Clark County Today News

Santa’s Posse returned to Clark County, with hundreds of volunteers partnering with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to deliver toys, food, and bicycles to 1,500 families and nearly 4,300 children, highlighting a decades-long tradition of community-driven holiday giving. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/santas-posse-delivers-christmas-joy-once-again/ #SantaPosse #ClarkCounty #CommunityGiving #HolidayTradition #Volunteers #SouthwestWashington

Mark Harmsworth of the Washington Policy Center says rising minimum wages and higher B&O taxes are pushing food prices beyond the reach of lower-income consumers, citing data from Wendy’s, academic studies, and recent policy changes that he argues are worsening affordability for families and small businesses. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-is-the-cheap-fast-food-burger-a-thing-of-the-past/ #Opinion #WashingtonPolicyCenter #MinimumWage #SmallBusiness #Inflation #CostOfLiving

In this opinion column, Lars Larson argues that Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek are failing to address deadly highway crashes involving commercial drivers with state-issued licenses, raising questions about public safety, enforcement, and state compliance with federal CDL laws. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-blood-on-the-highways-fails-to-move-ferguson-and-kotek/ #Opinion #HighwaySafety #PublicSafety #PacificNorthwest #CDL #TrafficSafety

In this letter to the editor, Camas resident Anthony Teso says immigrants are protected by the U.S. Constitution and outlines how rights such as due process, equal protection, and protection from illegal search and seizure apply to all people, warning against curtailing any group’s civil liberties. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-when-we-curtail-one-groups-rights-we-leave-open-the-door-to-losing-our-rights-too/ #Opinion #CivilLiberties #Constitution #Immigration #ClarkCounty #Camas

Clark County Today is asking readers to weigh in on whether enforcing U.S. immigration laws is an act of racism, following a local opinion column that examined recent ICE activity in Vancouver, public reaction, and the role of law enforcement in immigration enforcement. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-do-you-agree-that-enforcing-u-s-immigration-laws-is-not-an-act-of-racism/ #Opinion #Immigration #PublicOpinion #ClarkCounty #ICE #LawEnforcement

Widespread flooding across Washington state has forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate as rivers crest and officials warn of catastrophic conditions, prompting Gov. Bob Ferguson to request federal disaster aid and deploy the National Guard to assist affected communities. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/thousands-under-evacuation-orders-as-floodwaters-crest-in-washington-rivers/ #WashingtonFloods #EmergencyResponse #Evacuations #PublicSafety #NaturalDisaster #WAState

The C-TRAN Board of Directors paused its monthly meeting to remember Molly Coston, honoring her leadership as board chair, her service as Washougal mayor and councilor, and the lasting impact she made on public transportation and the community. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/c-tran-board-pays-tribute-to-the-late-molly-coston/ #CTran #PublicTransportation #CommunityLeaders #Washougal #Vancouver #RegionalTransit

Lars Larson weighs in on student walkouts protesting immigration enforcement, pointing to education funding levels, absenteeism, and test results while questioning whether taxpayers should respond by withholding their own participation. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-should-taxpayers-walkout/ #Opinion #PacificNorthwest #EducationFunding #Taxpayers #PublicSchools #Accountability

Target Zero will honor traffic safety champions at the Night of 1000 Stars Ceremony in Region 6, recognizing leaders such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, while reinforcing the importance of sober driving and enhanced DUI enforcement during the holiday season. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/target-zero-honors-traffic-safety-champions-at-the-night-of-1000-stars-ceremony/ #TargetZero #TrafficSafety #DUIEnforcement #WashingtonState #CommunitySafety #RoadSafety

The Clark County Elections Office is asking registered voters in Hockinson and Washougal school districts to submit opposing statements for upcoming ballot propositions, with a deadline of Dec. 17 for inclusion in the February 10, 2026 special election voters’ guide. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/opposing-statements-sought-for-feb-10-2026-ballot-measures/ #ClarkCounty #Elections #BallotMeasures #VotersGuide #LocalGovernment #SchoolDistricts

