Clark County Today News

Washington's public employee unions are heading into the most consequential wage negotiations in years, with a revenue forecast due June 26 expected to trigger the state's opening offer on pay. The Washington Federation of State Employees, representing 50,000 workers, says staffing shortages and retention problems persist regardless of the budget outlook — while the last round of contracts cost ro...

Furry Friends volunteer writer Nomi Berger outlines practical steps cat owners can take before and during Fourth of July fireworks — from setting up a safe room and using Feliway diffusers to consulting a vet about Zylkene. Furry Friends is Clark County's largest no-kill cat-only shelter, caring for up to 1,200 cats annually on a $450,000 operating budget. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/fel...

Tukes Valley Middle School's band program wrapped its 2025–26 year with a June 3 concert honoring student achievement, leadership, and dedication. Six students earned spots in the Clark County Honors Band, and awards went to musicians across fifth through eighth grade. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/tukes-valley-middle-school-band-program-honors-student-achievement-at-year-end-concert/ #T...

A 44-year-old man was pulled from a burning Mazda 3 by bystanders after his vehicle struck a power pole in the 8200 block of NE Highway 99. Clark County Sheriff's Office, AMR, and Fire District 6 responded. The driver was transported with non-life-threatening injuries. Impairment is not believed to be a factor. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/vehicle-strikes-power-pole-on-highway-99/ #ClarkC...

The League of Women Voters of Clark County has scheduled three candidate forums at Vancouver Community Library ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election. Races include Clark County Council Districts 1 and 2, Clark Public Utilities Commissioner District 3, Legislative Districts 17 and 49 state House seats, Clark County Auditor, and Clark County Clerk. All forums are open to the public in person or via C...

Joe Cortright of City Observatory told Oregon's Transportation Commission that ODOT's budget crisis stems from systemic cost mismanagement — not fuel efficiency. The Abernethy Bridge tripled to $815 million; the Interstate Bridge Replacement ballooned to nearly $15 billion, with $10 billion in Oregon's share omitted from staff reports entirely. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-majo...

La Center resident Tim Petta draws a line from JP Morgan, Carnegie, and Rockefeller to Camden and Mac Spiller in Battle Ground — arguing that industrialists who created jobs, gave philanthropically, and reinvested in their communities built something worth repeating. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-what-made-and-can-make-america-great/ #Opinion #BattleGround #LaCenter #ClarkCounty...

About 100 volunteers gathered at Esther Short Park in Vancouver for the third annual Pick It Up, Vancouver event, organized by SOLVE. The crew collected enough litter to fill a 3-yard dumpster, with a final weight tally still to come. SOLVE, which began as an Oregon anti-litter campaign, is expanding its mission into Southwest Washington. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/pick-it-up-vancouver-...

Ronald Hsu, DDS, of Storybook Dentistry in Camas and Dr. Megan Miller of Expedition Pediatric Dentistry offer guidance on credentials, communication style, and why the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a child's first dental visit by age one. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/youth/how-to-choose-a-pediatric-dental-provider/ #PediatricDentistry #ChildrensDentalHealth #DeltaDentalWA...

A 16-year-old wrestler and her mother are suing the Puyallup School District, WIAA, and state education officials after a male athlete who identifies as female allegedly sexually assaulted her during a December all-girls tournament. ADF attorney Suzanne Beecher says Washington's policy violates federal Title IX protections. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/female-wrestler-sues-school-district...

Camden and Mac Spiller purchased The Reflector, returning the 115-year-old Battle Ground newspaper to local hands. Rep. John Ley pushed to block the Interstate Bridge Replacement's Record of Decision, tolling talks continued with a 2028 start projected, and Ridgefield's commercial expansion kept pace with its rapid population growth. https://mailchi.mp/clarkcountytoday/this-weeks-top-news_june_12_...

For the first time in memory, no Clark County team won a state title in a traditional team sport during the 2025-26 school year. Paul Valencia, Cale Piland, and Tony Liberatore close out spring sports, weigh in on controversies beyond Clark County, and look ahead to college and pro sports. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/sports/the-study-of-sports-podcast-june-12-2026-we-say-goodbye-to-not-only-s...

