Clark County Today News

R.A. Long has already pulled out of its varsity schedule, a Class 4A program in the Clark County area can't field varsity, JV, and freshmen teams, and a Puget Sound squad is ending its season early. Paul Valencia, Tony Liberatore, and Cale Piland examine the numbers behind high school football's participation decline, plus scheduling quirks in the 2A Greater St. Helens League and the scarcity of O...

A new DHM Research/OPB poll shows Republican John Braun leading incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez 48% to 47% in Washington's 3rd Congressional District. In the August primary, nearly one in three Democrats voted for her progressive challenger. The poll also found 91% of Southwest Washington voters say affordable housing is hard to find. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/poll-shows-third-...

George Onyango was 14, suicidal, and living in a Ugandan orphanage when a shoebox of small gifts, including a notebook, a pencil, and a glowing Yo-Yo, changed everything. Now 41, he tours America for Operation Christmas Child. Collection week runs Nov. 16 to 23. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/operation-christmas-child-starts-2026-campaign-looking-send #OperationChristmasChild #SamaritansPurse...

Staff for Washington State Senate Democrats overwhelmingly voted down a new two-year contract, not over wages, but over the right to be fired only for cause. Legislative assistants, policy analysts and communications specialists said the Senate Administration refused to budge on any just-cause dismissal proposals. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/legislative-staff-wa-state-senate-reject-new-cont...

The Zimmerman family has farmed their Brush Prairie land since 1872, but Bi-Zi Farms as a fall destination only took root in the mid-1990s when they planted three acres of pumpkins and parked 32 cars. Bill and Joe Zimmerman share how straw bales, corn bins, and rubber duck races became beloved community traditions. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/pumpkin-patch-highlight-bi-zi-farms-owners-share...

Clark County Council debated whether to send a letter to congressional leaders about the SAVE Act, focusing on implementation costs and election timing. WSAC and NACo estimate the act would cost counties millions. Councilor Matt Little proposed asking the Clark County Auditor for county-specific facts instead of a boilerplate letter, and the council approved that approach. https://clarkcountytoday...

For the ninth consecutive year, Ridgefield Police officers will wear a limited-edition pink shoulder patch throughout October, raising funds for the Pink Lemonade Project, a local nonprofit supporting all communities affected by breast cancer. Officer Kaylin Debiak led the 2026 design, which features nine stars and the city's beloved sandhill crane, Carty. Patches are $10 each. https://clarkcounty...

Vancouver's Old Apple Tree Festival returns Oct. 3 to mark 200 years since the Pacific Northwest's oldest apple tree was planted at Fort Vancouver in 1826. The free event runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with live music, cider pressing, fresh apples, and limited cuttings from the original root system. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/old-apple-tree-festival-celebrates-200-years-pacific #OldAppleTreeFestiv...

With five of nine Washington Supreme Court seats contested on the Nov. 3 ballot, the League of Women Voters of Washington released six-minute, individually conducted video interviews with all 10 candidates. Each candidate answered four identical questions on background, philosophy, and decision-making. Responses were not edited. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/lwv-washingtons-supreme-court-cand...

The Washington Supreme Court's 6-3 decision striking down Initiative 2066 on Sept. 17 may have consequences well beyond natural gas. Legal analysts and lawmakers say the ruling's new single-subject standard could expose SB 6346, the recently passed income tax law, to constitutional challenge. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/video-could-washington-high-courts-natural-gas-ruling #WashingtonState...

Five Clark County students from Ridgefield, Camas, and Union high schools have been named to Enspire Arts' 2026-2027 Arts Ambassador cohort. Each receives $650 for arts instruction and a professional mentor to guide a community arts project. Since 2018, the program has reached more than 2,600 students and community members. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/enspire-arts-announces-2026-2027-arts-a...

Washougal native Levi Kitchen has claimed the SuperMotocross Championship, the sport's premier title combining the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross seasons. Kitchen grew up racing at Washougal MX Park and has risen to the top of professional motocross. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/washougals-own-levi-kitchen-captures-supermotocross #SuperMotocross #LeviKitchen #Washougal #ProM...

