Clark County Today News

Clark County auditor candidate Mitchell Kelly is under scrutiny for using the "deputy county auditor" title in campaign materials. Current Auditor Greg Kimsey confirms Kelly holds the designation, but notes roughly 40 county employees share it. Kelly says his forum wording could have been clearer. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-do-you-believe-mitchell-kellys-use-of-the-deputy-county-aud...

Save Vancouver Streets will argue before the Washington State Court of Appeals on Sept. 11, more than a year after losing in Clark County Superior Court. The group collected over 6,500 signatures seeking a voter-approval requirement before the city removes traffic lanes on existing roads. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/save-vancouver-streets-will-make-its-argument-before-washington-state-court-...

Kallie Keeler, 16, is asking a federal judge to issue an injunction after she says she was sexually assaulted by a male-identifying transgender wrestler during a Dec. 6, 2025 match. Her attorneys want her removed from the school environment, her mother notified before future matches against male athletes, and a bar on requiring her to wrestle males under Title IX. Principal Jason Smith and athleti...

Washington Policy Center's Elizabeth New (Hovde) argues that Washington's Paid Family and Medical Leave program disproportionately benefits higher-income workers, with top earners using it at 19% of all claims compared to 8% for the lowest wage group. The payroll tax, now at 1.13%, is projected to hit its 1.2% cap by 2027. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-workers-need-their-wages-more-...

Chris Cargill of Mountain States Policy Center draws on Friedrich Hayek's 1945 essay to argue that the information required to run an economy is scattered among millions of people and changes constantly, making central planning structurally impossible regardless of the planners' intelligence or intentions. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-fatal-flaws-of-socialism-the-knowledge-problem/...

Battle Ground Public Schools is forming its Citizens Advisory Committee, with two open meetings scheduled at Battle Ground High School. The Sept. 10 session covers organizations that support BGPS, and the Oct. 8 meeting addresses a student safety and academic support levy on the November ballot. No RSVP required. https://clarkcountytoday.com/youth/battle-ground-public-schools-seeks-citizen-advisor...

Ridgefield Main Street and the Port of Ridgefield have installed large-scale photo panels on the Greely Building in Downtown Ridgefield, featuring imagery of the National Wildlife Refuge, Chinookan Plankhouse, dragon boats, and other community landmarks. Local company Ballyhoo is handling the installation. https://clarkcountytoday.com/business/ridgefield-main-street-unveils-new-greely-building-pho...

A 74-year-old man in a motorized wheelchair was struck and killed by a pickup truck at S. Andresen Road and MacArthur Boulevard in Vancouver on Wednesday evening. The 55-year-old driver stopped at the stop sign before proceeding and showed no signs of impairment. The Vancouver Police Traffic Unit is investigating. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-police-investigate-fatal-collision-2/ #V...

Dick Rylander breaks down Battle Ground School District's proposed $116,830,000 three-year EP&O levy headed to voters in November 2026. He compares it to three failed levies, examines per-pupil spending trends, state mandate costs the Superintendent estimates at $21.9M to $26.9M annually, and asks what happens if the levy fails again. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-it-may-be-time-for...

Ryan Frost, director of budget and tax policy for the Washington Policy Center, told a Vancouver audience that Washington's new 9.9% income tax applies to every resident, not just millionaires, and that the $1 million deduction could be erased by a simple legislative majority vote. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/washington-policy-center-tax-expert-warns-that-new-income-tax-will-affect-everyone/...

Clark County Republican Party Chairman Matt Bumala says party data shows 60 percent of voters who sat out the August primary in the 17th and 18th Legislative Districts were Republicans. Ken Vance examines what that means heading into the November general election and whether optimism about a Republican comeback is warranted. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-were-republican-voters-just-...

James Young-Lewis, known as "YL," has waited more than a decade for his shot as a head coach, and now he's leading the Prairie Falcons in his first season as head coach. A Clark County native who graduated from Evergreen in 2009, he became Prairie's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2024 before taking the top job in May. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/high-school-football-new-...

Twenty wildfires have cost Washington $207 million in firefighting expenses in a single month, more than two-thirds of what the Department of Natural Resources spent battling fires in all of last fiscal year. Over 770,000 acres have burned in 2026 alone, the third-highest acreage on record, with the fire season still months from ending. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/cost-to-battle-20-wildfires...

