Walla Walla Blues Society — 20 years and the beat goes on
WALLA WALLA — There may not be a cake, but the Walla Walla Blues Society’s 20th Birthday Bash promises to be a sweet treat for local blues lovers.
Dayton wrestles with special events policy
A draft the city proposed ran into public concern that it went too far.
DAYTON — The City Council has tabled a proposed policy on special events after many citizens expressed concerns it was too complicated and burdensome.
Touchet teen samples life as legislative page
A page for a week, he also practiced the art of compromise on a mock gun bill.
TOUCHET — For Jacob LaRoque, getting up early was the best and worst part of his job.
Dayton trio to compete at FBLA nationals
Keelin Hovrud, Caitlyn Robins and Matthew Warren advanced from the state competition.
Weekend Warriors
Holding regular lives Monday through Friday and ranging in age from 19 to 51, fooball lives on for this Elite group of Weekend Warriors.
For Jeff Knowles, playing football is about camaraderie The 27-year-old co-owner of the minor league Waitsburg Elite said he loves spending his Saturdays on the field. “I just look forward to the adrenaline every Saturday, and the camaraderie of getting a great group of guys,” he said. “I feel like it’s kind of like the camaraderie of military men, when you’re taking risks together and fighting together.”
Planning services merger taken off table in Columbia County
County and Dayton officials may pursue the idea later.
DAYTON — Columbia County Commissioners decided Wednesday morning to shelve pursuit of a joint planning commission with Dayton, effectively ending current discussions about a joint city-county planning department.
Port of Columbia to issue bond for Blue Mountain Station
The bond would be paid back out of existing Port revenue, so no additional taxes would need to be levied in order to cover the cost.
Pomeroy hires new superintendent
Doug LaMunyan also will oversee a new adminstrative structure change.
POMEROY — Pomeroy High School principal Doug LaMunyan will be the district’s next superintendent and K-12 administrator.
Prescott hires new superintendent
Brett Cox, currently Garrison Middle School principal, starts the job in July.
PRESCOTT — After a long search, the Prescott School Board approved hiring Brett Cox to serve as the district’s superintendent.
Cowboy poets stir up images of the West during Prescott visit
Poets seasoned and youthful read their works at Prescott’s library.
PRESCOTT — For sixth-grader Mary Groom, riding horses at her grandparents’ home is the perfect inspiration for poetry.
Transgender couple seeks acceptance
Many people don’t understand the differences between sexual orientation and gender identity.
Dayton has new reason to hold tourists
Best Western’s new hotel nearly triples available lodging in the rural town.
DAYTON — Dayton could be described as an accidental destination for tourists.
Walla Walla educator top candidate for Prescott superintendent job
PRESCOTT — Prescott School Board will hold a special public meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. to present its leading candidate for superintendent.
State trooper chosen as next Columbia County sheriff
Rocky Miller will take over for Sheriff Walt Hessler, who is retiring June 30.
DAYTON — Columbia County commissioners unanimously selected Rocky Miller to serve as the county's sheriff beginning July 1. Miller will fill the position vacated by current sheriff Walt Hessler, who is retiring June 30, and will serve out the rest of Hessler's elected term.
Walla Wallans rally for immigration reform
Stories of personal struggles with immigration were shared at the gathering
As a group of senators nears closer to announcing a bipartisan immigration reform bill, Walla Walla residents rallied Wednesday to express their support for family-focused reform measures.
Farm Days plows new ground for old ways
Farming as it used to be was demonstrated at the weekend event.
POMEROY — With 13 acres plowed, harrowed and seeded, Garfield County is ready to call its latest Spring Farming Days a success.
Forum set on replacement for Columbia County sheriff
Columbia County Commissioners have elected to wait on selecting a candidate for county sheriff until a public forum is held.
Pomeroy works on school administration structure change
The district is beginning the hiring process for a new administrator.
Activist stresses value of humanity, connections
Rigoberta Menchú, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and survivor of civil war in Guatemala, spoke Wednesday at Whitman.
WALLA WALLA — She survived death squads during the Guatemalan Civil War and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism in support of indigenous rights. Now, Rigoberta Menchú can add speaking in Walla Walla to her list of life accomplishments.
Columbia County, Dayton eye planning merger
The plan would call for a joint planning commission and city planner who would report to the county planner.
Columbia County and the city of Dayton are moving forward with a joint city-county planning agreement. Officials say the consolidation will save money and result in more efficient planning, ultimately allowing both bodies to get more done.
Students compete with 'Windy Cool Rods'
TOUCHET — Combining physics and fun, Touchet Elementary students competed to see who could build the best wind-powered car.
Cheese business fits area
Roubideau Artisan Cheese will be part of Dayton’s Blue Mountain Station.
DAYTON — When Joseph Coniglio moved to Walla Walla from Colorado, he decided he’d had enough of herding goats. Now, he’s planning to set up shop in Dayton’s artisan food processing park, Blue Mountain Station, as the proprietor of Roubideau Artisan Cheese.
WSU students work to protect crops
A fence was constructed at a natural and artisan foods park to keep deer and other animals out of the garden.
Commissioned piece becomes Walla Walla Choral Society director’s swan song
WALLA WALLA — This weekend, Christine Janis will conduct her last concert for the Walla Walla Choral Society.
Bluewood to anoint ‘King of the Mountain’ with weekend racing
The ski area has skiing and snowboarding races set for this weekend.
Under new management this season, Ski Bluewood is looking to revitalize its image with a “March Madness” lineup of special events and competitions.