Doug Dahl of The Wise Drive outlines how little water it takes to make driving dangerous, explaining hydroplaning risks, vehicle limitations in standing and moving water, and why flooded roads pose hidden hazards for drivers across Washington state. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-too-deep-to-drive-flooded-roads/ #Opinion #DrivingSafety #FloodedRoads #WashingtonState #TargetZero #RoadSafety

Yacolt resident Mark Rose argues Washington state is repeating the same grant oversight failures that led to Minnesota’s $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud, pointing to state audits, nonprofit pass-through funding, and local homelessness programs as warning signs for taxpayers. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-a-warning-to-washington-the-minnesota-model-of-fraud-has-arrived/ #Opinion #WashingtonState #FraudOversight #TaxpayerFunds #NonprofitAccountability #ClarkCounty

An atmospheric river is hammering Washington state with days of heavy rain, pushing rivers from the Canadian border to southwest Washington into moderate to major flood stage. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Wednesday signed a statewide emergency declaration, activated the Washington National Guard through the end of the month and said he’ll seek fast federal help as officials warn that “lives will be at stake in the coming days.”This report details how much rain is falling along the western Cascades, why the Skagit River is a chief concern as it threatens to top its 1990 record by about four feet upriver, and how local and state agencies are preparing to evacuate roughly seventy‑five thousand people from low‑lying areas. It also covers major road closures — including a fifty‑mile shutdown of Highway 2 — and what emergency managers expect as more wet weather looms next week. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/historic-flooding-prompts-wa-governor-to-declare-emergency/#WashingtonState #Flooding #PublicSafety #StateOfEmergency #SkagitRiver

Voting by mail surged during the pandemic and still accounts for tens of millions of ballots, but the rules that govern it may be about to change. This story looks at efforts in states like Ohio to eliminate ballot grace periods, a U.S. Supreme Court case that could require all mail ballots to arrive by Election Day, and former President Donald Trump’s renewed push to end mail voting altogether. It also highlights election officials and voters from Oregon to West Virginia who defend the system, even as they brace for new limits before the next midterms. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/voting-by-mail-faces-uncertain-moment-ahead-of-midterm-elections/#UnitedStates #VotingByMail #Elections #ElectionLaw #SupremeCourt

In this opinion column, Nancy Churchill argues that Washington’s 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act created an unfunded mandate on local utilities, forcing small public utility districts to subsidize broad low‑income energy discounts out of their own rate base. Citing data from northeast Washington, she says the burden is landing on working families just above the cutoff line, and that House Bill 1903 would move funding and administration of the program to the state using Climate Commitment Act dollars. Churchill walks readers through how the bill would work, why she believes it’s “pro‑rural” and “pro‑taxpayer,” and urges rural residents to contact lawmakers and demand a hearing on HB 1903. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-olympias-mandate-and-your-power-bill/#WashingtonState #Opinion #HB1903 #CleanEnergyTransformationAct #RuralWashington #EnergyPolicy

Clark County crews are working through heavy rain and gusty winds this week as flooding, standing water and storm debris begin to impact roads and parks. Public Works is fielding calls about clogged drains, downed trees and rising creeks, and in some cases closing roads like Northeast JR Anderson Road east of La Center until water levels recede. Several major regional parks have seen localized flooding in parking lots and access roads, even as some sites have recently reopened. The county is urging drivers and park visitors to avoid flooded areas, obey barricades and report hazards while this weather event continues. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-road-closures-and-storm-response-information-dec-9-10/#ClarkCounty #Flooding #RoadClosures #PublicWorks #StormResponse