At WA Cares' June 30 launch, Gov. Bob Ferguson spotlighted an 87-year-old woman's existing caregiving arrangement, but WA Cares benefits didn't begin until the following day. Washington Policy Center's Elizabeth New (Hovde) examines the eligibility gates, a roughly 50% denial rate among early applicants, and the distinction between WA Cares and Washington's existing Medicaid long-term-care system....

Neil Cahoon, husband of former state Rep. Liz Pike, underwent five surgeries on Aug. 15 alone following a small aircraft crash near Daybreak Airport in La Center on Aug. 10. Pike is asking the public to hold off on visits while Cahoon manages intense pain and begins physical and occupational therapy. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/former-state-rep-liz-pike-provides-update-on-husband-neil-caho...

Randal O'Toole of the Cascade Policy Institute argues Portland's no-more-freeways policy, adopted around 1982, has tripled commuter time lost to traffic and sextupled fuel wasted in congestion. Transit commuting has dropped from 9.6 percent to 3.8 percent, while solo driving reached its highest share ever in 2024. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-portlands-war-on-cars-part-4-a-smarter-...

Plein air artists from across the region are invited to paint downtown Camas on Sept. 26 for a share of $2,600 in cash prizes, including a $1,000 first-place award. The event honors Marquita Call, founder of the Camas Plein Air Event and Camas Gallery. A public reception runs 4 to 6 p.m. at RedDoor Gallery. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/1000-first-prize-for-camas-plein-air-art-event-honoring...

Pediatric dentist Dr. Ronald Hsu shares Tooth Fairy-approved strategies for making brushing and flossing fun for children, including free resources from Delta Dental of Washington's Tooth Fairy Experience program. Children with tooth decay are more likely to miss school and face lifelong health risks. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/opinion-the-tooth-fairys-secrets-to-making-brushing-flossing-...

Clark County auditor candidate Mitchell Kelly used the title "deputy county auditor" throughout his campaign, but county HR records show his official job title has been administrative service manager since 2019. Auditor Greg Kimsey says roughly 40 county employees hold the same deputy designation. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/auditor-auditor-candidate-address-scrutiny-over-job-title/ #ClarkCo...

At an Aug. 12 Port of Ridgefield Commission meeting, a packed room of more than 30 extra attendees filled seats and spilled into the hallway to object to a proposed waterfront development including a 58-room hotel, office building, and residential units. A petition opposing the project has gathered more than 3,400 signatures. https://clarkcountytoday.com/business/ridgefield-waterfront-plans-meet-r...

Trent Richardson, 18, a 2026 Battle Ground High School graduate and standout football player, died from a gunshot wound at Hockinson Meadows Community Park in Brush Prairie on Aug. 15. James Gill III, also a BGHS graduate and UW baseball signee, was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Hundreds gathered at a candlelight vigil honoring Richardson, whose parents asked attendees to keep Gill and...

Seven-month-old Marcello Martinez has been recovered after a third party informed his mother that father Raul Martinez had turned the child over. Law enforcement recovered Marcello, who appears happy and healthy. Raul Martinez remains at large and is wanted by law enforcement. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/update-seven-month-old-child-taken-in-vancouver-recovered/ #ClarkCounty #Vancouver #AMBE...

Charles Prestrud of the Washington Policy Center examines Puget Sound transit data showing a 31% drop in passenger-miles from 2015 to 2024, even as the region's population grew by more than a half million. Transit funding rose from $2.6 billion to over $4.7 billion in that same period, yet light rail carries less than 1% of regional trips today. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-transit...

The Historic Trust and League of Women Voters of Clark County host a Constitution Day event on Sept. 17 at Fort Vancouver's Artillery Barracks. Three speakers, interactive trivia, and open discussion run from 4 to 8 p.m. The first 100 guests receive a free pocket Constitution courtesy of Riverview Bank. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/constitution-day-founding-ideas-modern-voices-theme-of-even...

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program has issued a request for qualifications for the Columbia River Bridge Replacement project, the primary contract for the first construction phase. Backed by $5.7 billion in funding, the new crossing will feature two fixed-span bridges with light rail, shared-use paths, and bus-on-shoulder service. A design-builder is expected to be selected by mid-2027, wit...