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Here are some of the top stories of the week on columbian.com. Wondering what else was popular this week with readers? Check out our Trending Stories page.
The Vancouver City Council this week gave the green light to hash out agreements with four developers to work on the planned Heights District project to bring housing, offices and retail to central Vancouver. Construction could begin as soon as 2026.
City staff and a committee of Heights residents and businesses presented their list of recommendations to the council during a Monday work session. The four developers selected will build on the first three city-owned sites, which total about 5 acres of the whole 205-acre Heights District.
The Vancouver Education Association reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with Vancouver Public Schools late last week, according to union leaders and a district official.
“Our members are in the process of reviewing the language prior to our general member meeting on Thursday, at which point our vote will launch,” Union president Jamie Anderson said this morning. “Final vote results should be available early next week.”
Two female Vancouver police officers allege their department’s leadership retaliated against them after they testified last year in a federal sex discrimination lawsuit.
Sgt. Julie Ballou and Detective Miranda Skeeter detailed their tort claim, which notifies the city of Vancouver of their intention to sue, in an Aug. 5 letter. They argue they’ve suffered lost employment opportunities and emotional distress since testifying during a November U.S. District Court trial.
A 2023 investigation into former Ridgefield School District Superintendent Nathan McCann found he exhibited a pattern of mistreating female employees throughout his nine-year tenure, but that such behavior did not amount to a violation of Title IX.
With two years remaining on his contract, McCann resigned in August 2023 and negotiated a lump sum payout of $318,202 upon his departure.
Heidi Leonard lives at The Pacific apartments, but some days, the 51-year-old wishes she were still homeless.
In 2020, after a decade of homelessness, Leonard received a call that a one-bedroom apartment was available. She was hopeful. This was her chance for a better life, she thought.
