Your Hometown News Source
Your Hometown News Source
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 451
DAYTON–An offer of $65,000 for the vacant lot behind the 100 block of East Main–proposed as the future site of a Dollar General store–was unanimously turned down by the Dayton City Council at its April 12 meeting. Council also considered how to fund Trail modification and West End beautification; and advised the swimming pool will be filled with dirt. The Council voted unanimously in favor of the motion to not authorize the land purchase agreement at this time. The motion included Counc...
DAYTON– Plans for the City of Dayton’s Wetlands Complex, part of the City’s wastewater treatment facility, are stalled after the City Council voted 4-3 against entering into a purchase agreement with landowners. The Council took the action at the 6 p.m. meeting April 12. A special meeting was held on April 6 where discussion was held in executive session for about an hour and a half and the vote on the purchase agreement was tabled pending the approval of a conditional use permit (CUP). At th...
DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners met with heads of departments during their regular meeting on April 18 and also convened as the Board of Health where they learned of two resignations: Tracy Clark and Chelsey Eaton. The Board of Health convened and heard from the new administrator Katie Roughton who requested a pay increase for Delphine Bailey who has been with the department for 17 years. She was one of the Interim Administrators and is in charge of the WIC program, vital records and in...
DAYTON–The Port of Columbia voted 2-1 to pause funding for the Touchet Valley Trail until an advisory vote is conducted following a lengthy presentation by Commissioner Seth Bryan, and both for and against comment from the public at the hybrid meeting held at the Youth Building and virtually April 13. About 100 attended in person and over 50 by Zoom. The Port Commissioners discussed whether to pursue two grant opportunities for the Touchet Valley Trail (TVT) project–the Recreational and Con...
DAYTON–Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers hosted a town hall event in Dayton at the high school auditorium on April 13, where she mostly listened to area residents' concerns, issues with government spending, election fraud, crop insurance, protecting the dams, education policies and infrastructure funding. She also highlighted the work she has been doing to establish the USA Act which would curb unauthorized spending. McMorris-Rodgers opened the meeting to say that with ebb of COVID, "Now we a...
DAYTON–In light of public support for lowering the speed limit on the South Touchet Road, County Commissioners approved setting the speed to 35 m.p.h. for the first mile and called for a second public hearing to consider extending the reduced speed zone. At an April 4 public hearing, Commissioners received testimony from several South Touchet Road residents in favor of extending the 35 m.p.h. speed to Harting Grade Road, and 40 m.p.h. until the end of pavement. After the hearing, the BOCC amende...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Commissioners (BOCC) heard updates on the upgrades to the Emergency Management phone software and radio systems and the addition of a drone program; they appointed Sharon Mendel as a Columbia County Rural Library (CCRL) board member, and held a public hearing for salary schedule amendments at the meeting April 4. The BOCC was updated on the Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Plan progress and heard from State Rep. Joe Schmick, R-9, Colfax. At the evening public hearing, th...
DAYTON-The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners convened a special meeting on March 30, 2022, to discuss policies about code of conduct and rules of order followed by an executive session for discussion about potential litigation. Executive Director Jennie Dickinson made a review of Commission policy adopted in 2013 to have a process for handling situations in meetings to provide recourse for when a commissioner or a member of the public violates the code of conduct. “It’s subjective whe...
HUNTSVILLE–The Corner Village located here has opened shop for regular weekend hours from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Vicky Beckmeyer and Cara Watts, a mom and daughter team, are not new to running a business together. They formerly owned Snapdragon Floral and Gifts on Main Street in Dayton for 14 years until 2020. The shop features several gift sheds of various themes, including three devoted just for Christmas, filled with seasonal favorites of snowmen, angels and Santas. Ano...
DAYTON–The BOCC approved Resolution 2022-15 at an evening public hearing. Resolution 2022-15 stated, "The County Engineer has performed such an investigation for the first mile of South Touchet Road which indicates that the average intersection spacing is one eighth of a mile and the average driveway spacing is less than 300 feet. Although the horizontal and vertical geometry and clear zone in the first mile of the South Touchet Road are designed for fifty (50) miles per hour, it is the C...
DAYTON–The Port of Columbia held an informational workshop about the history of the Touchet Valley Trail (TVT) project and provided updates at a meeting on March 21. Port Executive Director Jennie Dickenson illustrated how the process for the trail project started and when the Economic Development Steering Committee voted it as one of the top Port projects. The Blue Mountain Regional Trails (BMRT) planning committee later met with residents from Dayton, Walla Walla and Milton-Freewater and d...
DAYTON–The Assisted Living construction is well under way, and the Hospital Board discussed the future of Booker Rest Home at its recent meeting. The changing of assignments to assisted living and medical needs will determine where and how patients are placed in coming years. Most current Booker Rest Home residents don't qualify for skilled nursing care and only about six to seven will remain in Booker, Hospital District CEO Shane McGuire said. The rest will be eligible for the assisted l...
