Clark County Today News

Senator Jamie Pedersen and Solicitor General Noah Purcell coordinated to craft ESSB 6346 with one goal: force the Washington Supreme Court to overturn Culliton v. Chase while blocking voters from referring the statute to the ballot. Internal emails reveal the necessity clause was inserted specifically to prevent referendum despite the tax not taking effect until 2028. Ryan Frost from Washington Po...

Furry Friends volunteers are rallying Clark County's support for their $10,000 fundraising goal during GiveBig on May 5. The Vancouver-based cat rescue spent over $265,000 on medical treatments alone last year, caring for cats like Mr. Grey, who survived years outdoors with serious wounds, and Daria, who needed emergency ear surgery after being abandoned. Match donors can double every public contr...

Sarah Mittelman questions whether HB 2266 truly addresses Clark County's housing challenges or simply shifts burdens to already struggling neighborhoods along the Fourth Plain corridor. She argues the bill expands housing placement while limiting local government oversight, leaving communities without meaningful input on decisions that directly affect them. Mittelman calls for evidence-based polic...

Bryan Shull, owner of Trap Door Brewing and Cruise the Couve, announced his candidacy for Clark County Council District 1. The Hudson's Bay High School graduate brings renewable energy engineering experience and advocates for a tax-last approach, smart growth policies, and small business support. His platform emphasizes affordable living solutions and reducing unnecessary government fees while str...

Washington Policy Center's David Boze shares personal tragedy alongside devastating state data showing Washington leads the nation in chronic homelessness and fentanyl overdoses. Mayor Eric Zimmerman's comprehensive study reveals how policy failures created an avoidable crisis affecting thousands of families across the Pacific Northwest. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-new-study-w...

Nearly 1,000 pages of public records expose coordinated efforts between Washington's attorney general's office and Democratic lawmakers to force the state Supreme Court to reconsider its 1933 Culliton decision banning progressive income taxes. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and AG staff strategized on crafting SB 6346's millionaire's tax specifically to challenge constitutional precedent, w...

Clark County Public Works launches summer road preservation projects using slurry seal, chip seal and hot mix asphalt across local roadways. Residents near affected roads are receiving mail notifications with door-to-door alerts coming as work dates approach. Interactive project maps are available online, and drivers should check routes before traveling since mapping apps don't show temporary clos...

Vancouver Police are investigating a serious collision that occurred at 3:30 a.m. Monday when a westbound driver struck a pedestrian in the crosswalk at Mill Plain Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. The victim sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized, while the cooperative driver remained at the scene. Speed appears to be a contributing factor as the Traffic Unit continues its investigation into...

Francis Eugene Madore flew 103 combat missions as a P-47 pilot in WWII, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 17 Oak Leaf Clusters. He and his wife Lucille Erma Madore will be honored in dual services Friday - an Honored Veterans Committal Service with military honors at Willamette National Cemetery and a Celebration of Life at Glenwood Community Church in Vancouver. Francis pa...

Anna Miller from Camas isn't buying the reassurances about election security after ballots were found sitting next to a trash can. Her letter demands real accountability, not talking points, and explains why she's backing Eileen Quiring O'Brien for Clark County auditor. Miller argues that public trust requires competence and transparency, not excuses when safeguards fail. https://www.clarkcountyto...

Jonathan Choe brought his 190,000-follower platform to Clark County Republicans Saturday night, challenging them to become citizen journalists. The independent investigative reporter told the sold-out Lincoln Day Gala that conservatives need to attend council meetings, hit record on their phones, and hold politicians accountable when legacy media fails. Choe discussed his homeless crisis reporting...

A Cessna aircraft experienced mechanical failure shortly after departing Pearson Field Saturday afternoon, forcing the pilot to execute an emergency landing on State Route 14. The pilot safely maneuvered the aircraft onto the eastbound shoulder near milepost 2, avoiding traffic and injury. Vancouver Fire Department, police, and state patrol responded to the scene. No other vehicles were involved i...

