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DAYTON–Classes at the Dayton School District have resumed for in-person learning following the winter break for the week of January 4, School Directors heard at a Work Session January 8. However, the District notified patrons that six members of its staff are being quarantined with four tested positive for COVID-19. Also, one student had tested positive. All contact tracing is done through Public Health. Superintendent Guy Strot said that the District was fortunate to have substitutes for all si...
DAYTON–The Board of Columbia County Commissioners (BOCC), meeting for the first time in 2021, presented a plaque of recognition to Paul Carter for 15 years of service as the Columbia County Regional Extension Agronomist/Soil Scientist through WSU Extension. Carter is retiring. The first 2021 meeting on January 4 included new Commissioner Marty Hall with Ryan Rundell assuming the Chairman position as well as Chuck Amerein. The Commissioners also heard from Public Health Administrator Martha L...
DAYTON–The five-year contract with the City of Dayton for County Services was voted on and approved by the Columbia County Commissioners at its December 21 meeting. The contract amount of $612,500 will be allocated between Emergency Management, the Sheriff's Department, the County Attorney's Office and the courts. The contract was signed by the Commissioners and later by Slack. Commissioner Chuck Amerein abstained. At a ceremony in the court room, District Court Judge Scott Marinella a...
DAYTON–After moving to remote learning for two weeks due to a rise in local COVID numbers, Dayton School District resumed in-person learning for the week of December 13-18 after numbers dropped off, just before the two-week scheduled winter break. “By going back to in-person learning, students can turn in work they have completed, see their teachers and friends again before the holidays, learn new things, and share some positive holiday spirit,” said Superintendent Guy Strot. “Teachers, if need...
DAYTON–The City of Dayton’s stalled Wastewater Treatment Plant Project may start moving forward again. “The City received a memorandum from a land trust that has hold on some property that we’re looking to purchase,” said Mayor Zac Weatherford in an update to the City Council December 16. “We have been discussing with them whether we are able to get in there and do some of the testing we need to do,” he said. “If we do purchase the property, they just sent us a memorandum saying that we can, so...
DAYTON–Two capital projects—the dental clinic and the assisted living project—are anticipated to begin construction in 2021, Columbia County Hospital District Commissioners heard at the December 16 meeting. Nelson Construction has been selected for the Dental Project, according to CEO Shane McGuire, and a contract is in the works. McGuire anticipates the project will begin in January and take about four months to complete. The Assisted Living Project is slated to begin June and be compl...
DAYTON–Annexing a portion of the west end of Dayton into the City Limits was an idea presented to the Port of Columbia Commissioners at the December 18 meeting. In addition to increasing water and sewer customers for the City, the benefit of doing the annexation would be the ability to reduce the speed limit of that portion of Highway 12, to place signage along the road which is limited now, and consider developing the area for housing within the new City Limits, according to Port Executive D...
DAYTON–The Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson reported to the Port Commissioners at the December 9, 2020, meeting that the Port District has received 93% of their taxes for the year but they are behind in receiving $29,000 in taxes. In the last month, the Port did receive almost $57,000. The year-end report will be available in January when the Port receives the Treasurer’s Report from the County. Dickinson said that “So far with these numbers it looks like I’m on track t...
DAYTON–Columbia County Hospital District commissioners voted unanimously to retain the 1,500-acre Day Trust property given by Dr. Day in 1965 to the Hospital and School Districts. Day’s intent was for the hospital and Dayton School District to “retain the land and to seek legal and all courses of action to do so.” Indicated in discussion, the Board took the position because of the benefit they think the land gives to the school. Board member Bob Hutchens abstained. The Dayton School Board r...
DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing on December 7 with Public Works Director Chuck Eaton regarding several items that were later approved following the hearing. “All of these plans,” Eaton said, “they are set up with the current budget that we have in at the Auditor’s Office. We do anticipate some changes in April, but these plans are set up to match with that budget.” The South Touchet Road is the only project that will be in the County Arterial Preservation Program t...
DAYTON–Anticipating changes in the cost of law enforcement, dispatch and court services from Columbia County, the City Council adopted the 2021 Budget and Salary Schedule on December 2, with Councilman Dain Nysoe voting against adoption. “The Finance Committee has not met to discuss changes to the budget to compensate for the increase that we’ll be paying to the County for law enforcement, dispatch and court services,” said Mayor Zac Weatherford. “But what I’m presenting to you is a balanced bud...
DAYTON-Up until this week the Dayton School District was one of the few districts offering in-person learning in the state. This was largely due to the low number of COVID-19 cases in the county, as well as the controlled environment that is offered for the children and staff adhering strictly to the safety guidelines. Since the start of the school year, student enrollment has remained stable. Now, with numbers climbing, and some detected in the schools, Dayton School District is switching to...
