Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 967 - 991 of 2773
Ric Gendron’s paintings show various elements of the Native American spiritual journey. Across the Universe (Detail), by Ric Gendron, located at Washington State University, Pullman. Since July 1, 2020, the Art in Public Places (AIPP) program has added thirty-four new artworks to the collection. These public art projects are located across Washington State, from Mount Vernon and Blaine in the far northwest to Quincy and Moses Lake in Central Washington, to Spokane and Pullman in the east, and s...
DAYTON—If you’re a college student who has been looking forward to hitting the slopes, head to Bluewood February 24-26 for College Days. Take a break from the college grind and enjoy some fresh air! With a valid student ID, lift tickets are only $28 (regularly $41) and must be purchased at the mountain. This deal is not available online. If you need ski gear- no worries! Rental equipment is available - be sure to check out the website for packages and pricing, www.bluewood.com/rentals. College Days is sponsored by McCurley Integrity Toyota of...
DAYTON—Jana Eaton has been working on updating the Dayton School District’s website with some new features made available by the website host. They include a pop-out-side menu. Click on the Website Menu at the top for this feature, she said. Gold tabs under the picture gallery have been alphabetized, and improvements to font color, size, and text style will make things easier to find on the site. Report A Bully-Anonymous Reporting is a new quick-link added to the site. Eaton said that any...
DAYTON—Touchet Valley Arts Council (TVAC) is pleased to announce the Liberty Theater is reopening for free showings of the movie The Mask of Zorro starting Friday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m. The Liberty Theater selected this movie to celebrate reopening after over 11 months of closure. Not only is it a fun adventure movie, but it was also the first movie shown when the theater reopened in 2001. The movie’s second and third showings will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and a matinee on Sunday at 3 p.m....
Olympia—On Friday, February 19, Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1368, which appropriates $2.2 billion in federal funding that has been allocated to states in response to the ongoing COVID-19 emergency. The legislation takes effect immediately. “Our focus this year is relief, recovery and resilience, and this legislation will help us make tremendous progress in all of those areas. Washingtonians have been exemplary in helping limit the spread of COVID-19, but it has not come without its economic and emotional costs,” Inslee said. “The process...
WALLA WALLA-Now that our counties have reached Phase 2, Fort Walla Walla Museum will be reopening its exhibit halls on Friday, February 26. The museum's new hours will be 12-5 pm Friday through Sunday. The Pioneer Village is scheduled to reopen on March 5. There is quite a bit to see at the museum with new and updated exhibits. The military gallery has received a newly acquired pattern 1884 dress coat and pattern 1881 dress helmet for 24th Infantry. Troop M of the 24th Infantry, one of the...
Columbia County Public Transportation has given their new "town" bus a facelift. Sent to Binder Sign Company of Walla Walla, the bus was "wrapped" with photos taken over time by Dayton photographer Ray Brown, who drives for CCPT. CCPT staff worked together to select the pics. This bus will be used mainly for Dayton in-town route, and is the only member of the fleet featuring Ray's work from the city. A bus to be proud of!...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that on February 12, 2021, the state had administered more than one million COVID-19 vaccinations since receiving their first dose in mid-December 2020. According to the DOH, the vaccination efforts have been made possible by the hard work of healthcare providers, local and private sector partners, the Washington National Guard, DOH staff, and a long list of volunteers unique to each community. Many hours and lots of hard work h...
WALLA WALLA—Community Council seeks suggestions from any and all community members to help determine the topic for the upcoming 2021-2022 study. Past study topics included: affordable housing, education, economic growth, outdoor recreation, and food insecurity. “Community Council facilitates these studies to better understand and address issues that affect our region’s quality of life, which encompasses Columbia and Walla Walla counties and the Milton-Freewater area. Past studies and subsequent advocacy for recommended change have shown how m...
DAYTON—Columbia Pulp LLC announced on February 15, 2021, that they will be re-starting their Lyons Ferry Pulp Plant in Columbia County after shutting down due to COVID 19 concerns in April 2020. During the prolonged shutdown, the company has worked on obtaining additional funding to perform modifications to the plant aimed at increasing production throughput. The company plans to re-commission the plant as well as implementing process improvements over the next 8-12 weeks. “We’re excited in taking this next step for Columbia Pulp. The mar...
WALLA WALLA—The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill two vacancies on the Walla Walla County Board of Equalization (BOE). The BOE is made up of three members who meet in a public hearing setting to hear petitions relative to property values subsequent to appraisals of property value completed by the county. Board members must be residents of the county, and must attend a special Department of Revenue training seminar, typically held in June, regarding Board duties. Training-related travel expenses are r...
DAYTON—Local restaurants can now open their doors to indoor dining at 25% capacity, Columbia County Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman told the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday. Over the weekend, the South-Central Region, which includes Columbia County, was given the green light to advance to Phase 2 of the governor’s plan for recovery from COVID-19. The region will remain in Phase 2 for two weeks, then will be reevaluated, she said. “We will have to be vigilant in order to stay...
