Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 971 - 995 of 2766
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...
WALLA WALLA—Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) is offering help to people who may be eligible to get a larger tax refund this year through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). BMAC reminds you that you must file a tax return, even if you don’t owe tax, to claim the EITC benefit. January 29, 2021, marks the 15th anniversary of Awareness Day, a nationwide effort to increase awareness about EITC and free tax preparation sites. In 2020, 22 million workers received more than $57 billion in EITC refunds. In Washington state there were 350,000 cla...
DAYTON—The Dayton Historical Depot Society has begun the 2021 Membership Drive. Community support and volunteerism are vital to continue the Historical Depot Society’s mission of preserving Dayton’s history and sharing it with others. Membership dues may be sent to Dayton Historical Depot Society, 222 E Commercial Ave., Dayton, WA 99328. Memberships cost $20/ for single memberships or $35 for a couple’s membership. For more information or to pay dues online, visit www.daytonhistoricdepot.org/support....
DAYTON—A new vaccine clinic to administer vaccinations for COVID-19 has been set up at the county fairgrounds. Clinics will run three days this week, according to Stephanie Carpenter, the COO of the Columbia County Health System. Forty people are scheduled to receive their second dose on Tuesday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This will be a dry run and to work out any flow issues, she said. Forty people will receive their second dose, and 160 people in Phase 1b will receive their f...
DAYTON—If you own a Toyota and love to ski, head to Bluewood on Friday, January 29, for the Toyota Free Ski Day. Simply drive up to the ski resort in your Toyota, Lexus, or Scion car or pickup and receive one complimentary lift ticket to use that day. You can enter to win great outdoor gear such as coolers, skis, and a snowboard in addition to the free lift ticket. The grand prize? A Yakima StreamLine Roof Rack system and a SkyBox 18 Carbonite Cargo Box to haul your skis or board around in style. To enter, visit https://www....
WASHINGTON—The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its next regular meeting virtually on Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to about 4:15 p.m. At the meeting, the Commission will hear public comment, discuss and take action on the U.S. Navy’s proposal to use 28 state parks for wargames and special operations training. The Commission will also recognize and document their conclusion that the agency director performed satisfactorily in 2020 and that a meaningful evaluation process was used to reach it. The Commission will hear upd...
DAYTON- In a press release on Tuesday afternoon, Columbia County Health System (CCHS) CEO Shane McGuire said Governor Jay Inslee had expanded the B1 group to include all people aged 65 or older and 50 years or older in multigenerational households. Inslee permitted community health systems to begin widescale vaccination of this phase in addition to expanding the group. The number of people in this category for the Hospital District is approximately 1,300 people. CCHS has already started...
OLYMPIA—As part of a new plan to increase the number of Washington residents vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, Governor Inslee Monday announced changes to state infrastructure for increased vaccinations. To assist with the administration of vaccine doses currently on hand, the Department of Health (DOH) will coordinate volunteer vaccinators in Spokane, Kennewick, and Bellevue. It will connect all vaccine administrators across the state to assess where additional assistance is needed to reach the new goal of 45,000 Washingtonians v...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla Community College is recruiting area students and parents for its American Dream Academy. This program prepares families with little or no higher education experience to successfully manage their students’ transition from high school to college. WWCC offers a series of five free classes designed to provide all the information students need to make college a reality. These half-hour to 45-minute sessions will be offered online over Zoom beginning Feb. 1 through Feb. 5. The evening sessions will be offered concurrently in...
So far, 2021 has done a fine job of proving itself. From national headlines to local weather, it has been textbook crazy. On January 13, an atmospheric river flooded over the Pacific Northwest, pelting residents with extreme winds and heavy rains. The weather triggered landslides that eventually closed I-84. Data provided by the U.S Weather Service (USWS) Pendleton showed gusts peaking at 70 mph in Walla Walla. Data specific to Waitsburg was unavailable, as there is not a USWS in the area. Some...
A train derailed just outside of Waitsburg last Friday, along Bolles Road. It was a non-injury event, and crews were on site with cranes to lift the car back onto the track....