Vancouver invited policymakers, partners and donors out for a “Muddy Boots Tour” of the future Bridge Shelter site, where a 120‑bed campus is starting to rise on the former Naydenov Gymnastics property in the VanMall neighborhood. City staff walked guests through muddy construction areas and detailed renderings, explaining how the shelter is meant to “bridge” people from tents into housing with on‑site services and a commercial‑grade kitchen. The tour also highlighted key funders and the outreach plan that will guide people to the shelter once it opens in 2026. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-hosts-muddy-boots-tour-of-grounds-that-will-become-the-bridge-shelter/#VancouverWA #BridgeShelter #HomelessServices #VanMall #ClarkCounty #HousingAndHomelessness

After a lengthy closed‑door executive session, the C‑TRAN Board of Directors emerged Tuesday with no action on a controversial board‑composition proposal — leaving months of debate between Vancouver, Clark County and the small cities unresolved. A Board Composition Review Committee had recommended a 4‑3‑2 split in seats for Vancouver, the county and the smaller cities, but only if small cities couldn’t be forced to pay for light‑rail operations without local approval and county seats came from districts outside Vancouver. Vancouver’s City Council, however, voted to back the 4‑3‑2 plan without those conditions, while some board members warn that discarding parts of the compromise could invite litigation and further alienate cities already questioning their place in C‑TRAN. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/c-tran-takes-no-action-on-board-composition-review-committees-directive/#VancouverWA #ClarkCounty #CTRAN #TransitPolitics #InterstateBridgeReplacement

Policy analyst Sam Cardwell of the Mountain States Policy Center argues that California’s new $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers is a warning sign for the rest of the country. Citing a National Bureau of Economic Research study, he says the policy coincided with an estimated 18,000 fast-food jobs lost between September 2023 and September 2024 and a steeper employment decline than in other states. Cardwell applies those findings to Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, estimating thousands of potential job losses if each adopted a $20 minimum wage, and points to higher restaurant prices in Seattle as evidence of existing wage pressures. He concludes that large minimum wage hikes risk leaving some workers with “a minimum wage of zero.” https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-fast-food-jobs-at-risk-with-high-minimum-wages/#UnitedStates #MinimumWage #FastFoodJobs #CaliforniaPolicy #WashingtonState #MountainStatesPolicyCenter #Opinion

Let’s Go Washington has released a new signature update after 78 days of gathering on two statewide initiatives and says it is pushing well beyond the minimum to guard against stolen or damaged petitions. The group reports 315,979 signatures for Initiative IL26‑638, which backers describe as protecting fairness in girls sports, and 289,571 signatures for IL26‑001, aimed at strengthening communication between parents and schools. Campaign Manager Darren Littell says supporters are “turning out in droves” and that LGW is confident both measures will qualify for the Legislature, while volunteers are being urged to keep collecting through January and to use secure drop‑off options later this month. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/lets-go-washington-issues-initiatives-signature-count-update/#WashingtonState #LetsGoWashington #Initiatives #ParentalRights #GirlsSports #Politics

St. John Lutheran Church in Vancouver is preparing for its 14th annual Longest Night service on Dec. 21, a contemplative gathering designed for people who find the holidays especially hard because of grief, loss or other burdens. Held on the winter solstice, the quiet service features live music, prayers and scripture readings in a dimly lit sanctuary, with a candle-lighting ritual inviting worshippers to bring Christ’s light to the weights they carry. Organizers say the goal is that each person leaves with a renewed sense of peace, hope and the assurance that Christ is present even in their darkest hour. The service begins at 7 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, 11005 NE Highway 99 in Vancouver. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/st-john-lutheran-church-longest-night-service-set-for-dec-21-2/#VancouverWA #SalmonCreek #StJohnLutheran #LongestNightService #WinterSolstice #GriefAndLoss #HolidaySeason

