How much rain should you expect this week as we get back to our routines after Thanksgiving weekend? Check our local weather coverage.
In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories from the weekend:
Neither rain nor wind nor Apple Cup could stop the thousands of people who shook off their Thanksgiving leftover-induced food comas Friday evening to ring in the holiday season at Esther Short Park.
The Rotary Club of Vancouver hosted the 24th annual community tree lighting ceremony, complete with live music, food carts and a horse-drawn carriage.
“It’s a pretty big effort to get all of the different parts together,” said Tom Iberle, chair of the ceremony committee. “We’re trying to expand the number of activities we have for families here.”
Read the full story: Downtown Vancouver gets in spirit as Santa lights tree
Despite sometimes sparse crowds, Vancouver business owners call Black Friday success
Shoppers across Vancouver braved a day of nonstop rain to participate in what many retailers described as a successful — albeit somewhat lower-key than usual — Black Friday.
At Vancouver Mall, most stores opened at 9 a.m. Friday after a previous Thanksgiving-night round of shopping that lasted until midnight. A few of the mall’s anchor stores opened up earlier in the morning, according to mall marketing manager Bree Sanchez, and J.C. Penney ended up staying open all night.
“Black Friday’s really not a thing anymore,” said shopper Nick McRaney on Thursday night. “Now it’s all kind of jammed together.”
Read the full story: Vancouver Black Friday shoppers brave the rain
Union is headed to the Class 4A state championship game after beating Puyallup 35-28 in the semifinals on Saturday.
It didn’t come easily — not after Puyallup scored on its first three drives to take a 21-7 lead.
It didn’t come individually — not after star receiver Darien Chase was injured on the first play from scrimmage.
But with big performances from unheralded players, another stellar game from quarterback Lincoln Victor and a resilient defense, Union is headed to the state championship game for the first time since 2008.
Union (13-0) will face Lake Stevens (13-0) Saturday at the Tacoma Dome, where the top-seeded Titans hope to win their first state title.
Read the full story: Union rides team effort past Puyallup, into 4A state title game
This win, the Hockinson Hawks say, definitely was earned.
Perhaps the most well-earned victory of the Hawks’ previous 11 wins given what they endured to win Saturday’s 2A state semifinal against Liberty and get back to the Tacoma Dome to defend their 2A state championship.
Hockinson, a team that’s now won 26 in a row dating back to the final game of 2016, trailed by as much as 17 points. For the first time all season, a Hawks team that has outscored opponents 46-16 this season trailed in the fourth quarter. The offense went to some trickery, and the Hawks’ defense made three consecutive stops in Liberty’s final drive as part of shutting out the Patriots in the second half.
It all made for a thrilling finish in a 27-24 win for Hockinson at McKenzie Stadium to send the Hawks (12-0) back to the state title game where it faces tradition-rich Lynden at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
Read the full story: Hockinson makes another date to Tacoma Dome