Vancouver Fire Department will conduct live-fire training at Station 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 7. Nearby residents may see smoke and fire apparatus. The drills cover hose advancement, search and rescue, and fireground communication, fulfilling Washington State proficiency requirements under WAC 296-305-05502. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/vancouver-fire-department-conduct-live-fire-trai...

Clark County households throw away more than 400 pounds of edible food each year, worth around $3,000. The county's WasteBusters 21-day program, part of National Food Waste Prevention Week, offers practical strategies, weekly challenges, and prize raffles to help residents build lasting food-saving habits. Registration closes September 30. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/clark-county-joins-nati...

Al & Ernie's Bakery Cafe, which draws 5,000 to 6,000 customers weekly at its Main Street location, is opening a second, smaller cafe in Battle Ground Village at 802 SE 14th Place. The new spot will offer baked goods and espresso drinks, with a full breakfast and lunch menu staying at the original. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/biz-al-and-ernies-open-second-location-battle-ground-village #Batt...

Dr. Roger Stark of Mountain States Policy Center examines why "Medicare For All" carries an estimated $32 trillion price tag over ten years, why hospitals lost 12 cents on every Medicare dollar in 2024, and what Canada's 29-week average specialty wait time reveals about single-payer systems. He argues patient-centered, market-driven reform offers a more viable path. https://clarkcountytoday.com/st...

Columnist Nancy Churchill argues the Washington Supreme Court held its I-2066 ruling for months, releasing it in September to demoralize voters ahead of November's three initiatives and five Supreme Court races. Nearly 2 million yes votes, erased. Churchill says the timing was deliberate and urges voters to mark every line on the ballot. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/opinion-dont-let-septembe...

Lance Landis of Cascadia Technical Academy in Vancouver won the grand prize in the 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, one of five teachers nationally to receive the honor. His program achieved a 100% post-graduation placement rate, with students earning 203 industry credentials in a single year. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/cascadia-technical-academy-teacher...

Lars Larson revisits Washington's Senate Bill 5855, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, which allowed foreign nationals to sue ICE agents for wearing masks during arrests. Months later, not a single lawsuit has been filed. Larson also raises the Supremacy Clause as a constitutional obstacle. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/opinion-forgotten-ice-mask-ban #LarsLarson #NorthwestNonsense #ICE #SB5855 #Was...

Skyview High School held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for a new skills center focused on manufacturing and construction, becoming the third Vancouver Public Schools campus to receive one through private donations led by Careers in Construction, the charitable arm of Quail Homes. Skills centers have also opened in Evergreen Public Schools, La Center, and Ridgefield, with Hockinson close to bre...

Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested 48-year-old Aaron Hetland following a standoff that lasted more than an hour in the Orchards area. Deputies used crisis negotiators, a drone, and less-lethal tools after observing Hetland using a knife to inflict self-harm. He was booked into Clark County Jail on three charges. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/ccso-deputies-arrest-man-after-more-ho...

Camas resident Anna Miller makes the case that Lockheed/Sikorsky privately funded the new granite helicopter pad on the White House South Lawn, routed through the National Park Service, after rotor wash from the more powerful VH-92A Patriot helicopters damaged the grass. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/letter-let-nay-sayers-nay-say #Opinion #WhiteHouse #MarineOne #VH92APatriot #LockheedMartin #...

Ridgefield emergency physician R. Myles Dickason challenges Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, arguing her support for Ukraine rings hollow while she votes to fund what five organizations have concluded is genocide in Gaza. Track AIPAC reports $513,798 in pro-Israel PAC support for her campaign. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/letter-one-standard-ukrainian-and-palestinian-lives #Gaza #Ukraine #Marie...

Jason Mercier of Mountain States Policy Center argues Washington's new 9.9% income tax, set to take effect in 2028, reverses a long-standing competitive advantage the state held over others. He warns that income taxes historically expand beyond their initial targets, and cites an AWB survey showing 45% of employers expect the tax to affect their businesses. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/opini...

The Clark County Republican Women will host Washington Policy Center Vice President for Research Todd Myers on Oct. 8 at the Battle Ground Events Center. Myers says the past legislative session may be a turning point for Washingtonians on state policy. Tickets are $30 for members and $40 for non-members. https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/clark-county-republican-women-host-dinner-event-todd-myers...