Will the sunshine last through Fourth of July? Check our local weather coverage.
In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:
When the raze-and-redevelop movement called urban renewal hit Vancouver in the 1960s, ridding downtown of sagging behemoths that blocked the light of “progress” seemed like a fine idea.
While nobody has ever done a definitive study of the results, Brad Richardson said, many dozens of family homes surely were demolished. The only one still standing up for the historical Esther Short neighborhood south and west of today’s park is the Slocum House, a Victorian gem that’s become city property.
Learn more about the places that are disappearing and what is being done to preserve others.
A strong economy is starting to put more dollars in the hands of local workers, but some occupations are paying better than others.
The U.S. Department of Labor recently released wage data showing jobs in technology, finance and health care have surged in recent years in the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area, while many blue-collar jobs are laboring against low pay.
Art directors, property managers and physicians and surgeons all saw the highest gains in median wage from May 2016 to May 2017, according to The Columbian’s analysis of the report. They’re earning between $4 and $6.50 more per hour than they were the previous year.
Read more about which industries are making gains and which are cutting.
Paul Scarpelli, the ousted Clark County Animal Control manager, recalled being chronically understaffed as his agency attempted to respond to calls of loose livestock, missing pets, vicious dogs and others beastly issues facing residents.
Now, Clark County is even more understaffed going into the Fourth of July, which, along with the summer months, is typically the busiest time for animal control.
Read more about the concerns raised.
It’s easy for drivers to ignore the leaks and drips coming off their autos — considering how expensive auto repairs can be, occasionally topping off the oil is much cheaper than a trip to the mechanic — but all those tiny spills have an outsized cumulative environmental impact. Now the state and several local groups are uniting behind a campaign called Don’t Drip and Drive to make Clark County drivers more vehicle-maintenance conscious and make their repairs a little more affordable.
“Motor oil is one of the most toxic components of stormwater runoff that we have studied to date. Even brief exposures cause heart problems in developing fish,” Washington State University aquatic toxicologist Jen McIntyre said in a news release.
Learn more about assistance to get cars repaired.
Mark your calendar for favorites such as Cruise the Couve, Camas Days and Northwest’s Largest Garage Sale. See the full list here.