OLYMPIA—Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation this week providing relief for businesses and workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. SB 5061 will increase minimum unemployment benefits for workers and provide significant tax relief for businesses over the next five years, to support recovery from the economic impacts of COVID shutdowns. The legislation, which the governor requested, is a critical piece of the state’s COVID-19 recovery plan. It passed with strong bipartisan support in both chambers. COVID-19 has caused deep economic hardship for...
DAYTON—Columbia County has recently experienced a string of burglaries targeting churches and businesses. The Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney announced that charges are being filed. No further details are currently available as the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation. The Times will report on further information as it is released. If you have information regarding the burglaries, contact the non-dispatch line (509) 382-2518....
OLYMPIA—Sen. Perry Dozier, R-Waitsburg, passed his first bill off the Senate floor Wednesday night—a measure that allows mortgage loan originators to work from home. The occasion prompted much teasing from Dozier’s colleagues, per Senate tradition, as they denounced the bill and urged the full Senate to vote no. Yet when it came time for the roll call, the bill passed 49-0. “It’s a tradition around here, and I’m glad to be part of it,” said Dozier, who took office at the start of this year’s legislative session. “It was as if the entire Senate...
WALLA WALLA—The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health (DCH) acknowledged concerns raised by many members of the community regarding equitable vaccine distribution. DCH has implemented an equity task force and partnered with community organizations that serve low-income and hard to reach populations. With these efforts well underway, county health officials want to thank residents that have stepped up to help those in need. “We are a community,” said Public Health Officer Dr. Daniel Kaminsky. “We can reach out to friends, family...
Last year on February 7 our communities suffered considerable flood damage. Local state, county, and city governments, and residents came together to help neighbors and repair damage. Though some of the damaged infrastructure has been repaired, many residents are still concerned about areas of the levees that failed during the flood, sustained further damage during the event, and have not been repaired since. Anyone who has concerns should contact their local Flood Control Zone Districts or...
WALLA WALLA—On January 29, at 1:23 p.m., the Walla Walla Regional Airport reported receiving a bomb threat demanding money or an explosive device would be detonated. Airport officials evacuated the building and surrounding areas. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Washington State Patrol (WSP) Bomb Squad, and surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. By 2:31 p.m., officials confirmed the threat was not of a credible source. The building and surrounding area were searched and deemed safe. Walla Walla S...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Rural Library District Board of Trustees has chosen Todd Vandenbark of Waverly, Iowa, to be the next Director of the Dayton Memorial Library. He will begin as Library Director on Feb. 16. Vandenbark has a Master’s in Library Science and more than ten years of experience in Library service. He is an accomplished trainer and mentor and has extensive knowledge and experience with digital programming. “Todd’s outgoing personality and maturity, along with his experience and skills, make him a great match for our library...
WALLA WALLA—Gesa Power House Theatre announced three new members’ appointments to its nonprofit Board of Directors: Darcie Furlan, Mike Howell, and Tricia Rice. Darcie Furlan is retired from a career in book publishing and has lived in Walla Walla since 2014. She previously served on the board of the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival for five years before stepping down from her role as President this past August. Mike Howell is a retired veteran who continues to be very active in the community and has served on many nonprofit boards and civ...
Commission sets stronger criteria for permit approval WASHINGTON—The Washington State Parks Commission met virtually on January 28 for their regular bi-monthly meeting. In attendance were Steve Milner from Chelan, Mike Latimer from Yakima, Mark Brown from Lacey, Sophia Danenberg from Seattle, Ken Bounds from Seattle, Diana Perez from Vancouver, Cindy Whaley from Spokane, and Director Don Hock. The commission moved to approve the U.S. Navy’s proposal to conduct special operations training events at several western Washington state parks. Dur...
DAYTON-Fourteen students in the Dayton School District received winter coats and snow boots purchased from generous donations from Homestreet Bank and the Grace Episcopal Church "We are so fortunate to live in a community where people notice a need and step in to fill it immediately," said Judi Pilcher, VP/Assistant Branch Manager at HomeStreet Bank....
WAITSBURG—Pastor Matthew Wyatt made a big announcement over the weekend. In August, Wyatt and his wife, Krystal, will be moving to South Padre Island, Texas, to plant a church. Currently, he knows nothing about the plan, including housing, building, income, funding, etc. And though an extremely difficult decision, he knows in his heart that it is the right decision. “We chose to say yes to Him despite the lack of details. We know He will reveal those when the time is right. Every question you...
WALLA WALLA-The Blue Mountain Land Trust Blues Crew exceeded its goal during its donation drive this year. Donations from a large number of supporting individuals was nearly doubled by the match from the All In Washington Fund that resulted in a total in excess of $46,000. The monies will be used to complete the purchase of equipment to support the grooming efforts at Horseshoe Prairie Nordic Ski Area and many other projects of the Blues Crew in the coming year....
COLUMBIA COUNTY—At its January 20 quarterly meeting, the Columbia County Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) workgroup unanimously voted to submit its 5-Year Report to the State Conservation Commission, asserting that work plan goals and benchmarks aimed toward the voluntary protection of critical areas have been met. “By developing and implementing our own program, producers are freed from the historic one-size-fits-all regulatory approach to critical areas protection. Instead, the County and Conservation District work directly with local sta...