DAYTON–The Columbia County Commissioners (BOCC), including Commissioner-elect Marty Hall, met with County Auditor Anne Higgins at the meeting on November 30, to prepare the 2021 budget for final approval on December 7. The 2020 budget ending fund balance was reduced to $290,000, far less than the 2019 carryover of $600,000, which will make the first few months of 2021 tight. With the Commissioners' decisions, including the Prosecutor's Assistant Attorney and the Sheriff's Department Equipment Re...
DAYTON–The Broadband Project did not receive the grant from the Public Works Board with funds needed to move forward, reported Port of Columbia Executive Director Jennie Dickinson at the November 10 meeting. Demand was too high with not enough funding to go around, Dickinson told Port Commissioners, so the Port will plan to work with local legislators to increase the budget for future rural broadband funding. Dickinson plans to apply again for the same grant next year, and she said i...
DAYTON–An emergency School Board meeting was held Monday evening, November 23, to determine classroom protocols in response to a local outbreak of COVID cases. The school district made a decision to go to remote learning on Tuesday, November 24, after Columbia County experienced a jump in positive COVID tests, closing school Monday, November 23, using a snow day. School officials will re-evaluate COVID conditions on Saturday, November 28, school directors determined. Two Dayton students, one i...
DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners have been meeting with the various department heads over the past month to review of proposed budget requests for 2021 in anticipation of County Auditor Anne Higgins finalization of the 2021 budget with the Commissioners. Higgins said she is concerned about the 2021 Budget saying that “money is flowing out of the County.” She pointed out that grants are currently coming in that will not be coming in again and the County has to figure out how to susta...
DAYTON–The City of Dayton and Columbia County have worked out their differences regarding law enforcement coverage, dispatch services and municipal court services, and the City Council approved a resolution accepting the new interlocal agreement at its November 12 meeting. A mediation meeting held between representatives of the City and County was held on November 5, 2020, with the assistance of Attorney Mike Mitchell of Walla Walla, Mayor Zac Weatherford reported . Both parties agreed to the d...
DAYTON–Columbia County Health System (CCHS) held a special board meeting to hold two public hearings for the approval of a request for a 1% levy tax increase, as well as the adoption of the 2021 budget. The Ordinance Resolution 5-2020 for a 1% tax levy increase was presented before the Board to be adopted and was approved. This increase amounts to $6,967 which is within CCHS’s right for 1% levy appropriations, according to Washington State statute, reflecting collections from last year’s opera...
DAYTON–While restrictions are implemented, Columbia County basks in a "pocket" of lower COVID incidences. Martha Lanman, Columbia County Public Health Administrator, reported to the Board of Columbia County Commissioners (BOCC) there were two additional cases of COVID–19 over the weekend. All but two of the previous 25 in-county cases have recovered. There has been an additional death reported over the last week, according to the daily updates on the website. Lanman said even though Col...
DAYTON–An emergency School Board meeting was held Monday evening, November 23, to determine classroom protocols in response to a local outbreak of COVID cases. The school district made a decision to go to remote learning on Tuesday, November 24, after Columbia County experienced a jump in positive COVID test, closing school Monday, November 23 using a snow day. School officials will re-evaluate COVID conditions on Saturday, November 28, school directors determined. Two Dayton students, one in th...
DAYTON-Martha Lanman, Columbia County Public Health Administrator reported six new cases of COVID in the County with no hospitalizations and does not impact the school or students at the Columbia County Commissioners’ Board (BOCC) meeting November 2. She said the County has six new COVID cases since Thursday which appear to be from two different groups with no hospitalizations. These cases are not impacting the school because students and staff strictly follow safety protocol set by the State a...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Rural Library will reopen November 9 with specific hours for at-risk patrons and other hours for the general public between 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday. Since the onset of COVID-19 and the mandatory shutdowns seven months ago, the Dayton Memorial Library is set to reopen with specific hours between 11 a.m.–12 p.m. for at risk patrons, and 12 p.m.–4 p.m. for the general public, Monday-Friday. The main floor of the library, which has had an extensive remodel to conf...
DAYTON-Columbia County Hospital District Board of Directors approved moving forward with the proposed Dental Project presented by CEO Shane McGuire, to contract with Davis Construction of Walla Walla. The company came in with the lowest bid of $345,000. The Dental Clinic will offer basic services such as preventative maintenance and simple extractions. Questions regarding how the project will be funded were answered by McGuire, with $250,000 committed from legislation, $82,000 from state grants...
DAYTON–Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman indicated because the department has not done as much contact tracing as anticipated, they have money that could be given to the District to cover COVID related expenses including the Chromebooks now provided for students or for further COVID related purchases including picnic tables to allow for outdoor seating. The School District has received $120,000 in CARES funding but the FEMA money is taking extra time to be distributed to the District. A...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Commissioners’ heard requests for wages revisions, lack of winter road preparation and debris removal, 4-H reopening and personnel replacement at the Board meeting October 19. The Emergency Management Director, Ashley Strickland discussed revisions to the Salary schedule which will provide continuity of wages of department employees at various ranges or steps. At the Columbia County Commissioners’ Board meeting, He said each department head needs to review and “as...
