Clark County Today News

Camas resident Anthony Teso takes issue with Lars Larson's reading of Washington's late ballot data, the Carter-Baker report's actual findings on mail voting, and what Stevens County's jump from 172 to 602 rejected ballots in a single cycle suggests about Postal Service reliability. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-the-2005-carter-baker-report-did-warn-about-absentee-ballots/ #Opinion #...

Clark County resident Tom Schenk argues Washington Democrats raised taxes by $18 billion over two legislative sessions, diverted $4 billion from the LEOFF-1 pension fund, and knowingly created a $1 billion budget deficit heading into 2027. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-olympia-out-of-control-spending/ #Opinion #WashingtonState #StateBudget #TaxBurden #Olympia #ClarkCounty #LEOFF1 #WA...

Seattle engineer Bob Ortblad used AI to analyze the IBR's temporary diversion design, a 76-foot-wide roadway meant to carry six lanes of traffic. The result: a safe speed of 30 mph for cars and just 20 mph for trucks in dry conditions, dropping further in wind, rain, or ice. Ortblad also says IBR administrator Carley Francis has refused to allow WSDOT and ODOT safety engineers to conduct an indepe...

Clark County auditor candidate Eileen Quiring O'Brien says her first act in office would be ordering a full, independent third-party audit of the Auditor's Office, covering finances, election systems, voter rolls, and public records. The office has operated under Greg Kimsey for 28 years. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/auditor-candidate-pledges-day-1-external-audit-of-county-financials-and-elec...

Vancouver Fire Department deployed 9 apparatus and 25 firefighters to a well-involved two-story residence at 15800 NE 35th Street Sunday evening. Flames were billowing from both the front and back of the home. Crews controlled the fire in under 35 minutes. No occupants were found inside and no injuries were reported. Fire marshals are investigating the origin and cause. https://clarkcountytoday.co...

Deborah "Debbie" Adams, 80, of Woodland, Washington, passed away August 30. Married for 56 years, she built a career helping thousands with resumes, worked at Walt Disney World, and published a Christian devotional in 2019. https://clarkcountytoday.com/obituaries/obit-woodland-resident-deborah-debbie-adams-passed-away-aug-30-2026/ #Obituaries #Woodland #WashingtonState #ClarkCounty #RIP

Camas resident Anna Miller argues the Clark County Council removed Councilor Michelle Belkot from the C-TRAN Board for defying a voting instruction that had no written rule behind it at the time. A new rule was adopted only after her removal. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-reinstate-councilor-belkot/ #ClarkCounty #MichelleBelkot #CTRAN #ClarkCountyCouncil #Opinion #LocalGovernment #Ca...

Clark County Today's Paul Valencia is returning to statewide high school football coverage through Final Score TV, with video reports airing Fridays around 10 p.m. and simulcast on KJR in Seattle. Valencia logged 217 consecutive regular-season Friday night games covering Clark County teams. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/opinion-reporter-thrilled-with-this-new-old-way-to-highlight-high-school...

Chiawana traveled from Pasco, with fans driving more than 200 miles, to stun Camas 28-7 in the season opener at Doc Harris Stadium, but the new field, Kong, and the band playing the visitors' fight song made for a memorable Friday night in Southwest Washington. https://clarkcountytoday.com/sports/new-field-plus-old-traditions-make-for-special-vibe-in-camas-for-the-return-of-high-school-football/ #...

A restaurant employee was shot near the back of a business on the 5000 block of East Fourth Plain Blvd. in Vancouver around 4:30 p.m. on September 4. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Vancouver Police Crime Reduction Unit detectives are investigating and seeking witnesses. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-police-investigate-shooting-22/ #VancouverWA...

Pam Lewison of the Washington Policy Center argues the White House plan to allow 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free ground beef imports will depress cattle markets during a critical sales season, force ranchers to sell more cattle than they want, and do little to lower grocery bills for American consumers. Six major agriculture organizations, including the NCBA and the American Farm Bureau Federat...

Lars Larson argues Democrats created the vote-by-mail system now generating a 32% spike in rejected ballots during this year's primaries. He cites Democrat Secretaries of State refusing to clean up voter rolls and Senate Democrats blocking the SAVE America Act, which he says has 80% public support. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-democrats-blame-mr-postman-for-their-own-tardy-voters/...

