Clark County Today News

American Legion Auxiliary Tum Tum Unit 168 President Andi Schwartz writes about the meaning of the red poppy — a symbol rooted in the battlefields of World War I — and invites North County residents to a National Poppy Day outreach at Yacolt Trading Post on May 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-remembering-the-fallen-through-the-symbol-of-the-red-poppy/ #Me...

Brittany and Aric Clapp have fostered 42 children and turned that experience into Cloth and Foster, a Vancouver nonprofit that served an average of 28 caregivers a month last year — and 49 in March alone. Volunteers stock a warehouse with clothing, diapers, bedding, and more so foster families never have to scramble alone. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/spotlight-on-nonprofits-cloth-and-f...

Twenty-two students in Mindy Williams Cleeland's AVID class at Skyview High School collected more than 300 items for Cloth and Foster, a Vancouver nonprofit serving foster children and caregivers. The drive began after a classmate shared their own foster care experience. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/skyviews-avid-students-make-donation-to-nonprofit-as-part-of-class-project/ #ClothAndFos...

Clark County Council Chair Sue Marshall's State of the County Address covered public safety investments, housing affordability, the Comprehensive Growth Plan, new deputy hiring funded by a sales tax increase, and the Charter Review Commission. Now Clark County Today wants to know how residents feel about the county's overall direction. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-how-would-you-ra...

Longview Public Schools Superintendent Karen Cloninger was arrested May 21 on felony witness tampering and other charges after detectives allege school leadership knew of sexual misconduct involving students at Mark Morris High School as early as Jan. 29, 2026, and directed staff to handle it internally. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/longview-police-provide-update-on-mark-morris-investigat...

Washington State transportation officials are weighing toll increases to $18 on SR 167 and I-405 after toll revenue fell $10 million short of projections — and the stakes extend to Southwest Washington drivers who could face future I-5 tolls. Rep. Andrew Barkis calls the timing poor with gas prices nearing $6 per gallon in parts of the state. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/washingtonians-co...

The U.S. House passed a 217-198 bill requiring parental consent before public elementary and middle schools can update a student's pronouns, gender markers, or preferred name on records — or risk losing federal funding. Eight Democrats, including Washington's Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, voted yes. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/us-house-passes-sweeping-gender-ideology-bill-aimed-at-trans-kids-...

Additional spring Chinook retention days are now open on the mainstem Columbia River from Rocky Point/Tongue Point to the Washington-Oregon border. The Technical Advisory Committee revised the upriver spring Chinook return estimate to 111,900 — down from a preseason forecast of 147,300 — but current catch levels still support added retention. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/sports/columbia-river-...

Elizabeth New (Hovde) of the Washington Policy Center argues Washington's compact-by-compact approach to occupational licensing leaves experienced, credentialed workers waiting too long to work. She makes the case for universal licensure recognition — already adopted by 28 states — as a broader fix. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-fix-licensing-expand-access-lower-costs-free-worke...

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek blamed Trump's Iran policy after voters rejected Measure 120 — a new transportation tax — by 83 to 17, including a majority of Democrats. Lars Larson argues Kotek ignored ODOT mismanagement on the Abernathy Bridge, Rose Quarter, and Interstate Bridge instead of taking responsibility. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-tone-deaf-tina-kotek-ignores-oregon-vot...

Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl explains why Washington's suspended license law applies anywhere in the state — including private driveways. Unlicensed drivers are twice as likely to be involved in fatal crashes, and that's exactly why officers can act before a vehicle reaches the road. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-getting-a-ticket-in-your-drive-way/ #TargetZero #DougDahl #Washin...

Brush Prairie's Adele Anaya earned the 2026 Lovis Extraordinary Student Award — and at just nine years old, she co-founded Tix for Tots, a nonprofit that helped nearly 100 families access plays, museums, and sporting events in its first year. The Lovis Foundation, an Ohio-based nonprofit honoring students in grades 5–8, recognized Anaya for her volunteer work, performing arts achievements, and com...

Jonas Fridriksson, a U.S. history and world studies teacher at Battle Ground High School, has been named the 2026 recipient of the University of Washington's Thomas J. and Cameron Pressly Endowed Prize — the second time he has received the honor. He was nominated by former student Elizabeth McAleer, now a UW student, who credited Fridriksson's energetic, discussion-driven teaching style with shapi...

