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DAYTON–Columbia County Health System reported a net loss of $876,000 for October at the December 4 Board of Director's meeting with a year-to-date income of $754,000. The board also reviewed and approved a grant proposal for the Columbia Family Clinic expansion. The financial report for October reflected the loss, mainly attributed to the net patient revenues being down $710,000 below budget and bad debt being $515,000 higher than budgeted. Deductions and allowances were also $288,000 higher t...
DAYTON–Columbia County Commissioners heard conflicting accounts of the status of Dayton Days Inc. during the December 2 Board of County Commissioners meeting. Responding to an agenda item for Dayton Days Inc., Loyal Baker, president of the nonprofit group which has sponsored several Memorial Day Weekend rodeos in recent years and of pari-mutuel horse racing for decades prior to 2010, informed commissioners that Dayton Days Inc. is dealing with internal issues and requested the item be tabled. B...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Rural Library District Board of Trustees met on November 18 and approved a new display policy, disallowed the distribution of naloxone to the public, and heard from Library Director Ellen Brigham about a working agreement with several area libraries to share borrowing privileges. The Board approved revisions to the display policy, three to two, with Trustees Jay Ball and Sharon Mendel dissenting. The draft reads, "The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the...
DAYTON-The Port of Columbia Board approved unanimously a $3.6 million budget for 2025 during the November 13 meeting. Of the budget, about half million comes from tax revenue and another half from rental income. The remainder is through grants and loans. Key expenditures include $1.3 million for marina maintenance and improvements and another $1 million for the craft malt facility with the CERB grant. Additionally, the 2025 Capital Facilities Plan was approved unanimously which included the...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Health District Board of Commissioners (CCHS) approved unanimously the 2025 budget as well as the 1% allowable increase during public hearings held November 12. No public comment was made. During discussion, Matt Minor, CFO added information about the district being funded by property taxes as part of the collected $5.90 per $1000 assessed value. A portion of Resolution 12-2024 read "Whereas, the district's actual levy amount from the previous year was $662,613.85;...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Health System's (CCHS) Board of Directors held a general discussion on the 2025 budget to prioritize building and maintaining a sustainable cash reserve; were advised of the Columbia County Clinic expansion; approved by law changes; and other business during the meeting October 23. The year-to-date positive net income is $1.63 million over budget. CEO Shane McGuire provided updates on the Columbia Family Clinic expansion and other initiatives. The board approved an...
DAYTON-Columbia County Hospital Commissioners recently considered a possible future initiative: finding ways of meeting the needs of patients once discharged who struggle with substance-use disorder, unstable housing, lack of transportation and/or co-occurring behavioral health diagnoses in offering post-discharge assistance to prevent readmission. This would include offering housing support, treatment options for inpatient substance use disorder and a transportation plan, as well as connecting...
DAYTON–Some 2025 budget items were cut because the closure of Columbia Pulp meant the overall allotment to the Columbia County Rural Library District was reduced by 0.6% compared to last year, but trustees approved the 2025 budget Oct. 21, including the allowed 1% increase over last year, which brings the annual budget to just over $500,000. The district may consider taking some or all of any banked capacity from not taking its full portion during previous years, but Director Ellen Brigham w...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Rural Library Board met September 16 approved policies; heard the director's report; and listened to citizen concerns. The financial report was approved as were revisions to the Bulletin Board Policy and the Service of Process Policy which addresses the request for patron information from law enforcement. Trustee Kevin Rust questioned Library Director Ellen Brigham about the specific lawsuits against Kellogg County, Wyo., that she had cited last month when he p...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Hospital District Board of Commissioners was presented with an audit report for 2023 and 2022 which reflected a critical loss in 2023 of $6.2 million during the August 28 board meeting. Both CFO Matt Minor and CEO Shane McGuire commented on the audit report and offered comparisons to the improvements in current year. The accounting firm DZA of Spokane presented an audit report to the Board of Directors on the financial position of the district for 2023 and 2022...
DAYTON–The Granny Caravan prevailed upon the Dayton community on Thursday, August 29 at Flour Mill Park to ask citizens to come out and "talk like a neighbor" about the issues that tend to polarize society and to help bridge the gap through civil discussion. In turn, they promised to bring those issues to elected representatives. A few stopped by during the hour I spent with Roz Luther and Shirely Grossman of Spokane. They stopped in Dayton as part of their Unity Tour of Eastern Washington w...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Rural Library District Board of Trustees reviewed and approved a series of business items including the Collection Development Policy on August 17. Library Director Ellen Brigham presented her report along with the financial report. The Board approved a second public comment period to continue. The Collection Development Policy was approved following months of review with only minor edits. The policy includes several chapters guiding the selection and maintenance of...
