The last few days have been blustery. What is on the way for the weekend? Check our local weather coverage.
In case you missed it, here are some of the top stories of the week:
After years of bringing big chunks of unincorporated county land and thousands of residents into city limits, the city of Vancouver shut the door on major annexations during the Great Recession.
The Vancouver City Council is ready to discuss large-scale annexations again. And so the city is dusting off the 2007 Annexation Blueprint that was tabled when the recession prompted the city to halt expansion plans, hunker down and try to maintain what it had.
Learn more about the annexation discussion.
Clark County Councilor David Madore is once again under fire for his use of the county’s website.
In a complaint to the Public Disclosure Commission, Clark County resident Chuck Green alleges Madore used public resources to campaign in the 2015 election — a violation of state campaign law — when he linked to materials on the county C-Grid website in Facebook posts campaigning for fellow Republican Rep. Liz Pike and against Marc Boldt, no party preference, during the Clark County chair race.
Read more about the complaint against councilor Madore.
Ridgefield — Out of 118 of Washington’s largest cities, Ridgefield was named the state’s smartest city by Career site Zippia.com. In determining how each city ranks in intelligence, Zippia examined two key factors. First, the site looked at the percentage of residents older than 25 with at least a high school diploma.
See who else made the list.
A Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews is now under construction in one of Battle Ground’s busiest retail locations, and a MOD Pizza won’t be far behind.
The Red Robin is taking shape at the 21-acre Millcreek Town Center, a commercial complex at Scotton Way and SR 503 that is anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The 4,534-square-foot restaurant should be ready for customers this summer, said T.J. Fontenette, owner of Principal Properties LLC, the project’s Vancouver-based development firm. There are three Red Robin restaurants in Clark County, all in Vancouver.
Read more about the Battle Ground commercial complex.
BNSF has announced it is investing $220 million in its Washington state rail network in the upcoming year, with a significant portion of the upgrades to be centered around Vancouver.
The railroad is improving track from Wishram in the Columbia River Gorge to its Vancouver rail yard and track on the north/south line connecting Seattle and Portland.
“The main line routes where our commodities are being hauled will be on brand-new track, whether replaced this year or last year,” said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.
Learn about the track upgrades.
In a life filled with medical challenges, Ashley Helmold has shed many tears.
But she’ll always cherish the tears of joy that rolled down her cheeks last weekend.
Helmold qualified for the state gymnastics meet, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.
The La Center High School senior’s triumph goes way beyond reaching state in the vault and balance beam.
Read more about Ashley’s challenges and successes.
