Clark County Today News

Vancouver Public Schools faces $20-30 million in budget cuts, threatening beloved music, art, and PE teachers. But CCT Editor Ken Vance argues the real culprit isn't lack of funding—it's teachers' unions that greedily leveraged McCleary money for unprecedented salary increases while knowing other programs would suffer. Washington teachers now rank second nationally in starting salaries, averaging...

State Senate minority leader John Braun landed Donald Trump's endorsement Tuesday in his campaign to unseat Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in Washington's 3rd Congressional District. The backing from Trump, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, positions Braun as the GOP standard-bearer in a race that could determine House control. Gluesenkamp Perez, who...

Lars Larson calls out the hypocrisy of liberals who benefit from Trump's tax cuts while despising the former president. He challenges progressives to put their money where their mouth is and voluntarily pay the higher rates Kamala Harris proposed — including her 35% corporate tax hike and unprecedented capital gains taxes. The average taxpayer saved thousands under current rates, but would Trump-h...

Vancouver Fire Department celebrated Engine 5's arrival with a Push-In ceremony honoring 1800s tradition when horse-drawn engines were manually pushed into stations. The KME-manufactured apparatus brings advanced technology and modern safety systems to strengthen emergency response capabilities. Fleet maintenance technicians joined firefighters in pushing the new engine into Station 5, highlightin...

WSDOT maintenance crews will close the left lane of southbound I-5 between Exit 11 for Battle Ground and Northeast 179th Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday for guardrail repairs just south of Ridgefield. The repairs target damaged sections that help keep vehicles from going off the road or crossing into oncoming traffic during crashes. Travelers should plan for delays and follow directional si...

The Washington State Patrol is launching an early motorcycle safety campaign as warmer weather brings more riders to the roads. National statistics reveal motorcyclists face fatality rates up to 27 times higher than car occupants, with speed being a factor in 33% of motorcycle deaths compared to 22% for cars. Chief John R. Batiste emphasizes that inexperienced riders ages 21-24 account for 49% of...

Clark County's Commission on Aging hosts mobility experts from Community in Motion and the Area Agency on Aging for their ongoing four-part series addressing transportation challenges facing older adults. The April 20 meeting offers both in-person attendance at the Public Service Center and virtual participation options, reflecting the commission's commitment to accessible community engagement on...

Katie Henry brings two decades of healthcare management experience to Identity Clark County's board of directors. The Vancouver Clinic CEO previously led Austin Regional Clinic through 13 capital projects and 50% patient growth. Henry holds a juris doctorate from Wake Forest University and serves on the American Medical Group Association executive committee. Identity Clark County represents 110 in...

Thalia Puente Fernandez argues Washington students shouldn't face penalties for refusing animal dissection when Oregon and California already protect this choice. She questions unclear animal origins and calls for Clark County to lead on student rights legislation that prioritizes ethics over compliance in science education. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-its-time-to-protect-stude...

Vancouver Fire and Clark County Fire District 3 crews responded to a kitchen fire at 9304 NE 227th Avenue where four pets were trapped inside. Firefighters performed emergency resuscitation on two dogs and two cats rescued from the smoke-filled home. Despite rapid response efforts, three animals died while one dog survived. The Clark County Fire Marshal's Office continues investigating the cause....

Dave Upthegrove's unilateral decision to remove 79,876 acres from timber production is devastating rural school districts across Washington. Mount Baker schools face $1 million annual losses, forcing state takeover of finances and 30 employee cuts. Sedro-Woolley's DNR revenue collapsed from $3 million to $150,000, costing over 20 jobs. Nancy Churchill exposes how the Lands Commissioner's green age...

Lars Larson warns that Washington's "millionaires tax" will inevitably expand to hit middle-class earners, following the same pattern as federal income tax over the past century. The state is already hiring 300 tax collectors starting July 1st, even though revenue won't arrive until 2029, building infrastructure to eventually tax incomes under a million dollars. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/op...