Crazy fun expected with Dayton’s ‘The Good, The Bad, And Everyone Else ... ’
WALLA WALLA — Spending the last month of pregnancy directing a musical might be a bit much for most people to handle, but Suzanne Williams isn’t most people.
Prescott School Board adds youthful perspective
The School Board’s addition of two non-voting student members is seen as a win for the board and students.
PRESCOTT — A basic idea in a democracy is that governing bodies should be accountable to the people most affected by their decisions. Perhaps with this idea in mind, the Prescott School Board has decided to allow two student representatives to serve as non-voting board members.
Rural broadband project aims to bridge ‘digital divide’
Federal stimulus funds are helping Columbia and Garfield counties modernize communication systems.
Last month, a patron accessing an e-book at the Dayton Memorial Library could expect to wait five hours for the download to be completed.
Patrol seeks more than a few good candidates
The Washington State Patrol is looking to hire its largest group of troopers in nearly 25 years, and has adopted a statewide recruiting strategy.
Dayton FBLA prepares to continue dominance in competition
DAYTON — Dayton High School isn’t as large as many other schools in Washington, but thanks to advisor Rob Moore, the school’s FBLA team continues to dominate regional and state competitions.
Patrol seeks more than a few good candidates
The Washington State Patrol is looking to hire its largest group of troopers in nearly 25 years, and has adopted a statewide recruiting strategy to meet its goals.
Agricultural museum grows like weed
POMEROY — When the Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum first got off the ground, a few locals were skeptical about its purpose.
Pomeroy, Touchet pass school levies and bond
Voters approved levies for Touchet and Pomeroy School Districts this evening, with 213 voters (69.16%) in Touchet and 444 (56.2%) in Pomeroy voting to approve.
Rally brings spirit of deceased teacher to gathering
Don Hodgson’s co-workers and friends shared stories of their time together.
DAYTON — Hundreds of friends, family and community members gathered Saturday at Dayton High School to remember Don Hodgson, a retired teacher and coach who died Feb. 2.
Local area keeps eye on immigration reform
There are many issues — border security, visa backlogs — to be resolved.
Assessors see trouble in proposed tax break
A Senate proposal would raise the income cap for a property tax exemption for people 61 and up. Small counties anticipate the break would hit other taxpayers hard.
A Senate proposal to raise the income level at which seniors qualify for property tax exemptions has raised concerns among assessors in Eastern Washington’s rural counties.
Dayton man sentenced to 20 years for wife's murder
DAYTON — Joseph Shuba was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for murdering his wife last spring.
Bond would address Touchet Secondary School needs
If Touchet voters approve a $6.5 million bond it would be the first renovation of the 40-year-old building.
Dayton man guilty in wife’s slaying
DAYTON — Looking tired and resigned, Joseph Shuba, 59, appeared in Columbia County Superior Court on Wednesday to plead guilty to murdering his wife in April.
Columbia County sheriff to retire
DAYTON — Columbia County sheriff Walt Hessler announced his retirement at a county commission meeting this morning.
A cliff-hanger for agriculture
Prolonged wrangling over a new US farm bill has sown indecision among Valley growers
As congressional leaders scramble to agree on bipartisan spending cuts, Eastern Washington farmers have been left with uncertainty about the insurance, marketing and crop research programs many of them depend on.
Red, white, blue and metal
Navy veteran Pierre Remillard’s sense of patriotism guides his paintings.
Pierre Remillard’s workshop feels a bit like an old-school diner, the kind of place that covers every square inch of wall with artifacts that are almost half a century old.
Panelists: Put a personal face on immigration
A group gathered Thursday at Whitman College to discuss the political hot button.
Speakers from OneAmerica, Causa Oregon and the Oregon New Sanctuary Movement gathered at Whitman College on Thursday night to participate in a panel discussion on the issue of compassion in U.S. immigration policy.
Speaker: Economy key for change in Latinos' fortunes
A journalist in town Tuesday said the election's outcome likely won't spell big changes.
WALLA WALLA -- Much has been made of the influence of Latino voters in the upcoming election. With Latinos making up about 20 percent of Walla Walla's population, issues such as immigration policy will be on the minds of voters in the Valley, as well as across the nation.
Three-term Walla Walla senator faces challenger from Waitsburg
Scott Nettles says incumbent Sen. Mike Hewitt is not responsive and has too narrow a focus.
As he prepares to run for his fourth term in the state Senate, Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, is confident the 16th District will send him back to Olympia.
Social issues key to state legislative race
Rep. Maureen Walsh is pro-choice and supports same-sex marriage, positions Mary Ruth Edwards opposes.
In the past year, state Rep. Maureen Walsh, R-Walla Walla, has become known around the world for her speech on the floor of the state Legislature in support of same-sex marriage.
Corrections officers put 'dress' in addressing domestic violence
A march Wednesday downtown sought to raise awareness.
WALLA WALLA -- It's not every day that corrections officers walk down Main Street wearing dresses.
DACA: Doors opens, but not for all
The federal program is seen as helpful, but undocumented immigrants say it isn't perfect.
As of Aug. 15, young undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are able to apply for a program that grants them a two-year deferral of deportation.
Workshop details DACA rules, process
WALLA WALLA — The Catholic Charities of Spokane held an information session at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on Tuesday night to provide details about the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Reed farewell tour a call for civility
The retiring secretary of state is using visits statewide to reinforce his message of bipartisanship and moderation.
WALLA WALLA — Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed visited the city Thursday as part of a statewide tour to mark his final year in office.
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