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In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:
Since 2007, 16 inmates have killed themselves at the Clark County Jail, leaving Clark County with more in-custody suicides than any jail in the state during that time.
In King County, where the average daily population for the jail system in 2015 was roughly 2,000, there were 11 suicides from 2005 to 2015.
The Clark County Jail, where the average daily population was about 735 last year, saw its worst year for suicides in recent decades in 2012, when four inmates died. Despite changes at the jail made in the wake of those deaths, this year has seen three inmate suicides so far.
“It’s not just the person dying, it’s the impact on the family, it’s the impact on the staff,” Clark County Jail Chief Ric Bishop said.
While Clark County stands out among the state’s jails, even among larger jails with average daily populations of more than 100 or so, suicide is the most common cause of death in jails nationwide. The overall suicide rate nationwide is at a 30-year high, according to the federal Center for Health Statistics, and Bishop said jails are seeing that manifest in their facilities.
“It’s no longer just a jail problem, it’s a problem in our communities and our society,” he said.
Read the full story: Inmate suicides challenge jails
Two Southwest Washington senators plan to champion the idea of designating the Interstate 5 Bridge replacement project as a statewide priority.
“We want to send a message to Oregon, we’re ready to work together and find a path forward,” said Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, who plans to partner with Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, on the legislation.
Persuading the entire county delegation to agree on legislation related to the bridge would demonstrate progress on the divisive issue. But it’s not the only plan being discussed. Rivers said she’s also been talking to someone on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team about securing funding for the bridge.
Southwest Washington legislators touched on a wide range of topics at the 2017 legislative outlook breakfast Friday morning, an event hosted by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Identity Clark County and the Columbia River Economic Development Council.
The legislators on the panel were Rivers and Cleveland; Sen.-elect Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver; Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas; Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver; Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Felida; and Rep.-elect Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver. Democratic Reps. Sharon Wylie and Monica Stonier, both of Vancouver, did not attend.
Read the full story: Path to a bridge is legislators’ priority at breakfast
Clark County Councilor David Madore has prevailed in one of three claims brought against his fellow councilors and County Manager Mark McCauley.
On Friday, Judge Daniel Stahnke ruled in Superior Court that the county must follow its requirement that it publicize all contracts on its website, even if they relate to sensitive investigations by the Human Resources department.
However, Stahnke ruled that the county didn’t have to fork over emails between McCauley and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He also denied Madore’s request for a declaration that the councilor was entitled to his own separate county-funded lawyer because the prosecutor’s office had become too conflicted to advise him.
After the ruling, Nicholas Power, a Friday Harbor attorney who filed the suit on behalf of Madore in October, said that the order requiring the county to publicize its contracts was a victory for transparency.
“Nobody’s above the law,” Madore added.
Councilors Jeanne Stewart and Julie Olson as well as McCauley, who were all named as respondents in the suit, were present for the hearing and declined to comment immediately after. Councilor Tom Mielke, a Madore ally who was present, declined to comment. County Chair Marc Boldt was not present for the ruling.
Olson later told The Columbian that she was content with the judge’s opinion and was ready to move on from any lingering legal drama.
Read the full story: Madore wins 1 point of 3 in court
It was a smooth ride for a moment, Brad Lunday recalled.
A couple of months ago, the 28-year-old test drove a pair of cars at a Milwaukie, Ore., dealership. The Kia-made minivan felt better in his hands, but he joked he couldn’t pass over an American car, a sport-utility vehicle from Chevy. Compared with the heap he normally drove, both practically glided over the road.
But the wheels of the deal quickly fell off. The sales team, who showed the typical eagerness to work with Lunday’s budget, returned from a back room and said they couldn’t make a sale.
Lunday owed $5,000 on a car worth barely more than $700. The sale ended there.
“I thought maybe $1,500 I’d be upside down, but definitely not five grand,” he said.
Like many Americans today, Lunday has negative equity — also called being underwater or upside down on a loan. While trading in a car on which you owe money is nothing new, recent reports say the number of those transactions is rising to record levels and, with it, comes the threat of delinquencies and even repossessions.
Read the full story: Car-buyers are increasingly underwater, but not so in Clark County, dealers say
