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In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the week:
Ilani Casino Resort opens to eager crowds
COWLITZ INDIAN RESERVATION — Speeches that started at 10 a.m., meant to encapsulate the yearslong journey to build the Ilani Casino Resort and thank the many people involved, were interrupted by a rambunctious Monday morning mob. They chanted, “Open! Open! Open!”
Then, just a few minutes later, residents from all over the Vancouver-Portland metro area were introduced to Ilani — pronounced Ay-Lan-Ay — and the walls of slot machines, table games and restaurants inside the 368,000-square-foot complex. From the south entrance, one could see the cascade of first visitors break into streams as they moved past the slot machines.
Read more about the casino’s opening day and see a photo gallery.
Casino opening clogs traffic on Interstate 5
Excitement over the opening of the Ilani Casino Resort near La Center turned to frustration for many drivers Monday when they found themselves trapped in miles-long backups on Interstate 5.
Northbound traffic was backed up as far as the Interstate 5-Interstate 205 split — a distance of more than eight miles — within 90 minutes of the casino’s 10 a.m. opening time. Traffic was also clogged approaching the Cowlitz Reservation from the north.
The backups continued for hours as the casino’s parking lots reached their capacity, leaving motorists no place to go. The gridlock began to break up later Monday afternoon.
Read more about the traffic snarls.
City council’s workshop grapples with homelessness, unlawful camping
A Vancouver City Council workshop meant to review and discuss the unlawful-camping ordinance sparked discussion of several issues related to living outside: lack of restrooms and storage facilities, the status of the day center and criminalization of homelessness.
Up in the air was what should be tackled first, what exactly should be done and why — revealing just how nuanced the growing issue of local homelessness has become. Monday’s workshop was a sort of preamble to the joint city-county meeting on homelessness May 1 at the Vancouver Community Library.
Learn more about the options they are considering.
District Court Judge Vernon Schreiber dies at 74
Clark County District Court Judge Vernon L. Schreiber, who served about 30 years on the bench, died Tuesday. He was 74 years old.
Schreiber had been on medical leave from the court since Feb. 13, Presiding District Court Judge Kelli E. Osler said Wednesday morning.
She said that Schreiber will be remembered among his peers as friendly and helpful. He was always willing to fill in for anyone when needed.
“He’s been a mainstay. … I really can’t think of a better word,” Osler said. “He’s really going to be missed around here. He was a valuable part of our family.”
Read more about Judge Schrieber’s decades on the bench.
One-legged Columbia River baseball player takes challenges in stride
Daren Manheimer has the same mentality of any baseball player in the batter’s box, awaiting the pitch.
He has to find a way to get on base. Any way.
So even 10 years ago, when he was playing coach-pitch youth baseball on a muddy diamond, he knew he had a job to do.
Sure, he had concerns about the muck.
Still, it didn’t matter. Get on base.
As soon as he made contact, he burst out of the box, running as fast as he could toward first base.
Read more about Daren Manheimer and watch a video.
You won’t find one of Clark County’s biggest markets by walking around the city — even though its all-day, all-night sales and thousands of local customers and merchants are in plain sight.
Like a gigantic digital bazaar, one of Vancouver’s biggest markets is actually on Facebook.
That market, “Sell Your Stuff Vancouer,” (yes, it’s misspelled) is a 42,600-member buy-and-sell group that constantly churns with visitors hawking a wide array of items such as old sofas, power tools, quilts, cars, cleaning services, hairstyling services, food and custom crafts. And it’s just one of a host of Facebook groups dedicated to small, local commerce.
Learn more about a new place to sell stuff.