Furry Friends’ annual Giving Trees fundraiser is back for 2025, inviting Clark County residents to help stock up essential supplies for rescued cats and kittens. Local businesses across Vancouver, Battle Ground and Camas are hosting “Giving Trees” with wish lists and donation bins, and every dollar saved on food, litter and cleaning products lets the no‑kill rescue put more resources into medical care and rehabilitation. Supporters can shop in person, ship items directly from an Amazon Wish List or donate online so Furry Friends can purchase what’s needed most. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/furry-friends-giving-trees-2025-underway/#ClarkCounty #VancouverWA #FurryFriends #GivingTrees #HolidayFundraiser #CatRescue #NoKillShelter #AdoptDontShop

Ekklesia Theatre is closing out its second season with a heartwarming holiday production of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Coffee Church in Vancouver. Staged as a 1940s radio broadcast, the show features a tight‑knit ensemble voicing dozens of characters around vintage microphones and live sound effects, as George Bailey’s story unfolds on Christmas Eve. Fifty percent of all ticket sales will be donated to FISH of Vancouver, supporting neighbors facing food insecurity across Clark County. Performances are Dec. 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. at 10311 NE Hwy 99, with $15 tickets available at ekklesiatheatre.org/tickets. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/ekklesia-theatre-presents-its-a-wonderful-life-a-live-radio-play/#VancouverWA #ItsAWonderfulLife #EkklesiaTheatre #HolidayTheatre #CommunityTheatre #ChristmasShow #LiveRadioPlay #FISHOfVancouver #FoodInsecurity #ClarkCounty

Gov. Bob Ferguson is holding a fundraising lunch in Seattle with special guest Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, even as Walz faces intensifying scrutiny over a massive welfare fraud scandal in his state. Critics, including Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh, say Ferguson should have canceled the “poorly timed fundraiser,” while Democrats praise both governors as strong leaders during “tough times.” The House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into fraud in Minnesota’s social welfare programs, and online reaction to the Walz visit shows just how charged the optics have become. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/gov-fergusons-office-silent-on-walz-visit-amid-minnesota-fraud-crisis/#WashingtonState #BobFerguson #TimWalz #MinnesotaFraud #Politics #CampaignFundraiser #TheCenterSquare

Washington state’s Department of Licensing says it mistakenly issued nearly 700 commercial driver’s licenses over seven years to noncitizens who did not qualify under federal rules. The problem drew national attention after truck driver Harjinder Singh, who wrongly received a standard CDL from Washington, allegedly made an illegal U‑turn in Florida and killed three people. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is now threatening to pull highway funding from states with similar errors and is pushing tighter visa limits on who can drive trucks and buses, prompting legal challenges from King County and others. Washington has halted processing non‑domiciled CDLs while it reviews the 685 active licenses in question and prepares a response to a Florida lawsuit at the U.S. Supreme Court. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/wa-erred-in-granting-hundreds-of-commercial-drivers-licenses-to-noncitizens/#UnitedStates #WashingtonState #CDL #Trucking #Immigration #USDOT #HighwaySafety #LicensingErrors #WashingtonStateStandard #FederalFunding

In this column, Washington Policy Center transportation expert Charles Prestrud questions whether Sound Transit’s newest light rail extension is any cause for celebration. He compares Link ridership and King County Metro bus ridership before and after recent expansions and argues that multi‑billion‑dollar rail projects are mostly shifting existing riders from buses, not growing overall transit use or easing freeway congestion. Prestrud urges Sound Transit’s board to rethink ST3 plans and consider more flexible, cost‑effective ways to improve regional mobility. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-sound-transit-no-cause-for-celebration/#WashingtonState #SoundTransit #LightRail #ST3 #TransitPolicy #PugetSound #Transportation #WashingtonPolicyCenter #CharlesPrestrud

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity is entering a new chapter of shared leadership in Clark County. Drawing on Habitat’s roots in “Partnership Housing” at Koinonia Farm, the nonprofit is adopting a co-CEO structure and naming chief operations officer Lindsi Smith to lead alongside current executive Josh Townsley. Leaders say the move reflects Habitat’s core values of partnership, equity and elevating women’s voices as Evergreen Habitat expands its work to provide safe, affordable homes for local families. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/business/a-new-chapter-ahead-for-evergreen-habitat-for-humanity/#ClarkCounty #VancouverWA #HabitatForHumanity #EvergreenHabitat #AffordableHousing #NonprofitLeadership #SharedLeadership #CommunityImpact #ElevatingWomensVoices

