Morning Press: Benton, Fatal hit-run, Alexa Efraimson, Health care woes,

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Here are some of the week’s top stories and news you may have missed:

Benton blasts House Republicans over vote

An email from state Sen. Don Benton scolding fellow Republicans for their votes on a Democratic-led bill sparked an internal brouhaha among legislators this week.

Benton took 14 House Republicans to task for voting in favor of a bill that would create new rules for signature gatherers under the state’s initiative process. House Bill 2552, which cleared the House last week, would require paid signature gatherers to register with the state and complete a training program before collecting signatures, among other requirements.

Benton said he was “deeply disturbed” by the Republicans’ yes votes on the bill. Among those in his sights: Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver, one of the bill’s co-sponsors.

At first, VanWechel refused to appear in front of the judge, but a custody officer later persuaded her to cooperate. She was escorted into the courtroom alone, wearing blue jail clothes and wrist and ankle shackles.

Judge Scott Collier found probable cause to hold VanWechel on charges of both hit-and-run death and vehicular homicide. The judge set bail at $75,000 because she has a record of failing to appear for at least one court hearing related to a 2009 marijuana possession and possession of stolen property case.

Read the full story here.

Camas’ Alexa Efraimson is Gatorade national girls cross country runner of the year

Alexa Efraimson knew something was going on around Camas.

There was a photo shoot with Gatorade products a day or two ago. She noticed camera crews on campus. There were familiar faces on the scene Thursday morning at school.

Still, she was surprised when the American record holder in the 5,000 meters walked into her classroom. Along with a dozen or so other people and one big trophy.

Efraimson, a junior from Camas, was named the Gatorade national girls cross country runner of the year. Her face turned bright red and her smile grew big as Molly Huddle presented her with the trophy just before 8 a.m.

“I started to shake a little bit. I started to tear up,” Efraimson said. “I couldn’t believe all this was happening.”

Tracy, 53, and Larry, 56, own a remodeling business in Battle Ground. Tracy also works as a real estate agent, and their son Dylan, 21, works part time to help pay for his courses at Clark College. They also have a 16-year-old son, Jake.

Tracy Burgess expects her family’s income will fall somewhere between $85,000 and $96,000 this year. The threshold for her family appears to be about $94,000. If the Burgesses’ income is $94,000 or less, they could be eligible for a tax credit of up to $760. But if their income is $94,250 or more, they likely won’t be eligible for any financial help, according to estimates on the Washington Healthplanfinder website.

“I’m praying for $85,000 because then I can sell my soul to the devil and go into the exchange,” Burgess said.

About seven years ago, the Battle Ground family purchased an individual plan from LifeWise Health Plan of Washington. For many of those years, the plan’s premium and deductible climbed. Last year, the family paid $780 per month for a plan with a $7,500 deductible, Burgess said.