• A jury was selected for trial of Kelly Cochrane who is charged with two counts of indecent liberties for allegedly groping, grabbing and fondling the women while employed by Valley Vision
• Eddie Sardina was sentenced to six months in the County Jail for stabbing an acquaintance last month
• Anthony Lutz, accused of holding up a local store, pleaded innocent and is set for trial Nov. 5 and 6 on charge of first-degree robbery
• Michael Miranda-Vargas pleaded innocent to robbing the Walla Walla Worm Ranch
• Christopher Posthumos has been charged with raping a woman in the city earlier this month
• If you plan on crossing the Snake River using one the dams you should call the Corps of Engineers at 1-888-326-4636  to check the news crossing schedule

• The Washington Wine Commission led tours of the local wineries for 49 of the biggest buyers in the industry
• “River Ways,” a documentary on the potential removal of the Snake River dams will be shown at the Liberty Theater in Dayton on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
• Banner Corporation expects to report third-quarter losses of more than $1,000,000 connected to its investments in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
• Microsoft and the state Attorney General’s Office announce several lawsuits against purveyors of “scareware”
• Little Caesars will be opening on Tuesday at 638 S. 9th Ave.
• Organizers of the Gran Fondo hoped to raise $15,000 for the Providence St. Mary Regional Cancer Center
• All four lanes of Issacs Ave. from Roosevelt to Wellington will be closed Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for sewer work

• Washington Mutual was taken over by JP Morgan after the feds seized it but the transition should be seamless and all the branches are to remain open for the time-being
• Christine Chavez, the granddaughter of the late labor and civil-rights activists Cesar Chavez, was in town
• Christopher Charlo of Milton-Freewater was charged yesterday with leading police on a chase through Walla Walla streets early this week
• On Sunday read a story by Alasdair Stewart about Claro Bergevin, a local WW II veteran who hosted a gathering for three of his old company buddies involved in the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima
• Also on Sunday in the Panorama section get an up-close view of players and fans during Friday night football

• Supporters of the Walla Walla Library asked the Walla Walla City Council to shelve any plan to reduce funding for library programs in the next two years
• Commitment to Community wants a pledge from the Walla Walla City Council for $32,000 to continue outreach work
• Vicki Hillhouse reports that the number of health-related jobs in the county last year surpassed the manufacturing sector. Government is the the county’s leading employer
• Officials arrested Christopher Charlo who is suspected of leading police on a high-speed chase through the city early this week
• For Walla Walla Museum’s Living History presetation  will portray Yuso Shinbo, an early business owner who opened the Imperial Cafe on Main Street in 1922. Art Shinbo will portray his father on Sunday
• Rick Eskil reviews “Burn After Reading,” the new movie by the Coen brothers.

• Edison Elementary Principal Nancy Withycombe is concerned about the increased traffic on Alder and would like to remind motorists to obey the 20-mile-an-hour speed limit
• In today’s paper read about 37-year-old  Adam Piercy who recently suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He does not have health coverage so a special fund has been set up at Baker Boyer Bank
• Six drug-related charges were filed against Camren Jones who worked as a correctional officer at the Washington State Penitentiary
• Wa-Hi senior Caroline Treganowan has helped set up Cat’s Closet, a student-driven store that aims to provide formal attire to students who can’t afford to buy fancy clothes for next weeks homecoming
• Don Davis takes us to the a bass-fishing tournament held at Columbia Point Marina in Richland

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The Daily Byte - September 24, 2008

• Correctional officer at the Washington State Penitentiary arrested in drug bust
• Formal charges were filed against Charles Ellis who is accused of stabbing a woman at her apartment last weekend
• Jeffrey Bruton, suspected of raping a 16-year-old girl, pleaded innocent and is scheduled to stand trial in December
• Milton-Freewater students created pinwheels as part of “Pinwheels for Peace”
• Dr. Richard Jacks will address mental illness in college students on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.  at the Walla Walla School District administration office

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The Daily Byte - September 23, 2008

• Read about Gary Lentz who made hundreds of hand-dipped candles as part of the Waitsburg Pioneer Fall Festival
• 59-year-old Charles Ellis was arrested on Saturday morning after a woman suffered an apparent knife wound to her chest during a struggle in  her appartment
• Christine Chavez, granddaughter of the late labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, will speak tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Community College’s Dietrich Dome.
• In Sunday’s paper, read about new playground installed at Howard Tietan Park
• Also in Sunday’s paper, catch Jeff Horner’s Panorama and see photos about light waves and from his recent trip to the Pacific Ocean

• Adam West turns 80 today
• See the future of the Fort Walla Walla Museum in models, architect plans and artists’ rendering at this weekend’s Fall Harvest Festival and German Heritage Day
• The Walla Walla Humane Society will take those red-eared slider turtles off your hands
• The deadline to apply for the Walla Walla Fair court is Oct. 1
• The Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council is accepting entries for their calendar art contest
• In the Sunday edition of the U-B read about Walla Walla’s first proposed biennial budget
• The Walla Walla Quilt Festival is this weekend
• Also Sunday, read Karlene Ponti’s story that reveals tips on saving, spending less, diversifying and protecting your assets

The Daily Byte - September 18, 2008 from Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on Vimeo.

• Washington state smoking rate has dropped to 16.5 percent. Walla Walla’s is even lower, 11 percent
• “Strengthening Families” is a Spanish language program designed to help keep kids out of trouble in Milton-Freewater
• Blues in the Schools presented Hillstomp, a blues band from Portland, at Lincoln Alternative High School (listen to Hillstomp below)
• The Pioneer Fall Festival is this Sunday in Waitsburg
• Queensryche frontman Geoff Tate is trying his hand at wine making and also performing at Three Rivers Winery as part of his wine’s release
• Movie reviewer Rick Eskil reviews “Righteous Kill” starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro
• Parade of Homes is this weekend

• Washington unemployment rate jumped to 6 percent last month, the hightest level in nearly four years. Walla Walla County’s rate is at 5.4 percent, up over 1 percent form teh same month last year
• It was Go Green to Work Day at QualitySmith in an effort to help the environment and raise awareness of conservation
• Sustainable Living Fair is set for Friday and Saturday at the water center at Walla Walla Community Center
• Concerns about wind farm development in the Valley will be discussed at a meeting Thursday  at the American Legion Hall in Milton-Freewater
• Day on a Dime - Visit the Pataha Four Mill in Garfield County
• Carrie Fernald of College Place suffers from ALS but that will not keep her from participating in the Tri-Cities’ “Walk to Defeat ALS 2008” on Saturday
• Don Davis and Nora the Schnauzer venture into the sand dunes near the Potholes Reservoir in Grant County

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The Daily Byte - September 17, 2008