Clark County Today News

City Manager Steve Stuart has appointed Jim Quackenbush as Ridgefield's next police chief after a competitive national search. Quackenbush brings 27 years of experience, from the Portland Police Bureau to the Washougal Police Department, where he currently serves as Operations Captain. The community can meet him at Davis Park on September 22. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/jim-quackenbush-app...

Middle school students at King's Way Christian Schools gathered for a special chapel service on Sept. 11, where an Army veteran spoke about remembrance. Afterward, students said a prayer and planted American flags on a hillside near the school track to honor those lost that day. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/a-lesson-and-a-prayer-at-kings-way-christian-schools-on-9-11/ #KingsWayChristian #Se...

Vancouver gathered at the Waterfront on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks for the Patriot Day Salute, presented by the Community Military Appreciation Committee and the city of Vancouver. Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Fire Chief John Drake, Police Chief Troy Price, and keynote speaker Col. Joshua Hovanas of the 142nd Wing each offered reflections o...

This week's audio newsletter covers the IBR's cost projection rising to $15.2 billion, a new Clark County voter poll showing taxes as the top concern for 25 percent of respondents, an auditor candidate's pledge for an independent audit, and a former Delta pilots union leader's memories of September 11, 2001. https://mailchi.mp/clarkcountytoday/this-weeks-top-news_september_11_2026-10492471 #ClarkC...

Rep. John Ley, R-Vancouver, says the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project has exploded from a $44 million consulting contract in 2020 to a projected $13 billion to $15 billion total cost, with phase one still $2.2 billion short of available funding. Oregon Rep. Thuy Tran separately accused IBR staffers of withholding cost estimates from the committee. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/washington-...

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program's price tag has ballooned from $3.2 to $4.8 billion originally to $15.2 billion today, and after more than six years the project remains only 30% designed and 30% funded. Clark County Today readers are weighing in on leadership accountability. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-the-ibr-project-is-described-as-only-30-designed-and-30-funded-after-mor...

Camas athletic director Stephen Baranowski and coach Michelle Ford turned a years-long dream into reality, setting up an outdoor volleyball court at Doc Harris Stadium for a 7 p.m. match against Ridgefield on Sept. 11, complete with a first-responder tribute and fireworks during the national anthem. https://clarkcountytoday.com/sports/high-school-sports-outdoor-volleyball-match-at-doc-harris-stadi...

A Future 42 Clark County poll of 400 likely November 2026 General Election voters finds 25% name taxes and government spending as the top concern, while 74% say rising costs worry them more than a year ago. The Clark County Council holds a 32% job approval rating, with 44% disapproving. https://clarkcountytoday.com/business/new-clark-county-poll-pocketbook-issues-and-taxes-top-voter-concerns/ #Cla...

Washington state Rep. John Ley was asleep in Vancouver when the Sept. 11 attacks began. As a Delta Airlines pilot and union leader, he helped develop the Known Crewmember ID system, more secure cockpit doors, and the armed pilot program still in use today. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/former-pilot-shares-his-memories-of-sept-11-2001-and-the-changes-made-to-aviation-industry/ #September11 #A...

Battle Ground wants to expand its urban growth boundary west toward Dollars Corner while removing roughly 330 acres from Meadow Glade, a shift driven by a shortfall in employment land rather than housing. Planning Supervisor Sam Crummett says the city can already accommodate its projected 6,979 new housing units within existing boundaries, but needs new land to plan for 7,677 jobs through 2045. ht...

Vancouver resident Peter Bracchi examines how two very different projects, the Interstate Bridge Replacement and the Bridge Shelter, share a common pattern: costs and commitments that keep expanding. The IBR's estimated price has grown from roughly $3 billion to $14.4 billion, while the Bridge Shelter carries a roughly $22 million capital cost plus millions in annual operations, and Clark County i...

Washington Policy Center's Elizabeth New (Hovde) argues that collective-bargaining sessions between the Ferguson administration and WFSE are shielded from public view by state law, leaving rank-and-file workers and taxpayers unable to evaluate whether proposed compensation agreements are truly fair. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-wfse-demands-a-fair-contract-but-workers-and-taxpayers...

Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer approved a 22.2% average rate increase for Washington's ACA exchange, affecting about 250,000 enrollees starting Jan. 1. Coordinated Care Corporation members face a jump of more than 25%, while enrollment has already fallen nearly 13% from 2025 — the steepest decline since the marketplace launched. https://clarkcountytoday.com/business/affordable-care-act-insur...