DAYTON–If Columbia Pulp I, LLC, which is currently in foreclosure, defaults, will Columbia County find itself in a financial predicament? Dayton resident Dave Schreck questioned County Commissioners on the topic at the March 21 meeting. Schreck questioned Commissioners on the impact on the County from the Pulp Mill halting production. He asked whether the County has developed a plan, if the mill goes “belly-up?” Will the County see a loss? “It’s a concern and it is a significant amount of...
DAYTON–The Dayton School Board heard reports from district administrators, the athletic director, the business manager and Student Board and Associated Student Body (ASB) representatives during the March 16 meeting. They also approved three additional recommendations from Superintendent Guy Strot. Four out of seven have been approved leaving three for further review and consideration. Three recommendations from Strot to the Board were approved, including to review the math curriculum, revise t...
DAYTON–Port of Columbia Commissioners Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts oppose siting a proposed grant-funded daycare center on Port property at a meeting where those speaking for and against were passionate about their positions, all discussed at the first hybrid meeting held since COVID hit two years ago this week. Some 50 attended online and a dozen attended in-person March 10. Most of the two-hour meeting discussed the proposed lease of Port land at Blue Mountain Station for a $2 million g...
DAYTON–The Dayton City Council during the March 9 meeting voted to move its remote meetings to hybrid, and move the monthly meetings from the second Wednesday to the second Tuesdays at 6 p.m. to begin next month, pending discovery of whether an official action item is needed on the agenda. Four items were presented to Council for consideration and possible action, and reports were presented by Mayor Zac Weatherford, City departments and Council committees. The vote to change the meeting f...
DAYTON–Plans are in the works to restructure school administration positions of superintendent, high-school principal and elementary principal, the Dayton School Board approved March 2. Resolution 2021-02, “changing assignment for the elementary principal to be a K-8 principal, elimination of the 1.0 FTE High School Principal Position, elimination of the 1.0 FTE Superintendent Position and creation of a 1.0 FTE combined HS principal and Superintendent position was approved. The Board has det...
DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners convened on March 7 to discuss increasing open range signage along a section of North Touchet Road, budget questions from Emergency Management, upgrades to the County security camera system and increased allocation of budgeted funds for non-crisis cases at Blue Mountain Counseling. The Commissioners met with the Public Works Interim Engineer Jeremy Weiland about increasing the signage along the open range areas of North Touchet Road after hearing c...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Health System (CCHS) monthly board meeting was held on March 3 to report on the month of January during which a net loss of $131,000 was reported. Updates were provided for the Rivers Walk Assisted Living Project and the progress towards opening a community child care center. Also, because of its success, CCHS has been asked to be a contributor for a regional advisory council for Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART). Chief of Staff, Dr. Lewis Neace...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Commissioners (BOCC) were advised of the internet technology update and upgrade occurring; the Senior GIS Specialist hire, and continuing discussion on the consolidation of Environmental services with Walla Walla County, other departmental business and the open range issue at the morning and evening meeting February 22. The Commissioners held a public hearing for discussion on open range at the evening meeting February 22. There were ten who attended in person and o...
DAYTON–The Dayton School Board heard a grievance over superintendent recommendations, and in other topics, heard updates on mask mandates, position statements, and financial report impacted by low student enrollment. Directors convened the hybrid meeting February 16, which was well attended with 27 on Zoom and more than a dozen in person. Community member and regular attendee at the meetings, Pearl Dennis, spoke in reference to the meeting agenda, noting that an action item was listed separate f...
DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners met with the Walla Walla County Commissioners on February 16 to discuss possible consolidation of Department of Health services. Administrative Support Supervisor for Walla Walla Health Department, Nancy Wenzel, and Interim Public Health Director for Columbia County, Delphine Bailey, provided information for the Commissioners to consider to help decide if they should move forward with developing a plan for consideration. Walla Walla County C...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) approved funding for The Club at the special meeting on February 14, 2022. The BOCC met with Jim Pearson, the Director of Program Operations of The Club in regard to the after-school program funding request for money from the juvenile justice fund. In other business, an interlocal agreement was authorized with the Washington Counties Insurance Program and an update was provided by David Finney about the courthouse HVAC project. A r...
DAYTON–The Port of Columbia Board heard about the childcare facility; 2022 Port policies were adopted; two new leases were approved, reviewed the meeting format, and gave Port project updates at the February 9 ZOOM meeting. The lack of childcare is a concern not just for area parents, but for the community as a whole, according to a presentation given by Eiledon McClellan on the results of a feasibility study done through the Walla Walla Valley Early Learning Coalition. She said the lack of c...
DAYTON-The Dayton School Board discussed intervention support services for behavioral and academic growth, and the process of implementing State sexual health requirements for kindergarten through twelfth grade at the meeting on February 2. The District offered a community forum presenting the sex-education requirements to the community on February 9, and will be establishing one or more committees to review curriculum and make recommendations to the Board for adoption to be used beginning next...
