BRIEFS

PRESCOTT CEMETERY THEFT

PRESCOTT - Two benches at the Prescott Cemetery were stolen recently and areas of the cemetery have been vandalized, according to Mayor Libby McCaw.

"I'm really saddened by the theft because the generous families who donated (them) will be hurt by that," she said in a newsletter to the community. "Please help us and report to the Sheriff's Office if you see anything questionable."

McCaw said she hopes to get a group of volunteers to help with maintenance and clean up of the cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day.

TOWN HALL FUNDRAISER

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Parade Day on May 21 will be capped by a fundraising dinner and silent auction for the Town Hall.

The chicken dinner will start at 5 p.m. and silent auction items are expected to include various baskets full of wares, homemade items, lace tablecloth and other items.

The proceeds will be used to fund the installation of new front doors for the hall. Tickets: $12 for individuals; $20 for couples and $40 for a family of up to five.

POIRIER WINS SCHOLARSHIP

WAITSBURG - This spring, the McGregor Company continued a program directed toward supporting agriculture at a most important level - students.

Five local high school seniors each received a $1,000 Standing Tall for Northwest Agriculture Scholarship, to go towards their college tuition. Christy Poirier of Waitsburg; Traven Smith of Ritzville; Brett Harrison of Lexington, Ore .; Jenna Kincaid of Pullman; and Flash Hodges of Oakesdale all showed great interest in the ag industry as evident in their applications and essays.

These students had been selected as recipients of a "Standing Tall for Agriculture" scholarship offered by the McGregor Company. Poirier plans on attending Washington State University this fall, majoring in Ag Education & Communication.

Each student will receive $1,000 towards his or her studies.

"We want to encourage young people to consider careers in our most important industry in the Pacific Northwest- agriculture," company President Alex McGregor said.

HELP SHAKESPEARE IN SCHOOLS

WALLA WALLA - Fifteen saucy serving wenches, 30 fabulous and beautiful models, three top-drawer designers, four sensational salons, seven burly YMCA helpers - 110 volunteers in total - all local and all in the service of Shakespeare Education Program in Walla Walla schools!

Join us for an evening of Elizabethan-inspired food, fashion and merriment, 5:30-9 p.m. May 18, at the newly renovated Powerhouse Theatre, Sixth and Rose streets.

Each year, the Shakespeare Education Program brings the "Bard of Avon" to Waitsburg high schoolers studying language arts.

Guests to the gala will be invited to don masks - and female guests will be able to have hair and eyelash accessories by stylists from Misbehaven Salon and Spa if they choose. All guests are encouraged to attend, masked or unmasked.

Walla Walla Lifestyles will present an Elizabethan-inspired fashion show with three period looks from the social classes represented in the Shakespeare Walla Walla production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

A Renaissance-inspired sit-down dinner will follow the fashion show, including wine and other beverages. The $200 ticket price breaks down this way: $50 goes to the Shakespeare Education Program, $40 goes toward a ticket to "The Merry Wives of Windsor," and $110 covers the food, wine and entertainment.

Tickets are available at www.shakespearewallawalla.org, and at the Tourism Walla Walla information booth next to Starbucks on Main Street.

WP ACTION ON WRESTLING

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School Board Wednesday night is expected to take action on a proposal to introduce wrestling as a WP combine sport this winter. The Prescott School District, which has a number of soccer players from Vista Hermosa interested in the new program, already gave it the green light.

Waitsburg, which has its Matbirds wrestling club for younger competitors in the sport, found there is plenty of interest among its students. The balcony at the Prescott gym likely will become the athletes' practice venue, which means the team will become known as the Tigers.

HEALTH BILLING OUTSOURCED

DAYTON - Columbia County Health System announced it has signed a five-year agreement with Healthcare Resource Group of Spokane to do hospital clinic and nursing home billing.

"HRG is a large healthcare billing company that brings a level of expertise we are seeking," CCHS Director Charlie Button said. "Billing health care is now very complicated and requires a very specialized skills mix. Even though we have some very hard-working staff, it became apparent that we could not continue to attract the specialized staff to do a great job for the facility and the community."

Late last year, the Times reported that the health district was $800,000 behind in its accounts receivable with hospital staff struggling to keep up with invoicing.

Hospital officials said many small rural hospitals in the state use outsourcing companies such as HRG. Since the district is able to move employees around within the system, no jobs are expected to be cut as result of the contract, they said.

VETERANS BREAKFAST JUNE 18

WALLA WALLA - On Saturday, June 18, Applebees will be serving a veterans breakfast in support of the Blue Mountain Veterans Coalition. The breakfast is 8 - 10 a.m.