News

• Public Health

Clark County’s Green Business program will hold a free virtual Morning Blend networking event 8:30-9:30 am Thursday, Jan. 13 via Zoom.

Morning Blend is an opportunity to network, discuss green business efforts in the workplace, and learn about solutions for reducing our impact on the environment.


• Community Services

Clark County has implemented and currently operates eviction prevention rent assistance programs to assist people who are low-income impacted by the pandemic. These programs have provided an unprecedented $36.7 million in financial assistance to 4,535 households, paying for 39,607 months of rent and utilities since August 2020. Approximately $885,000 in financial assistance for rent and utilities is going out to over 100 additional households each week.


• Elections

At 9 am on Tuesday, Jan. 4, the Clark County Elections Office will conduct a logic and accuracy test of the programming to be used to tabulate ballots and the accessible voting units for the Feb. 8 special election.
The test will be held at the Elections Office, 1408 Franklin St. Members of the news media, jurisdictions with measures on the ballot and the public are invited to attend this test, which is required under Washington law.

Ballots will be mailed Friday, Jan. 21.


• Public Health

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Solid Waste and Environmental Outreach encourages residents to see trash in a new way by attending a free art gallery showing in January.

Waste Connections of Washington and Clark County Public Health present the “Trash to Treasure Artist in Residence” art exhibit. The exhibit features sculptures created by Recycled Arts Festival artist Bill Leigh from unwanted objects discarded at local transfer stations. Each piece of artwork consists of at least 75% recycled materials and will be available for purchase during the gallery showing in January.


• Public Works

Vancouver, Wash. – Weather forecasts for the greater Clark County area suggest the potential for continued snow-and-ice conditions over the next several days. Crews with Clark County Public Works’ maintenance operations team have been out pre-treating county roads with saline anti-icer, a mix of salt and water, which prevents a bond from forming between the pavement and the snow. Roads need to be bare and dry to effectively apply the anti-icer combination.


• Public Health

After the holiday festivities wind down, Clark County Public Health urges residents to recycle their Christmas trees, rather than tossing them in the trash.

From Thanksgiving to the New Year, holiday waste accounts for an additional 20 to 25 percent increase in trash, including Christmas trees. The National Christmas Tree Association estimates 25 to 30 million live Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year. Clark County is among the top counties in Washington for cut trees.


• Public Health

The omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in two Clark County cases, one of whom is linked to outbreaks among wrestling teams.

The omicron variant was first detected in Washington state earlier this month. As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health had identified more than a dozen cases of the variant, including at least three cases associated with wrestling outbreaks occurring across the state. The Department of Health notified Clark County Public Health of the local omicron cases this weekend.


• Community Development

The Clark County Council today approved an interim ordinance to allow the sale of fireworks from noon Monday, Dec. 27 to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31. The interim ordinance applies only to 2021.

County code allows the discharge of fireworks from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1 each year. However, current county code prohibits the sale of consumer fireworks around the New Year’s holiday. Fireworks may only be sold from June 28 to July 4 each year.


• Public Health

The Clark County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed the identity of a woman whose body was discovered 17 years ago.

The Medical Examiner’s Office recently identified Donna Lee Swindell as the unidentified person found in Hazel Dell on Nov. 6, 2004. Swindell was 57 years old at the time of her death. The cause and manner of her death are undetermined.


• County Manager

Each year, the Clark County Auditor’s Office publishes a voters’ pamphlet for the primary election and mails it to all households in Clark County. It includes candidate statements and photographs and local ballot measures with supporting and opposing statements written by citizen committees. A legislative body placing a measure on the ballot shall appoint a committee to write a supporting statement and another committee to write an opposing statement.