Clark County Today News

Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested 33-year-old Samuel Swan following a reported sexual assault at Pacific Park Extreme Skate Park in Vancouver. The 12-year-old victim was contacted at the scene. Swan faces First-Degree Kidnapping, First-Degree Rape, Second-Degree Rape of a Child, and outstanding felony warrants. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/ccso-arrests-33-year-old-in-juvenile-se...

Nancy Churchill examines the four candidates vying for Washington Supreme Court Position 7 — a seat that will almost certainly decide the constitutional fate of the state's new income tax. Churchill weighs Chief Justice Debra Stephens' record against three challengers who each emphasize applying the Constitution as written. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-supreme-court-position-7-will...

Amendment 26-20, sponsored by Charter Review Commission chair Brandon Erickson and passed 9-6, would limit Clark County Council members to three consecutive terms. A one-term waiting period would apply before a former councilor could run again. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/charter-review-commission-26-20-limitation-on-consecutive-terms-for-county-council-members/ #ClarkCounty #CharterReview #...

Charter amendment 26-14, sponsored by Peter Silliman of District 5, would give the Clark County Council authority to conduct independent performance audits of county finances and programs. The measure passed the Charter Review Commission 13-2 and is headed for the November 2026 ballot. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/charter-review-commission-26-14-performance-audits/ #ClarkCounty #CharterReview...

Clark County voters rejected light rail in 2012 and passed a 68% advisory vote against it in 2013 — yet Councilors Yung, Fuentes, and Marshall have continued pushing the project. The IBR I-5 Bridge cost estimate has doubled from $7.5 billion to $15.2 billion since 2023, and a C-TRAN board restructuring now gives Vancouver effective control of six of nine seats. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion...

US Army veteran Tiffany Plous Ferschweiler makes the case that Clark County's HUD-VASH support is concentrated in Vancouver, leaving veterans with housing vouchers few options countywide. She points to Multi-Family Tax Exemption programs and the state's Landlord Mitigation Program as tools local leaders should deploy. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-our-local-leaders-should-be-advocati...

The Clark County Charter Review Commission passed Amendment 26-10 with a 12-3 vote, requiring the county's budget process to begin in September instead of November — giving residents more time to weigh in on an $880 million annual budget most never knew existed. Sponsor Peter Silliman says public participation under the current timeline is minimal. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/charter-review-...

Rep. John Ley breaks down C-TRAN's 2025 annual report — $201 million in reserves, 4.9 million boardings, and wages up 55% since 2023. The agency outperforms TriMet, but farebox recovery has fallen from 17% to 4.2% and buses often run at less than 20% capacity. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-c-tran-outpaces-trimet-strong-finances-and-growing-ridership-but-a-cautionary-note-on-costs-an...

For the 26th year, Pacific Power and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife opened the Merwin Fish Hatchery to more than 150 children with disabilities — each one welcomed by volunteers, handed free poles and tackle, and given the chance to reel in rainbow trout and take home up to five fish. The day's biggest catch, a 6-pound 7-ounce trout, was landed by Stuart Ruckman. https://clarkcount...

Washington's Employment Security Department has paid nearly $506,000 to 138 striking workers in the first six months of a new state law extending unemployment benefits to those in labor disputes. Eligible workers can receive up to 6 weeks of benefits — far less than the standard 26 weeks — and projected trust fund shortfalls could trigger a new business tax worth hundreds of millions of dollars. h...

Amendment 26-07, sponsored by Commissioner John Jay and passed 8-7, would require Clark County to publish a data-driven public analysis of how proposed land use or construction code changes could affect housing costs before adopting them. The analysis must be funded by the county's general fund — not development fees. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/charter-review-commission-amendment-26-07-...

Amendment 26-01, sponsored by commission secretary Cathie Garber, would send nonpartisan county candidates directly to the general election when two or fewer are running — bypassing the primary entirely. Garber estimates the 2022 election alone could have saved more than $75,000 under this rule. The amendment passed 11-4. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/charter-review-commission-amendment-26...

Clark County voters will weigh in on 10 proposed charter amendments this November, covering term limits, tax increase thresholds, and a new ethics commission. The week also brought a prosecutor disqualification ruling, income tax opinion columns, candidate announcements, the death of a sheriff's deputy, and a Union High School alum making his mark with the New England Patriots. URLHERE #ClarkCount...