DAYTON–The School Board met on August 21 for the final meeting before the start of the 2024-25 school year on Tuesday, August 27. They approved Resolution 2023-12 which will extend $390,000. At the recommendation of Business Manager Jana Eaton, the Board approved Resolution 2023-12 for a General Fund Budget Extension of $390,000 for the 2023-24 budget year. August is the final month in the budget year. Eaton cited three reasons for the extension. The first was because of grants received d...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Health District Board was advised of a Washington State Department of Commerce grant; a net loss of $464k was reported for June; Rivers Walk Assisted Living is near capacity and revenues; and RoseMary's Place Child Care is at 50 percent capacity. An expansion is planned to the Columbia Family Clinic with the help of a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce in the amount of $1,224,415. They will expand out the back side of the current building which w...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Rural Library Board were informed of the progress of the summer reading program; digitized Dayton Chronicle files; a $2,500 grant; and other library business tasks during the July 15 meeting. The Summer Reading Program is in full swing at the Dayton Memorial Library. As reported by Director Ellen Brigham they have over 30 kids participating of various ages. The library had its first virtual author talk with others scheduled each week. People can participant in p...
DAYTON–The local High School Alumni Association Parade Committee named fellow alum husband and wife Bill (a member of the Class of 1960) and Jackie (a member of the Class of 1962) Savage as Parade Marshals for the Alumni Weekend Parade held this weekend July 20. Bill and Jackie Savage expressed surprise at the honor of being chosen as the Parade Marshals for the Dayton High School (DHS) Alumni Weekend Parade. Bill and Jackie were married following high school and have been together for 62 y...
DAYTON–Those attending the Annual Fourth of July Picnic in the Park, sponsored by the Columbia County Conservatives with assistance from the Columbia County Republican Central Committee, heard from five candidates– Fifth Congressional candidate Brian Dansel, Attorney General candidate Pete Serrano, Secretary of State candidate Dale Whitaker, and County Commission candidates Marty Hall and Ryan Rundell, plus relaxed in the shade of the City Park on a warm and sunny Fourth of July. In add...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Parks and Recreation Pool District Commissioners passed the budget and the resolution for the ballot proposition for the excess levy for funding a pool at the June 27 meeting. Commissioners approved the $200,000 budget. Earlier in the month, a work session was held by the Commission to discuss the budget and to prepare it for approval at the regular meeting. The budget totals $200,000, consisting of $63,000 for personnel, $53,000 for administration, $67,000 in professi...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Health System (CCHS) heard reports on the financial report which reflected a loss for May of $71,000; with the opening of Cottage D in April, and Rivers Walk Assisted Living is closing in on meeting the anticipated revenues. In addition, COVID cases cause short-term personnel availability. The financial report reflected a loss for May of $71,000 in part due to an increase in paid salaries, benefits, and professional fees. Expensive contract labor expenses have gone dow...
DAYTON–The Board of Trustees for the Columbia County Library District voted to exclude private businesses from the Hotspot lending, during the June 11 meeting. In addition, minor revisions were made to the Request for Reconsideration of Materials Policy. The finance report was approved. Director Ellen Brigham presented her report for the previous month which included information on the kick-off for the Summer Reading Program. The Board had discussion about the pending concrete work for the r...
DAYTON–the Columbia County Rural Library District Board of Trustees approved the small works roster and a revision to the Public Code of Conduct to disallow the open carry of weapons according to a new law; were given the Director's and Financial Reports for April from Ellen Brigham; reviewed part of Chapter 6 of the Collection Development Policy which covers receiving gifts, as well as the Purchasing Policy; and discussed making Narcan available at the library; concrete work bids for the front...
By Melissa Gemmell Dayton Chronicle Reporter DAYTON-The first of three public meetings to glean community feedback for the study on Rural Clean Energy sponsored by the Department of Commerce, was held in Dayton on May 14. This study is in response to an amendment to policy for HB1216 requiring public input on the impact of clean energy to rural communities. The meeting was hosted by the consultant firm Ross Strategic who is conducting the study for the Department of Commerce. Susan Hayman from...
DAYTON–Columbia County residents gathered at the steps of the courthouse on Thursday, May 2 for the National Day of Prayer led by Undersheriff and Pastor Robbie Patterson, Pastors Tony Sykes of Faith Chapel, Dewayne Ramsey of The Community Bible Church, and Jeff Hall of Abundant Life Ministries with one location in Waitsburg. The pastors led those gathered in prayer. Pastor Sykes opened with verses from 2 Samuel 22:29-31. "For you are my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord illumines my darkness. For b...
DAYTON–Spokane artist Daniel Lopez paints a mural of four characters from the movie Stand by Me, on the opposing wall of the Weinhard Hotel parking area. New owner of the property previously known as the Weinhard Hotel, Padraic Slattery, commissioned Spokane artist Daniel Lopez to paint a mural on the opposing wall of the parking lot. For the last few weeks, the wall was painted over to become a blank dark canvas awaiting what would be the four main characters from the 1986 movie Stand by Me p...
DAYTON–A group of about 60 from LIFE Church in Walla Walla, under the leadership of Tim Toom, spent about an hour and half on Friday April 19 cleaning up around Dayton. Toon connected with City of Dayton Public Works Director Ryan Paulson to do five projects, covering the graffiti on two bridges in town, cleaning up at the golf course, painting the gazebo at the City Park, and weed eating around headstones at the Dayton City Cemetery. The group chose Dayton for the service because over that w...
