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Saturday,  November 23 , 2024

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Stories by Patty Hastings

Columbian Social Services, Demographics, Faith

Donnie Rousey, 14, left, eats dinner with Mark Traxler, who is homeless and lives in Washougal, during Refuel Washougal&#039;s free weekly meal at the Washougal Community Center.

East Clark County takes community approach to homelessness

Donnie Rousey, 14, left, eats dinner with Mark Traxler, who is homeless and lives in Washougal, during Refuel Washougal&#039;s free weekly meal at the Washougal Community Center.

February 25, 2020, 6:00am Clark County News

“Everybody has to be somewhere,” Laura Ellsworth told the crowd gathered Wednesday at St. Thomas Aquinas in Camas. Read story

Pastor Linda Marousek, center, joins participants during a lunchtime contemplative prayer session at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Wednesday.

Vancouver church offers midday silent prayer session

Pastor Linda Marousek, center, joins participants during a lunchtime contemplative prayer session at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Wednesday.

February 23, 2020, 6:02am Churches & Religion

A small group of women sat silently in a circle in front of the church pews on a recent Wednesday. Midday sun filtered through the stained-glass windows, warming the sanctuary. Most of the women closed their eyes and neatly folded their hands on their laps before Linda Marousek, the pastor… Read story

People attend The Historic Trust&#039;s educational Winter Chautauqua event, &quot;Black Roots in the Lower Columbia River Basin,&quot; on Saturday at Fort Vancouver&#039;s Artillery Barracks.

Panel dispels myths about black history in Clark County

People attend The Historic Trust&#039;s educational Winter Chautauqua event, &quot;Black Roots in the Lower Columbia River Basin,&quot; on Saturday at Fort Vancouver&#039;s Artillery Barracks.

February 22, 2020, 9:46pm Clark County News

There’s a misconception that African American roots in the Pacific Northwest are recent or nonexistent, said historian Melissa Williams. Read story

Firefighters rescued a dog from a burning house after responding to a report of a two-story house on fire at about 9 a.m. Saturday at 11020 N.E. 87th St.

Firefighters rescue dog from burning house in Sunnyside neighborhood

Firefighters rescued a dog from a burning house after responding to a report of a two-story house on fire at about 9 a.m. Saturday at 11020 N.E. 87th St.

February 22, 2020, 9:20am Clark County News

Vancouver firefighters rescued a dog from a burning house Saturday morning in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Read story

Project Going Places fills small transportation needs among Clark County&#039;s homeless population.

Project Going Places helps Clark County homeless keep moving forward

Project Going Places fills small transportation needs among Clark County&#039;s homeless population.

February 21, 2020, 6:00am Clark County News

When Taira Morin’s minivan broke down near a Jiffy Lube, she had just about given up. She figured the van would be towed, and she would lose her main mode of transportation and the place she slept every night. Read story

Diana Avalos-Leos, right, speaks during The Columbian&#039;s Bridging the Border community forum Feb. 13 at Vancouver Community Library.

Advocate for underserved populations named Clark County First Citizen

Diana Avalos-Leos, right, speaks during The Columbian&#039;s Bridging the Border community forum Feb. 13 at Vancouver Community Library.

February 20, 2020, 6:03pm Clark County News

A longtime leader, advocate and crusader for underserved populations, Diana Avalos-Leos was named this year’s Clark County First Citizen. The First Citizen Award is given annually to a Clark County resident who models exemplary citizenship. Read story

Tyler Chavers, Vancouver&#039;s Homeless Assistance Response Team officer, left, talks with Karalee Grunwald and her cat, Chyzeball, during the 2020 Point in Time count in Vancouver&#039;s Leverich Park. Grunwald said she&#039;s been homeless since June and was recently cited for unlawful camping.

Annual Point in Time count gauges homeless population, connects people with services

Tyler Chavers, Vancouver&#039;s Homeless Assistance Response Team officer, left, talks with Karalee Grunwald and her cat, Chyzeball, during the 2020 Point in Time count in Vancouver&#039;s Leverich Park. Grunwald said she&#039;s been homeless since June and was recently cited for unlawful camping.

January 30, 2020, 8:14pm Clark County News

“No law enforcement today,” Officer Tyler Chavers said as he approached a man and his tent alongside Burnt Bridge Creek. Read story

Diana Garner, left, and Ruby Deal complete orders during the lunch rush at Connections Cafe and Catering on the Center for Community Health campus in Vancouver on Wednesday afternoon. Neither had experience working in a restaurant prior to being employed by Lifeline. &quot;I was terrified to start cooking,&quot; Deal said.

Connections Cafe and Catering in Vancouver employs people in recovery, teaches job skills

Diana Garner, left, and Ruby Deal complete orders during the lunch rush at Connections Cafe and Catering on the Center for Community Health campus in Vancouver on Wednesday afternoon. Neither had experience working in a restaurant prior to being employed by Lifeline. &quot;I was terrified to start cooking,&quot; Deal said.

January 24, 2020, 6:00am Business

When Connections Cafe and Catering gets hopping, the stainless steel ticket holder spins round and round. During a recent lunchtime rush, Ruby Deal and Diana Garner quickly cooked and assembled sandwiches and burgers for employees around the Vancouver VA campus and Center for Community Health. Read story

The Murdock Charitable Trust gave Tacoma-based NW Furniture bank $348,000 to add staff to its Vancouver location, which opened last year.

M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust hits milestones in giving

The Murdock Charitable Trust gave Tacoma-based NW Furniture bank $348,000 to add staff to its Vancouver location, which opened last year.

January 22, 2020, 6:01am Clark County News

The Vancouver-headquartered M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust closed out the decade with a bang: It invested $66.3 million in organizations across the Northwest in 2019, the most it’s ever funded in a given year. Read story

Volunteers plant trees along the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail as part of the annual MLK Day of Service in 2015.

Eight ways to serve the Clark County community for MLK Day

Volunteers plant trees along the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway Trail as part of the annual MLK Day of Service in 2015.

January 14, 2020, 6:00am Clark County News

The third Monday in January is considered a day on, not a day off, and for local volunteers it’s often a day spent outside despite the cold weather. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in commemoration of the well-known civil rights activist, is a day of service — a day to… Read story