The Woodland High School boys football team has been named the 2A Academic State Champion, earning the highest collective GPA in their classification statewide. With a 3.461 team GPA across 24 players — and leaders like senior lineman Isaiah Mattison carrying a 3.981 — the Beavers are being honored for excelling in both athletics and academics. Woodland coaches and administrators say the program’s GRIT philosophy and strong community support help develop athletes who are competitors on the field and high achievers in the classroom. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/sports/woodland-athletes-winning-on-the-field-and-in-the-classroom/ #WoodlandWA #Beavers #HighSchoolFootball #StudentAthletes

Clark County Public Works is responding to heavy rain and gusty winds that are flooding roads and parks across the county. Several locations, including sections of Northeast 156th Street and 112th Avenue in Brush Prairie, JR Anderson Road east of La Center, and regional parks such as Lewisville, Lucia Falls, Moulton Falls and Daybreak, are currently closed with no estimated reopening time. Officials are asking residents to report flooding and downed trees, avoid driving through water or around barricades, steer clear of flooded park areas and fast-moving rivers, and follow county channels for ongoing updates. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-road-closures-and-storm-response-information-dec-9/ #ClarkCounty #PublicWorks #StormSafety #Flooding

Western Washington is bracing for a powerful atmospheric river this week that could dump up to 15 inches of rain in parts of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon, sending dozens of rivers out of their banks. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service and Northwest River Forecast Center warn of major flooding on rivers like the Cowlitz, Puyallup, Skagit, Skykomish and Snoqualmie, and urge residents near flood-prone areas to prepare to evacuate, clear storm drains, slow down on wet roads and never drive through floodwaters. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/major-flooding-on-way-for-western-washington-this-week/ #WAwx #Flooding #AtmosphericRiver

In this letter to the editor, Yacolt resident Mark Rose describes opening an “escrow shortage” notice that raised his mortgage payment by nearly $400 and calls it a symptom of a wider “fiscal fracture” facing Clark County’s middle class. He argues that property tax tactics like banked capacity, a collapsing insurance market, and state-level policies such as the Climate Commitment Act are squeezing working families, and outlines three reforms he believes could restore stability. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-the-silent-eviction-why-clark-county-is-becoming-unlivable-for-the-middle-class/ #ClarkCounty #Opinion #CostOfLiving #MiddleClass

A legal team representing conservative journalist Nicholas Sortor has filed a tort claim against the city of Portland, alleging his October 2, 2025 arrest outside the Portland ICE facility was unlawful and driven by political bias. The claim accuses Portland Police of standing by as Antifa activists attacked Sortor, then arresting him without probable cause, and is backed by a detailed historical memorandum sent to the U.S. Department of Justice outlining years of alleged selective non-enforcement toward Antifa and retaliatory enforcement against conservatives and journalists. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/tort-claim-filed-against-city-of-portland-on-behalf-of-conservative-journalist/ #Portland #CivilRights #FirstAmendment #AngusLee

In this Northwest Nonsense commentary, Lars Larson reacts to an atmospheric river bearing down on the region and questions environmentalists’ push to remove Northwest dams, including on the Snake River. He argues that dams provide vital flood control, power, transportation and irrigation benefits, and says public policy should prioritize people’s lives and well-being over fish. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-fish-first-or-people-thats-the-dam-question/ #PacificNorthwest #Dams #Opinion #LarsLarson

The Battle Ground Police Department’s annual “Shop With A Cop” event paired more than 20 local children with officers for a holiday shopping trip at Walmart, backed by Battle Ground Seniors Inc. and Pepsi Co. What began as a set budget for each child turned into lessons in generosity, budgeting and quiet acts of kindness from officers, capped off by a surprise: brand-new bicycles for every child, delivered with Santa’s help. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/youth/battle-ground-police-department-hosts-annual-shop-with-a-cop-event-for-local-youth/ #BattleGround #ShopWithACop #BGPD #Youth