A 20-year-old victim was transported to the hospital after being shot in a Vancouver parking lot early Saturday morning. Vancouver Police conducted a K9 track but the suspect fled the scene and remains at large. The Major Crimes Team has taken over the investigation in the 11800 block of SE Mill Plain Boulevard. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-police-investigate-shooting-20/ #Vanco...

The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration have published the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, marking a critical step toward the $15 billion project. Rep. John Ley calls the process "eye-wash" and criticizes the lack of transparency in federal review timelines. The document outlines plans for a single-level...

Michelle Belkot and her legal team are challenging a federal judge's decision to dismiss all five claims in her lawsuit against Clark County. The case centers on alleged Open Public Meetings Act violations when fellow council members removed her from the C-TRAN Board without proper public notice. Attorney Richard Stephens says the federal appeals court review could take several months, while Belko...

Jesse Tingley's Bronze Star service in Iraq and Afghanistan led him back to Clark County, where Union High School's Honor Game celebrated his sacrifice alongside fellow veterans and first responders. The baseball and softball teams joined forces for dual ceremonies featuring ceremonial first pitches, drumline performances, and JROTC color presentations. Tingley, now living in Hockinson, reflected...

Washington's Work Zone Speed Camera Program issued 65,000 infractions in its first year, with encouraging safety results. Speeding dropped from 60% to 30% at I-5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord during enforcement periods. The program expands to 15 cameras by 2027, and first-time fines increase from $0 to $125 starting July 2026. WSP Chief John Batiste reports nearly 9% are repeat offenders among the...

Chief Cathy Doriot caps nearly four decades of dedicated service to Ridgefield with transformative leadership that expanded the police force, launched innovative safety programs, and earned regional recognition. Her legacy includes adding detective and sergeant positions, implementing drone technology, and spearheading the Pink Patch Project that spread across Clark County. The homegrown leader's...

Ryan Frost exposes the troubling reality behind Washington's new 9.9% income tax. While lawmakers promise it only targets the wealthy, the Department of Revenue is hiring 300 employees and budgeting $600 million in administrative costs for the first decade. Historical precedent shows every income tax starts narrow and expands rapidly. The federal income tax began at 7% for millionaires in 1913 and...

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is demanding federal action as sea lions consume four times more Columbia River salmon than fishermen harvest. The congresswoman wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeking expanded lethal removal authority, citing the $38,000 cost per sea lion removed under current burdensome processes. With nearly one-fourth of fish at Bonneville Dam showing sea lion bite woun...

School districts across Washington are sounding alarms about budget shortfalls, with staff layoffs and program cuts on the horizon. The debate centers on whether rising salary and benefit costs, inadequate state funding formulas, or declining enrollment is driving the crisis. Clark County Today examines the competing explanations behind this statewide financial strain affecting local education. ht...

Lt. Gov. Denny Heck delivered stark warnings to Clark County's Building Industry Association about Washington's housing crisis. The Vancouver native outlined how homebuilder constraints since 1992's Growth Management Act have created an "urgent problem" as the average first-time buyer age climbed from 28 to 40. Heck proposed three solutions including a new state Department of Housing and starter h...

Joe Cortright exposes IBR's deliberate delay of the Investment Grade Analysis until June 2027 — 18 months past the original deadline. The toll revenue study will likely show that promised $1.25 billion in toll funding won't materialize without dramatically higher tolls than advertised. This mirrors the Columbia River Crossing's 2013 analysis that cut traffic projections in half and nearly doubled...

Washington's affordability crisis drives 55,000 residents to flee between 2021-2023, with King County alone losing 95,000 people since 2020. Sam Cardwell from Mountain States Policy Center examines how the state's $17.13 minimum wage, SEPA regulations, and restrictive zoning laws create unaffordable housing markets while neighboring states like Idaho and Montana thrive with pro-business policies....

Donald Kimball from Washington Policy Center examines the delicate balance teachers face with artificial intelligence in education. While AI tools offer unprecedented learning opportunities, they risk students outsourcing critical thinking to machines. Kimball argues education choice allows families to find AI policies matching their children's unique needs rather than relying on one-size-fits-all...