After three years of closure due to a massive landslide, Mount St. Helens' Johnston Ridge Observatory will finally regain road access. The 2023 slide buried State Route 504 with over 300,000 cubic yards of volcanic debris, stranding visitors who needed helicopter rescue. Now Washington State Department of Transportation crews are building a permanent replacement for the destroyed Spirit Lake Outle...

Rep. John Ley exposes TriMet's staggering financial mismanagement as the agency posts an $850 million operating loss while demanding Clark County taxpayers fund MAX light rail operations. With costs per passenger mile jumping 75% in two years and ridership still 30% below pre-pandemic levels, serious questions emerge about the IBR's plan to prioritize six light rail construction packages in 2026....

Vancouver City Council unanimously approved a resolution demanding light rail extend beyond the waterfront station to Library Square near Evergreen Boulevard. Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle criticized the IBR's proposal to end service at a station requiring a 90-foot elevator, calling it impractical for the planned multimodal hub connecting C-TRAN buses with light rail. The city invested years planning...

State Representatives Stephanie McClintock and John Ley will deliver remarks at the Battle Ground KinderCare grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 18. The new center serves children from 6 weeks to 5 years old and accepts Washington state subsidy to increase access to quality early learning. The free family event features face painters, Hawaiian snacks, and interactive activities from 11 a....

The Camas-Washougal Community Chest teams up with Rotary and Lions foundations to support 37 local organizations serving children and families. From emergency food assistance to Safe Stay overnight programs and watershed monitoring, these grants fund vital community services across Southwest Washington. Major donors include GP Foundation, local school districts, and city employees working together...

Terry Meyers, 58, pointed a firearm at a neighbor before barricading himself in his Vancouver apartment, forcing police to shut down I-5 southbound lanes during the SWAT response. The extended standoff at The Hudson apartment complex ended with Meyers' arrest and the discovery of multiple firearms in his unit. He faces two counts of second-degree assault and one count of third-degree assault. http...

Peter Bracchi challenges the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program's expanding scope after 22 years of planning and $477 million in pre-construction costs. The Vancouver resident argues project leaders must stop selling future hopes as current deliverables, with the fundable phase covering only a waterfront light rail station 75 feet above ground while the full corridor estimate reaches $14.4 bill...

Ekklesia Theatre presents Every Brilliant Thing, an interactive production where audiences become part of the story about finding hope during life's hardest moments. The company partners with Charis Counseling Associates, donating 50% of ticket sales to make mental health services accessible in Clark County. Shows run May 8, 15, and 22 at Coffee Church and Heritage Church in Vancouver, featuring C...

Ekklesia Theatre presents Every Brilliant Thing, an interactive production where audiences become part of the story about finding hope during life's hardest moments. The company partners with Charis Counseling Associates, donating 50% of ticket sales to make mental health services accessible in Clark County. Shows run May 8, 15, and 22 at Coffee Church and Heritage Church in Vancouver, featuring C...

Elizabeth New exposes how Washington state forces taxpayers to subsidize union collection while workers remain uninformed about their constitutional rights to refuse membership. Idaho's new legislation joins six other states banning government payroll deduction for private union dues, creating healthier separation between public employment and political organizations. The current system blurs empl...

Former Attorney General Rob McKenna and Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge filed suit in Klickitat Superior Court challenging Washington's new 9.9% income tax. The legal brief argues the legislature and Governor Ferguson willfully defied nearly a century of state Supreme Court precedent declaring income as property subject to uniform taxation requirements. Six previous attempts to impose graduate...

Vancouver Police responded to a residence on NE Oakbrook Circle Thursday night where officers discovered a 33-year-old woman deceased from significant knife wounds and a 30-year-old man with self-inflicted, life-threatening injuries. The male suspect was transported to a local hospital and remains hospitalized while the Major Crimes Unit conducts the investigation. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com...

Tony Teso dismantles Lars Larson's voter fraud narrative, explaining that Oregon and Washington are contesting federal jurisdiction over voter roll data — not refusing to clean their rolls. The Camas resident argues the 372,000 Colorado figure represents routine maintenance, not fraud, and challenges the logic that links ballot measure outcomes to electoral fraud claims. https://www.clarkcountytod...