With heavy rain and gusty winds in the forecast, Clark County Public Works says its crews and equipment are ready to respond to storm impacts in unincorporated areas and is reminding residents how to report hazards, pick up free sandbags, and stay informed about road and park closures. The county is also sharing key safety tips, from avoiding floodwaters and downed power lines to slowing down near work crews and winter river conditions. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/county-public-works-ready-to-respond-to-storm-impacts-shares-resources-for-residents/ #ClarkCounty #PublicWorks #StormSafety #Flooding #Weather

The Battle Ground City Council has unanimously adopted the city’s 2026 budget after months of planning and public input, prioritizing service level improvements, transportation projects, new park amenities, and local economic development. The plan includes about $8 million for one-time street preservation and capital projects, roughly $2.8 million for park upgrades like Florence Robison Park and Remy Park, and a new $50,000 funding program to support small businesses and the Old Town Revitalization Plan. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/battle-ground-city-council-adopts-2026-budget/ #BattleGround #CityBudget #Parks #Transportation #SmallBusiness

Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance responds to recent ICE activity in Clark County and a viral cell phone video of an arrest in Vancouver. Citing statements from local police, federal officials, and those close to the individuals detained, he argues that enforcing immigration laws is not an act of racism, supports deportation for those in the country illegally, and urges local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-i-dont-understand-how-it-is-an-act-of-racism-to-enforce-our-immigration-laws/ #ClarkCounty #ICE #Immigration #Opinion #KenVance

More than 100 volunteers turned out at the Clark County Event Center to assemble hundreds of bicycles for the Scott Campbell Christmas Promise Bike Build, a Waste Connections tradition now in its 15th year. The event honors the late Scott Campbell’s goal of making sure any child who wants one can receive a bike for Christmas, with music, mascots, and holiday spirit fueling a push to build 700 bikes for charities serving youth across Clark County. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/scott-campbell-christmas-promise-bike-build-attracts-hundreds-of-volunteers-saturday/ #ClarkCounty #ScottCampbell #BikeBuild #ChristmasPromise #Community

The Vancouver Police Department has opened a traffic investigation after learning from a cell phone video that a person’s foot may have been struck by a vehicle driven by an ICE agent during an arrest in Vancouver. The department says it will determine the facts of the incident, while directing all enforcement-related questions to ICE’s regional communications office. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-police-investigate-person-possibly-hit-by-vehicle-during-ice-arrest/ #VancouverWA #VPD #ICE #Police

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has cancelled an “Attempt to Locate” bulletin after finding and interviewing a 72-year-old man believed to have information about the 1971 disappearance of Jamie Grissim, an early suspected victim of serial killer Warren Leslie Forrest. Investigators say his account appears credible and consistent with evidence pointing to the Dole Valley area, and they are working with search and rescue teams to plan a new search using human remains detection dogs as the FBI’s Seattle Division joins the case. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/update-provided-on-investigation-of-1970s-cold-cases-linked-to-serial-killer-warren-forrest/ #ClarkCounty #ColdCase #WarrenForrest #JamieGrissim #CCSO

The Washougal community is preparing to celebrate the life of beloved leader Molly Coston with a Celebration of Life on Jan. 24, 2026, at the Washburn Center at Washougal High School. City leaders have also formed an ad hoc committee to recommend a lasting way to recognize her many contributions, with members drawn from the council, local arts community, and Rotary. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/community-to-celebrate-the-life-of-washougal-leader-molly-coston/ #Washougal #ClarkCounty #MollyCoston #Community

