We have been working for a month or so to put together our annual list of the top local stories, which usually appears on the last Sunday of the year. That’s tomorrow! The top story of the year was a big surprise to me. Hint: it doesn’t involve COVID-19 or housing.
Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in Clark County for quite a while, or maybe it’s just journalistic curiosity, but I enjoy going back into the archives to see what the top stories were a few years ago. Here is what I found:
Top stories of 2016
Several of the top stories of 2016 were still top stories this year. Lack of affordable housing was our top local story in 2016. As it turned out, it was just a taste of what was to come. The story notes that the median home price in Clark County had reached $290,000, leaving people unable to buy homes, and that market-rate rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,242. Those were the days! Now median home prices are approaching $500,000, and market-rate rent is $1,467.
The second-biggest story in 2016 was homelessness. Again, it ended up foreshadowing increasing problems.
Third place was the political downfall of entrepreneur/county official/political operative David Madore; followed by construction of ilani, which opened the next April. There was a tie for fifth between the debate over oil trains/oil terminals in Vancouver and Camas High School’s state championship in football.
