What’s on tap for this week’s weather? Check our local weather coverage.
In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the roughly 1.5-mile segment of I-5 from state Highway 500 down to the state line during peak traffic hours is the most congested segment of road in the entire state.
“About 89 percent of crashes on I-5 are due to congestion,” said Dennis Mitchell, Region 1 traffic engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation. “Of the accidents on I-5, 73 percent of them are rear-end crashes (and) 16 percent are sideswipes.”
A Columbian examination of five years of data from Washington and Oregon show fender-benders, rear-enders and sideswipes are the all-too-common byproducts of an interstate corridor that can’t safely handle the volumes of traffic that it serves on a daily basis. But, because congestion is so high and traffic is moving so slowly, serious injuries and deaths are relatively rare.
Gov. Jay Inslee called for a halt on Union Pacific Railroad oil trains traveling through Washington on Friday until stricter safety standards are enacted.
Inslee’s call comes after an oil train headed to Tacoma derailed in the Columbia River Gorge, in the town of Mosier, Ore., earlier this month. Oregon’s Gov. Kate Brown and other political leaders called for a moratorium on oil transport in response to the fiery crash. Inslee’s call for curtailing Bakken oil traveling through the state focuses solely on Union Pacific.
Jamie Smith, Inslee’s spokeswoman, said Inslee’s call for a “moratorium would essentially apply to UP (Union Pacific) since they aren’t doing adequate inspections,” but added, “the ask is to halt any Bakken oil trains that haven’t been cleared by a walking inspection by the railroad.”
Vancouver could be getting more pot shops.
The city council will consider expanding the number of marijuana stores from nine to 12 at its meeting Monday.
Earlier this year, the state Liquor and Cannabis Board increased the number of marijuana stores each jurisdiction is allowed. Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt said the city should follow the state’s lead.
It’s been more than a month since Columbia River Mental Health Services approached the Clark County council with what at first appeared to be a relatively simple request.
But that request became mired in political theater and social media bickering this week, as the nonprofit butted heads with the Clark County council.
The greatest challenge facing the voters of the 49th Legislative District this year will likely be distinguishing between the two Democrats vying to replace longtime lawmaker Rep. Jim Moeller in the Position 2 seat.
Both of the candidates have impressive résumés, relevant experience and are philosophically aligned with the left-leaning district.
On Friday, the candidates hoping to replace Moeller chatted with The Columbian’s editorial board.
The state law enforcement academy is adding more classes, presenting a solution to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office’s mounting staffing problem.
With more space, the academy found space in upcoming classes for seven deputies who were hired by the sheriff’s office but had been waiting for an opening to take the required training.
“I believe the academy recognized the need for us to get people through the academy,” Undersheriff Mike Cooke said. “We made a really good case that we need them.”
Cooke and Chief Criminal Deputy John Chapman testified before the Senate Law and Justice Committee last month, detailing the dilemma that the underfunded academy had put them in.
