Clark County Today News

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...

Motorcyclists made up 16 percent of Washington traffic fatalities over the last five years, despite being involved in just 3 percent of all crashes. Law enforcement agencies across Clark County will run High Visibility Enforcement patrols from July 10 through July 26, targeting dangerous behaviors by both riders and drivers. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/increased-motorcycle-safety-patrols...

Clark County Sheriff's Office deputy Patrick Morgan, 32, died June 30 after a nearly two-year battle with stage IV colon cancer. A husband, father of two, Army veteran, and dedicated deputy, Morgan continued reporting to work throughout his illness. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/ccso-deputy-dies-after-nearly-two-year-battle-with-cancer/ #CCSO #ClarkCounty #PatrickMorgan #LawEnforcement #...

Clark County is accepting applications for an open business representative seat on the 11-member Arts Commission. The unfinished four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2031. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 7 and can be submitted to County Manager Jake Goodwin. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/county-manager-seeks-volunteer-for-open-seat-on-arts-commission-5/ #ClarkCounty #ArtsCommission #Vancouv...

Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis dismissed a defense motion to disqualify the entire Clark County Prosecutor's Office from a case against Steven Michael Ward. The motion stemmed from lead prosecutor Laurel Smith's acknowledged relationship with Sgt. James Dewey, the case's lead investigator. Smith has since been screened off the case. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/judge-dismi...

Sen. John Braun says Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez voted against the largest tax reduction in U.S. history while positioning herself as a moderate. An NRCC internal poll from May 2026 shows Braun leading Perez 41% to 34% in WA-03, as opponents of Washington's new income tax submit more than 500,000 signatures for a repeal initiative. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/video-heat-turns-up-on-cong...

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs a seven-page letter threatening criminal prosecution if election officials knowingly retain noncitizens on voter rolls or facilitate their ballots. Hobbs has five days to respond. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/doj-threatens-wa-election-officials-with-prosecution-if-noncitizens-vote/ #WashingtonSt...

Leslie Lewallen examines WEA-PAC contribution data showing roughly 63% of member funds — nearly $5 million since 2020 — directed to Democratic candidates, including Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson. She argues the union's political spending contradicts its stated nonpartisan mission while Washington students lag on state and national assessments. https://www.clarkcountytoday.c...

Keithen Shepard grew up in Vancouver, starred at Union High School, and earned a degree from MIT — then landed a job with the New England Patriots as a data engineer in 2022. Now a Football R&D Analyst, he helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in 2025 after back-to-back 4-13 seasons. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/former-union-titan-now-excels-in-key-role-in-the-front-office-of-the-new...

Governor Bob Ferguson appointed former K&L Gates partner Theo Angelis — who has no judicial experience — to Washington Supreme Court Position 5 in March 2026. Columnist Nancy Churchill examines all four candidates ahead of the August 4 primary, weighing trial court experience, political connections, and what's at stake with the income tax case and LEOFF 1 disputes headed to the court. https://www....