Clark County Public Health is warning swimmers that local lakes and rivers remain dangerously cold this Memorial Day weekend, cold enough to trigger sudden increases in breathing and heart rate — even in strong swimmers. Public Health monitors Vancouver Lake, Klineline Pond, and Battle Ground Lake for bacteria and harmful algal blooms all summer. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/public-health...

Jason Mercier of Mountain States Policy Center compares Washington's weakening job growth and expanding regulatory burden against Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming — states that rank among the nation's lowest for taxes and regulation. Former Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire's warning about overspending adds sharp bipartisan weight to the contrast. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-state...

Elizabeth New (Hovde) of the Washington Policy Center argues that Washington lawmakers had real options for tax relief — a sales-tax cut, payroll-tax limits, lower fuel costs — and chose none of them. Instead, they signed a 9.9% income tax and let payroll taxes keep climbing. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-workers-needed-tax-relief-but-olympia-gave-them-something-else/ #IncomeTax...

Chief Umtuch Middle School teacher Beth Doughty is the only Washington state educator among 61 selected nationwide for the Silent Heroes program, which tasks teachers with researching untold stories of U.S. service members. Doughty and her students researched Staff Sergeant Clifford Henry Mast, a Korean War airman from Spokane who flew classified reconnaissance missions. https://www.clarkcountytod...

Clark County's draft 2026-2032 Parks and Nature Capital Improvement Plan is open for public comment through June 19. The plan covers nine sites including Klineline Pond, Whipple Creek Regional Park, and two new neighborhood parks in Mount Vista and Minnehaha. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-seeks-public-comment-on-the-parks-and-nature-capital-improvement-plan/ #ClarkCounty #Park...

Journey Theater opens Seussical on May 29 at Manor Church in Battle Ground, featuring the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, and Gertrude McFuzz. Six performances run through June 6, with tickets from $12 to $18 at journeytheater.org or 360-750-8550. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/journey-theater-presents-seussical/ #JourneyTheater #Seussical #BattleGround #ClarkCounty #YouthTheater #Fa...

Clark County Sheriff John Horch accepted a Peace Officers Memorial Day proclamation from the Clark County Council, pausing to name Det. Jeremy Brown, killed in 2021, and Vancouver officer Donald Sahota, killed in 2022. The tradition traces back to President Kennedy's 1962 designation. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/county-council-honors-law-enforcement-during-peace-officers-memorial-day/ #P...

Clark County Council Chair Sue Marshall delivered her final State of the County Address, covering a new sales tax that will fund 22 deputy positions, the Legacy Lands Program's 5,500 protected acres, the Charter Review Commission, and the opening of Curtin Creek Park in Brush Prairie. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/sue-marshall-delivers-state-of-the-county-address/ #ClarkCounty #SueMarshall...

Vancouver resident Peter Bracchi argues that a diagram of the Share House area reveals not a homelessness problem alone, but a systemic failure — police, fire, public health, stormwater, ADA access, sanitation, and legal exposure all drawn into one unresolved zone over years of managed neglect. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-this-diagram-is-a-snapshot-of-failure/ #ShareHouse #Vanc...

The Trump administration launched a federal investigation into Washington state's practice of housing transgender women at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, citing allegations of sexual and physical violence against female prisoners. The DOJ told Gov. Bob Ferguson the conditions may violate the Eighth Amendment. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/was-transgender-prison-...

Clark County's 2026 Point-In-Time Count, conducted January 29, found unsheltered people dropped 11% from 2025, but unsheltered families rose 21% and BIPOC residents made up 40% of those counted — nearly double their 26% share of the county population. Council for the Homeless chief operating officer Sunny Wonder says coordinated outreach teams worked throughout the county to reach as many people a...

Swift Dam near Cougar is closed to public access starting May 23 after multiple incidents of vandalism and tampering with PacifiCorp's fish collector equipment. The closure has no expected end date in 2026. Swift Forest Camp at Swift Reservoir remains open. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/swift-dam-closed-to-public-access-due-to-vandalism-security-concerns/ #SwiftDam #PacifiCorp #ClarkCounty...