Maai E. Hinton, wanted for the April 18, 2026 shooting death of Geurlin Caetano in a Vancouver parking lot, surrendered to Tacoma police and was transported to Clark County Jail by Vancouver Police Department detectives. Hinton faces charges of second degree murder, firearm possession, and a fugitive warrant. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/homicide-suspect-arrested-and-transported-to-clark-coun...

The 49th GRO Parade of Homes opens Sept. 11 in Salmon Creek's Emerald Grove community, featuring eight luxury homes on 16,000 square-foot lots. Adult tickets are $20, with $1 per ticket going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Children ages 3 to 12 are $5, with all proceeds benefiting the hospital. https://clarkcountytoday.com/business/gro-parade-of-homes-set-to-open-this-week/ #GROParadeOf...

A biplane crashed at Grove Field in Washougal on September 8 after the pilot reported smoke in the cabin and returned to the airfield, where the aircraft flipped during landing. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The FAA and NTSB completed their investigation and cleared the airport. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/small-airplane-crashes-at-grove-field/ #GroveFiled #Washougal #Aviati...

The Ridgefield City Council voted 6-1 to approve a development agreement with Blue Rock Ventures for a roughly 43,000-square-foot community and recreation center at 5001 N. Pioneer Canyon Drive. The city will contribute $15 million toward the Community Center, while BRV anticipates contributing approximately $32 million for the privately owned Recreation Center. https://clarkcountytoday.com/busine...

Forty-three Vancouver Fire Department personnel responded to a working commercial structure fire at Cedar Creek Cannabis on NE 121st Ave Tuesday morning, bringing the blaze under control in roughly 20 minutes. Clark County Fire District 3, Vancouver Police, and AMR all assisted in the multi-agency response. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation. https://clarkcountytod...

A 55-year-old woman walking a dog was struck by a white 2012 Ford F-150 in a crosswalk at NE 137th Avenue and NE 99th Street on Tuesday morning. She was transported to a local hospital by AMR with serious injuries. The Clark County Sheriff's Office Traffic Unit is investigating, and impairment may have been a factor. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/pedestrian-seriously-injured-after-being-struck...

Seattle Reign FC center back Jordyn Bugg, 20, visited Orchards Elementary School in Vancouver for the grand opening of Clark County's first soccer mini-pitch. Funded by the Rave Foundation and CVS Health, the pitch is one of 52 now across Washington state. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/seattle-reign-partners-celebrate-opening-of-soccer-mini-pitch-at-orchards-elementary-school/ #SeattleReign...

The U.S. Supreme Court's December argument session runs Nov. 30 to Dec. 9 and includes a direct challenge to Washington state laws allowing minors to access transgender care and mental health services without parental consent. Also on the docket: semiautomatic weapons bans from Illinois and Connecticut, an asylum termination case, and Arizona's proof-of-citizenship voter registration law. https://...

Nancy Churchill of Dangerous Rhetoric argues Republicans have an information problem, not an accomplishment problem, and lists policy wins on taxes, border security, ranching, energy, and family ahead of the midterms. She also names three congressional candidates she supports in Washington's 3rd, 4th, and 5th Districts. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-trump-is-winning-can-you-name-fiv...

Five Washington State Supreme Court seats are on the November 3 ballot, drawing millions in campaign cash and rare partisan intensity. Four challengers carry Republican Party endorsements against candidates backed by Democratic leaders, including two appointees of Gov. Bob Ferguson, as litigation over the state's new income tax on high earners looms over every race. https://clarkcountytoday.com/ne...

Dick Rylander examines the many forms illegal voting can take, from noncitizens on voter rolls to allegations of software manipulation in Colorado, arguing that even rare errors in close races can change outcomes. A July 2026 DHS review flagged over 190,000 potential noncitizens on California's rolls alone. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-we-must-take-whatever-steps-are-necessary-to-p...

Washington Policy Center's Ryan Frost documents how the Seattle Times editorial board spent months condemning Olympia's out-of-control spending, then urged voters to reject I-645, which would repeal the new state income tax. Frost argues lawmakers should be pressed to defend an $80.2 billion two-year budget and find room for tax relief within existing revenue. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/...