The Ridgefield Raptors went 20-7 in the first half of the West Coast League season, clinching a playoff spot — and players say the host families and coaches made it happen. Jackson Weber, Justin Brown, and Joseph Jasso describe how a Saturday brunch at the Rayburn home captured the spirit of this summer's squad. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/host-families-coaches-players-work-together-to...

Clark County is looking to fill four vacant volunteer seats on its Clean Water Commission, an advisory body of nine residents that guides surface water quality and watershed health policy. No stormwater expertise is required — applications are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 25. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/county-seeks-volunteers-for-four-positions-on-the-clean-water-commission/ #ClarkCounty #Clea...

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has not directly addressed Washington's new income tax despite repeated interview requests from The Center Square. Republican challenger Sen. John Braun and the RNC argue voters deserve a clear position. Opponents have gathered more than 500,000 signatures seeking a repeal vote. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-should-rep-marie-gluesenkamp-perez-publicly-s...

Rep. John Ley draws a direct line from Camas's "temporary" utility tax — proposed to jump from 2% to 9% — to a new statewide 9.9% income tax that over 511,000 Washingtonians have forced onto the November ballot. He argues the pattern is undeniable: temporary taxes never expire. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-letting-the-camels-nose-into-the-tent-reject-the-income-tax/ #Opinion #I...

Rye Dilley, a Tukes Valley Middle School student entering eighth grade, revived a defunct Battle Ground Public Schools district newspaper as a student-driven digital magazine — assembling the first 30-page issue in under six weeks alongside a team of about a dozen students. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/tukes-valley-middle-school-student-leads-school-district-news-magazine/ #BattleGround...

Washington's Small Business Optimism Index sits at 94.5 — four points below the national average. NFIB data show 19 percent of Washington owners cite labor costs as their top problem, more than double the 8.5 percent national rate, while government regulation and taxes also register far higher than peer states. Washington Policy Center's Mark Harmsworth breaks down what the numbers mean for worker...

More than 8,200 people experienced homelessness in Clark County in 2025, including over 2,300 children. The Council for the Homeless annual report documents small but fragile gains in shelter stays and housing stability, while warning that rising costs and tapering federal relief continue to outpace available resources. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/council-for-the-homeless-releases-2025-a...

Clark County's Charter Review Commission voted Wednesday to send all 10 proposed amendments to the November 2026 general election ballot. The amendments include a supermajority requirement for new county taxes, a three-consecutive-term limit for county councilors, and a reduction in initiative signature requirements from 10 percent to 8 percent. Commission Chair Brandon Erickson called the vote a...

Vancouver resident Sharon Nasset makes the case that removing the I-5 bridges is unnecessary — arguing seismic upgrades are feasible, a supplemental bridge one mile west could add capacity, and a second BNSF lift could reduce bridge raises by 95%. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/uncategorized/letter-why-are-we-removing-the-i-5-bridges/ #I5Bridge #ColumbiaRiver #IBR #Vancouver #ClarkCounty #Transp...

A wetland at the headwaters of Cougar Creek — ditched and drained more than a century ago — has been fully restored at Clark County's 78th Street Heritage Farm. The $4 million project features eight wetland cells and a 35-foot native plant buffer designed to improve water quality, recharge groundwater, and support salmon habitat in the Salmon Creek Watershed. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/...

The ramp from southbound I-5 to southbound I-205 at Exit 7 in Vancouver closes Friday, July 10 at 10 p.m. through Saturday at 8 p.m. for pavement repairs and striping. All southbound I-205 lanes between the I-5/I-205 split and Exit 36 at Northeast 134th Street will also close. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/southbound-i-5-to-i-205-connection-closes-for-paving-work-in-vancouver-july-10-11/ #...

Battle Ground is accepting grant applications for 2027 tourism programs, with funding available for special events, marketing, and operations designed to bring visitors to the city. Applications are due August 31 at 5 p.m. Finance Director Meagan Lowery is the point of contact. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/business/city-of-battle-ground-offering-2027-tourism-grants/ #BattleGround #ClarkCounty...