computer application called Beanstack. Touted as the ‘Fitbit for Reading,’ the app lets patrons time reading sessions, log books by scanning their ISBN numbers, keep a log of current and past reading, track daily reading stats, and achie...
The Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council recently announced that the annual Swim the Snake event has been sidelined due to COVID-19. Organizers said that due to the increase in COVID-19 cases; and the need to mask up in Washington State, the organization cannot get approval to use the Franklin County Lyons Ferry Park for the event. Additionally, KOA Lyons Ferry is limiting access to the marina and camping for August and September; and the Columbia County Sheriff’s River Patrol boat is not available for policing the e...
WALLA WALLA—The City of Walla Walla’s Veterans Memorial Pool opened for lap swimming on Monday, June 29. Patrons must reserve a lap swim lane to enter the facility. Lap lanes are available for 45-minute reservations. The city encourages people to limit the use of the locker rooms, by wearing their swimsuit to the pool, and ask that people leave the facility within 10 minutes of concluding their lap swim reservation. Reservations for a lap swim time are available one week in advance, and reservations go quickly, so be sure to plan ahead. Reg...
CAMP MURRAY, Wash.—As communities across the state experience spikes in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, former U.S. Defense Secretary, and Richland, WA native, Gen. (R) James Mattis is urging Washingtonians to follow physical distancing recommendations and wear face coverings to help slow the spread. “The good news is we’re making progress,” Mattis says in a public service announcement. “And that is good news but we’re not at the end of the road. Make sure we’re wearing the face masks and we keep the social distancing. And let’s not go o...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) posts a detailed map of current Fire Danger warnings on their site located at https://burnportal.dnr.wa.gov/. In eastern Washington, this new fire danger rating system was implemented in 2019. Instead of basing the fire danger rating by county, it is now based on geographic areas that share similar fuels, climate, and topography in addition to administrative boundaries and is now called Fire Danger Rating Areas (FDRAs). The Lower Basin Fire Danger Rating Area (FDRA) is c...
PRESCOTT—Prescott School District No. 402-37 is actively seeking a School Board Director for an at-large position. Only a person who resides within the boundaries of the Prescott School Director District may apply. To see if you reside within the boundaries, call the Walla Walla County Auditor at (509) 524-2530, or the Prescott School District business office at (509)849-2217. Applicants for the position must submit a statement about their interest in serving on the board, along with a brief biographical statement. The application deadline i...
OLYMPIA—In a media update on Tuesday, June 23, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that facial coverings will be mandatory statewide, in all public places and will take effect this Friday, June 26. Inslee added that a willful violation of this order is a misdemeanor. Inslee noted Washington State’s recent rise in COVID-19 cases, particularly in Eastern Washington, as prompting the directive. Inslee stressed using common sense regarding this mandate, noting that what type of mask you wear is up to you, and that you do not need to wear one when you are...
WALLA WALLA—In a move to support local healthcare workers during an uncertain, stressful and unpredictable time, Providence St. Mary Foundation has awarded $20,000 in scholarships to locally-employed Providence St. Mary caregivers. Thirteen applicants received awards to help pay for courses and degrees that are relevant to their current role or their professional development. Awardees include: Alanna Dodds, Mariah McQuown, Lorraine Tilstra, Doreen McCulloch, Brooklyn Scott, Sherri Greenwald, Lauren Mason, Amy Johnson, Guy Einig, Ashley L...
WAITSBURG—On Wednesday, June 17th the Waitsburg Lions Club Salmon BBQ committee met and determined the fate of the annual event for 2020. Originally scheduled for September 19th, the committee decided to cancel due to the uncertainties concerning large public events during the Coronavirus pandemic. The second of the Lion’s Club’s two annual fundraisers, the Salmon BBQ’s cancellation follows the cancellation of the Club’s Rib Feed, which was to be held on March 20. Ross Haman, the Club’s outgoing president said the Salmon BBQ typically r...
WAITSBURG—Pastor Stan Hughes of Waitsburg’s Presbyterian Church announced that the church will welcome congregants back for worship in their sanctuary on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m. Pastor Hughes met with the Session of Elders last week where the decision was made to begin meeting again in person. “We will be ready to greet you in a safe and sanitary church building, with plenty of hand sanitizer, and the explicit reminder to maintain safe social distancing,” said Pastor Hughes. “Some of you may still be cautious about church gatherings. We unde...
WALLA WALLA—Nonprofit organizations addressing food and hunger, housing and homelessness, health and mental health, and child and youth programs will be the focus for the Blue Mountain Community Foundation’s (BMCF) general operating discretionary grants in 2020. The online application opens July 1 at www.bluemountainfoundation.org. BMCF will consider applications as they are received on a rolling basis. The goal is to award the initial grants in early August 2020. Eligible applicants are tax-exempt 501(c)3 charitable organizations and pub...
COLUMBIA COUNTY—Columbia County is beginning the annual consideration of amendments to its Comprehensive Plan. This process is designed to provide an opportunity for citizens to register comments on the plan and associated development regulations (county code). The docket is open continuously, but the deadline for consideration for the 2021 annual review is Aug. 1. Docket forms may be picked up at the Planning and Building Department at 114. S. 2nd St., Dayton and are available online at columbiaco.com under the Planning and Building D...
Students in grades K-12 are eligible for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) cards to help with buying groceries while school is closed for the summer. Families can apply by calling (877) 501-2233 or online at www.WashingtonConnection.org. The application will be open by June 30th. (Application is not currently open). If your family receives Basic Food through DSHS and your children receive free or reduced-price school meals, you do not need to apply for P-EBT. You will automatically receive these one-time benefits on your EBT card....
WALLA WALLA—The Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days board of directors met Thursday, June 11 via conference call. The board discussed the decision to cancel the 2020 fair, and how they can help livestock exhibitors that raised market animals intended to be sold at the event. Commissioner Todd Kimball wanted to clarify that it was the Frontier Days Foundation, not the board, that suggested cancelling the 2020 fair. Director Kevin Smith suggested that the board explore options for a virtual animal sale for livestock exhibitors. All members of t...
DAYTON—HomeStreet Bank is sponsoring a shred day on Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Just sit in your car while Dayton Kiwanis volunteers take the material to be shredded out of the trunk for disposal....
STARBUCK—Columbia Pulp, LLC Vice President Mike Schock informed The Times that the straw-fiber pulp mill in Starbuck has brought back twenty employees since the company let go 93 workers in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 crisis. “We are bringing back people in maintenance, operations and at the office,” Said Schock. Eight employees with the mill were kept on at that time, and Shock reports they have 28 people currently working at the mill, with plans to bring more back each week. Columbia Pulp suspended operations on Tuesday, March...
WALLA WALLA—Construction projects at Mill Creek will cause a number of closures to Bennington Lake and the Mill Creek area over the summer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District (Corps) will be replacing the division works fish ladder and hand railings at the Division Works (yellow bridge) and repairing the supports of the yellow pedestrian bridge. Security fencing will be installed June 18, creating a detour around the paved section of the levee next to the fish ladder. Work is expected to last until the middle of Oct...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla Community Hospice (WWCH) just successfully completed its first 10-week online adult grief support group. This pilot group used the Zoom platform to connect individuals experiencing the grief of having lost a loved one. The support program is called, “Understanding Your Grief” and uses the book and journal of the same name written by Dr. Alan Wolfelt as a guideline. To ensure safety and comfort, the group was closed to new members after the second meeting. Once confident with the online platform, the team of WWCH socia...