Rep. John Ley is urging U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to delay approval of the Interstate Bridge replacement project, citing a price tag now estimated at more than $15 billion and concerns over scope, tolling, congestion, and light rail inclusion. Clark County Today wants to know where you stand. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-should-federal-transportation-officials-delay...

Katie Shifley has been named Vancouver's next chief financial officer following a national search. She joins from Multnomah County Library and will oversee a biennial budget of $2.2 billion, including a $481.1 million capital budget. City Manager Lon Pluckhahn cited her decade of regional government finance experience. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/city-of-vancouver-announces-appointment...

Battle Ground marks 75 years since its 1951 incorporation with a free Pop-Up Birthday Party at Kiwanis Park on June 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free cupcakes from Rabbit Hole Eatery, a live mural by Ana Gabriela Honsowetz, mini horse petting, and a foam dance party are all on the program. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/area-residents-invited-to-celebrate-battle-grounds-75th-birthday/ #Batt...

Ridgefield's May 2026 Development Summary shows a surge of food-centric businesses moving through permits and construction, including a 16,902-square-foot Grocery Outlet at Royle Ridge Station, Jersey Mike's Subs at Union Ridge Town Center, and new restaurants at Hillhurst Commercial Center and Legacy Trails. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/business/new-eateries-grocery-projects-signal-ever-chang...

Clark County Charter Commissioner Liz Cline endorses Eileen Quiring O'Brien for Clark County auditor, citing O'Brien's decades in public service — from the legislature to the Clark County Council — and her character, integrity, and commitment to accountability. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-eileen-quiring-obrien-has-earned-my-trust-and-confidence/ #ClarkCounty #ClarkCountyAuditor...

Over 200 new Washington state laws take effect Thursday, 90 days after the 2026 legislative session ended. The changes cover a new $0.82-per-month abortion services tax, college sports betting at tribal casinos, supportive housing mandates, and blue envelopes for neurodivergent drivers. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/these-new-wa-laws-take-effect-thursday/ #WashingtonState #NewLaws #WALegis...

Peter Bracchi's letter to the editor challenges Vancouver's layered homelessness spending — Safe Stay, Safe Park, HART, Community Court, and now a Bridge Shelter — and asks why no old program closes when a new one launches. He demands a full public accounting of every cost and every measurable result. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-a-bad-dream-of-tomorrow/ #Vancouver #ClarkCounty...

Washington state Rep. John Ley wrote to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on May 26 asking him to deny the Record of Decision for the $15 billion Interstate Bridge replacement project, calling it a textbook case of scope creep and fiscal irresponsibility. Ley also requested a face-to-face meeting with Duffy and says he has received no response. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/rep-john-l...

On May 26, 2026, one Vancouver Police officer discharged a firearm during a response to an in-progress residential burglary on NE 48th Street. The department has released a Critical Incident Video from body worn cameras. The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations is handling the shooting investigation independently. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-police-release-crit...

Jonathan Hines argues that activist legal networks and partisan institutions are turning the Semiquincentennial into a proxy war — filing injunctions to block a UFC event on the White House lawn and framing monument restorations as authoritarian overreach. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-trump-derangement-syndrome-endangers-americas-250th-birthday-celebrations/ #Opinion #July4th #S...

Camden and Mac Spiller, Battle Ground brothers behind the fast-growing Maddox Industrial Transformer company, have acquired The Reflector newspaper, returning the 116-year-old weekly to local ownership for the first time since 2010. The Spillers plan a six-month study to chart the paper's future for north Clark County's 30,000 households. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/spillers-acquire-th...

Let's Go Washington reported 242,699 signatures in three weeks for IP26-645, a measure to repeal the state's 9.9% income tax on household income above $1 million. The group needs 308,911 valid signatures by July 2 to qualify for the November ballot but is targeting 400,000 or more to challenge the all-time state record of just under 700,000. Signature gatherers continue to face harassment and assa...

After an accidental fire damaged their boathouse in December 2025, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue's repaired structure was towed back to its dock on Lake River in Ridgefield. The $222,500 repair, covered mostly by insurance, ends a six-month stretch where the fire boat sat near a parking lot — adding up to 15 minutes to water response times. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-cowlitz-fire-resc...