Washougal is launching “Washougal Wins,” a new citywide volunteer program that makes it easy for residents to clean up litter, earn rewards, and help revitalize public spaces. The flexible program includes milestone prizes and community recognition, and supports Washougal’s Community Aesthetics initiative under its 2023–2028 Strategic Plan. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/washougal-launches-new-volunteer-program-to-tackle-litter-and-build-community-pride/ #Washougal #WashougalWins #CommunityPride #VolunteerProgram #CityBeautification #StrategicPlan #LitterCleanup #CommunityAesthetics #CivicEngagement #ClarkCounty

Vancouver Fire crews, joined by Camas Fire, responded to a second-floor apartment fire Tuesday morning on SE Cascade Park Drive. The blaze was quickly contained and all occupants, including two dogs, safely evacuated without injury. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/vancouver-fire-extinguishes-apartment-blaze/ #Vancouver #ApartmentFire #FireSafety #CamasFireDepartment #VancouverFire #PublicSafety #SecondAlarm #FireEvacuation #CommunityAlert #ClarkCounty

Elizabeth New (Hovde) of the Washington Policy Center takes aim at recent legislative actions she says are raising health care costs in Washington. From new hospital taxes to state-run care models, New calls for policy reforms that prioritize affordability, competition, and patient access. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-want-lower-health-care-costs-start-with-better-policies/ #HealthCareCosts #ElizabethNew #WashingtonPolicyCenter #WSHA #MedicalDebt #HealthPolicy #CONlaws #MedicaidReimbursement #UniversalCare #Opinion

Washington will roll out new student discipline policies on July 11, aiming to curb post-pandemic disruptions while maintaining limits on expulsions. But critics — including education equity advocates — say the changes may undermine protections for vulnerable students. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/washington-updates-student-discipline-rules-for-public-schools/ #StudentDiscipline #WashingtonSchools #OSPI #ChrisReykdal #PublicEducation #EquityInEducation #SchoolPolicy #WEA #PostPandemicBehavior #SchoolReform

Amy Harris of Clark County Matters calls on Vancouver’s city leaders to move past legal justifications and take action to limit public camping. In her latest column, she outlines the need to balance compassion with accountability and urges enforcement near schools, churches, and community centers. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-banning-camping-within-1000-feet-of-schools-churches-and-community-centers-should-have-been-enacted-years-ago/ #VancouverWA #AmyHarris #PublicCamping #HomelessnessCrisis #ClarkCountyMatters #CityCouncil #ShelterServices #Encampments #Addiction #Opinion

Nancy Churchill, chair of the Ferry County GOP, argues that federal land control in the West has become unsustainable and counterproductive. In this opinion column, she champions a Senate plan to sell a fraction of federal land for housing, calling it a long-overdue correction to decades of bureaucratic overreach. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-640-million-acres-of-compassionate-mismanagement/ #PublicLands #NancyChurchill #FederalLand #LandUseReform #OBBBill #FerryCounty #HousingCrisis #PILT #EcoAuthoritarianism #WesternPolitics

The Washington State Republican Party (WAGOP) has thrown its support behind the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 5375, calling it an unconstitutional infringement on religious freedom and the priest-penitent privilege. Chairman Jim Walsh and DOJ Civil Rights official Harmeet Dhillon both condemned the law as an attack on First Amendment rights. https://clarkcountytoday.com/news/wagop-supports-dojs-lawsuit-against-wa-states-unconstitutional-law/ #WAGOP #SenateBill5375 #ReligiousFreedom #FirstAmendment #CatholicChurch #JimWalsh #DepartmentOfJustice #GovFerguson #Confession #WashingtonPolitics

Camas resident Anna Miller questions who is behind the upcoming July 4th Rally in a new letter to the editor, urging readers to look beyond the surface of promotional materials. She links the event to Refuse Fascism and the Revolutionary Communist Party, led by Bob Avakian. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-the-who-is-more-important-than-the-what/ #Camas #Opinion #LetterToTheEditor #RefuseFascism #RevolutionaryCommunistParty #RCP #July4thRally #BobAvakian #PoliticalDisclosure #ActivistGroups

Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. celebrated 50 years of service with food, community, and nearly 300 guests at the Battle Ground Event Center. From a handful of members during the pandemic to more than 600 today, the group is thriving and helping local seniors connect, give back, and thrive. https://clarkcountytoday.com/people/battle-ground-senior-citizens-inc-celebrates-50-years-of-service/ #BattleGroundSeniorCitizens #SeniorServices #ClarkCounty #CommunityEvents #ShopWithACop #SeniorOutreach #PandemicRecovery #SetonCatholic #50thAnniversary

In this opinion column, John Ley rebuts the IBR’s assertion that traffic congestion can’t be solved with more lanes. He draws on local and national examples to show how added freeway capacity has eased gridlock — and questions the logic of spending $7.5 billion without addressing the top public concern. https://clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-you-can-build-your-way-out-of-traffic-congestion/ #Opinion #JohnLey #IBR #TrafficCongestion #ClarkCounty #TransportationPolicy #BrentSpenceBridge #WSDOT #ODOT #CTRAN