Camas resident Anna Miller asked ChatGPT to explain itself, then shared her reaction: equal parts amazement and concern. She argues that legislators alone should not regulate AI, and proposes a broad national advisory council that includes researchers, ethicists, defense specialists, and workers. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-ai-artificial-intelligence-wow-and-yikes/ #ArtificialIntel...

Clark County plans to release an RFP on Sept. 9 for a long-term lease of Tri-Mountain Golf Course in Ridgefield. The selected operator would take on management, maintenance, and capital needs, including an estimated $2.7 million in improvements identified in a 2019 assessment. About eight parties have already expressed interest. https://clarkcountytoday.com/business/clark-county-prepares-to-seek-p...

Josue Paredes Merino, already in custody for a brush fire and bicycle theft, was charged September 3 with first-degree arson in the Furniture World SW fire on NE Saint Johns Road. Fire investigators found two separate points of origin and placed him near the scene via surveillance video. Damage exceeded $640,000. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/suspect-arrested-for-brush-fire-and-theft/ #ClarkCo...

The Clark County Council's amended Rules of Procedure drew a sharp response from Councilor Michelle Belkot. A new attack ad targets Sen. John Braun on three claims. More than 500 people lined up in the rain for Ridgefield's Goodwill Superstore opening. Healing Steps in Brush Prairie serves children with ADHD and autism through equine therapy. And high school football returns to Clark County under...

The Clark County Council's amended Rules of Procedure now explicitly allow a majority to direct appointed members' votes and remove them for any reason. Councilor Michelle Belkot says that language reinforces her argument that the council lacked clear authority when it removed her from the C-TRAN Board of Directors in 2025. Clark County Today is polling readers on whether the new rules suggest her...

The 2026 high school football season opens in Southwest Washington with two leagues operating under drastically altered schedules. The 4A GSHL plays a six-game round-robin, while the 2A GSHL splits into two four-team divisions after the Evergreen Conference pulled out at the last minute. Washougal coach David Hajek breaks down what it all means. https://clarkcountytoday.com/sports/high-school-foot...

Kelsey Herman holds a doctorate in occupational therapy and co-owns Healing Steps in Brush Prairie, where six licensed therapists and more than 50 volunteers use horses to help children with ADHD, autism, and genetic syndromes, and adults recovering from strokes or Parkinson's Disease, build foundational life skills. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/business-profile-horse-magic-is-on-display-at...

Clark County Supermajority has launched a campaign backing Amendment 25, which would require a two-thirds vote of the Clark County Council to impose or increase councilmanic taxes starting January 1, 2027. The measure heads to voters in November 2026. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-supermajority-launches-campaign-to-support-amendment-25/ #ClarkCounty #Amendment25 #ClarkCountySuperm...

Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center argues the 2001 Roadless Rule is hampering efforts to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk in federal forests. In the Pacific Northwest, more than half of roadless areas fall in high or very high wildfire hazard zones, and the average fire in those areas burns more than double the acreage of fires on other Forest Service lands. https://clarkcountytoday.com/o...

RedDoor Gallery in Camas opens its fall season Friday, Sept. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. with a free First Friday reception featuring new oil paintings by Ray Baxter and Sarah Bang. Gallery owner Liz Pike and many of the 16 resident artists. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/reddoor-gallery-welcomes-fall-with-new-works/ #RedDoorGallery #Camas #ClarkCounty #FirstFriday #FineArt #LocalArt #CamasEvents #Oil...

Washington law requires drivers to stop for a school bus stopped on a roadway, but the word "either" in that law limits who must stop. Doug Dahl of The Wise Drive breaks down why cross-traffic at a four-way stop may not be legally required to halt. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-a-school-bus-a-four-way-stop-and-the-meaning-of-either/ #TargetZero #TrafficSafety #SchoolBus #WashingtonS...

Randal O'Toole of the Cascade Policy Institute argues TriMet's first light-rail line, turning 40 on September 5, triggered fare hikes and bus cuts that dropped Portland-area transit commuters from 9.6 percent in 1980 to 3.8 percent by 2024. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-max-at-40-how-light-rail-helped-empty-portlands-transit-system/ #Opinion #Transportation #PortlandTransit #TriMet...

Best friends Jaedyn Bryan and Aleea Fike arrived at 6 a.m. to be first in line at the new Goodwill Superstore in Ridgefield, where more than 500 customers waited in the rain before the doors opened. Vocational services director David Miller called it the biggest grand opening crowd he had ever seen. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/huge-crowd-gathers-for-goodwill-superstore-grand-opening-in-rid...