A CDC advisory committee has voted to overturn a decades-old recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth, instead leaving most decisions to individual-based choice while maintaining protections for infants born to hepatitis B–positive mothers. The story examines the divided views among committee members, the potential impact on insurance coverage, and parallel changes to COVID-19 vaccine guidance. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/cdc-vaccine-committee-overturns-decades-old-hepatitis-b-recommendation-for-newborns/ #CDC #HepatitisB #Vaccines #PublicHealth #ACIP

Ryan Frost of the Washington Policy Center argues that Washington’s projected $4.3 billion deficit for 2027–29 reflects unchecked spending growth rather than a revenue shortfall. He points to state spending more than tripling in just over a decade and urges lawmakers to “bend the curve” by restraining expenditures instead of seeking new taxes. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-despite-historic-tax-hikes-washington-state-faces-4-3-billion-deficit/ #WashingtonState #Budget #TaxPolicy #Spending #Opinion

Battle Ground Public Schools is inviting businesses and organizations to reserve free tables at the 11th annual Industry Fair on Feb. 19, 2026, at Battle Ground High School. The event features a resume workshop, opportunities to connect with students and job seekers of all ages, and support from partners Goodwill Industries of the Columbia-Willamette and WorkSource SW Washington. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/business/reserve-a-table-at-the-battle-ground-public-schools-industry-fair/ #BattleGround #ClarkCounty #IndustryFair #CareerFair #Students #Workforce

Battle Ground Public Schools is inviting businesses and organizations to reserve free tables at the 11th annual Industry Fair on Feb. 19, 2026, at Battle Ground High School. The event features a resume workshop, opportunities to connect with students and job seekers of all ages, and support from partners Goodwill Industries of the Columbia-Willamette and WorkSource SW Washington. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/business/reserve-a-table-at-the-battle-ground-public-schools-industry-fair/ #BattleGround #ClarkCounty #IndustryFair #CareerFair #Students #Workforce

This Life Outdoors update from WDFW highlights winter adventures across Washington, from waterfowl hunting and razor clam digging to First Day Hikes, trout fishing on lowland lakes, and wildlife viewing on snow-dusted trails, with tips on where to find more stories, regional updates, and recreation resources. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/sports/life-outdoors-bundle-up-for-winter-adventures/ #WashingtonState #WDFW #LifeOutdoors #WinterRecreation #Fishing #Hunting

Washington Republicans warn of a “train wreck” ahead as Democrats consider new taxes to close a $2B deficit, citing rapid spending growth, wealth tax proposals, and uncertainty over Gov. Ferguson’s budget stance; https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/republicans-prepare-for-train-wreck-as-democrats-eye-new-taxes-to-fill-2b-gap/ #WashingtonState #Politics #StateBudget #BudgetDeficit #TaxProposals #TheCenterSquare #Legislature2026

misleads voters by adding burdensome requirements that would limit ballot access in Washington state; https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-a-misleading-headline-about-a-misleading-initiative/ #Opinion #LetterToTheEditor #WashingtonState #Elections #Initiative26126 #VotingAccess #ClarkCounty

Vancouver will restore open public comment at every council meeting starting in 2026 after a unanimous council vote, giving residents renewed opportunities to speak on any topic while raising questions about how the expanded format will work. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/poll-do-you-support-vancouvers-decision-to-restore-open-public-comment-at-every-council-meeting-starting-in-2026/ #Opinion #Vancouver #PublicComment #CityCouncil #CommunityEngagement #ResidentVoices #LocalGovernment #CivicParticipation #CityPolicy

Mark Harmsworth argues that Washington’s proposed Well Washington Fund payroll tax would deepen business losses, discourage job growth, and repeat the effects seen under Seattle’s JumpStart tax, citing warnings from employers and regional leaders about shrinking competitiveness. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-washington-is-bleeding-taxpayers-and-now-a-state-representative-wants-to-make-it-worse/ #Opinion #WashingtonState #TaxPolicy #SmallBusiness #Economy #PayrollTax #Seattle #Bellevue #WashingtonPolicyCenter