Clark County Politics

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, center, points at a graph on a monitor Wednesday during an event celebrating clean energy development at the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Transportation Center in Longview.

State invests more than $8M in Cowlitz Indian Tribe clean energy projects. It pledges to continue efforts ‘for generations.’

October 30, 2024, 5:47pm Clark County News

The Washington State Department of Commerce director and Cowlitz Indian Tribe chairman signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday to continue state investments into Cowlitz clean-energy initiatives for the future. Read story

Portland police released a surveillance photo of a suspect in arsons directed at Portland and Vancouver ballot drop boxes.

Suspect in Vancouver, Portland ballot box attacks ‘intends to continue … targeted attacks,’ say Portland police

October 30, 2024, 2:06pm Clark County News Free

Investigators have released more details on the suspect in the arson attacks on ballot boxes in Portland and Vancouver and believe he may have plans for more attacks, the Portland Police Bureau announced Wednesday at a press conference. Read story

Rick Seekins, a homeowner at the Vista Del Rio mobile home park, walks outside his home, which cannot be moved if the park is sold for development. The city of Vancouver is considering a mobile home overlay zone that would prevent manufactured home parks from being sold and turned into commercial buildings or other forms of housing.

A zoning change in Vancouver could prevent mobile home parks from being leveled for development

October 30, 2024, 6:10am Business

Amid fears that their mobile-home park could be sold to developers, residents of Vista Del Rio are urging the Vancouver City Council to pass regulations protecting parks like theirs from being leveled to make way for something else. Read story

The Clark County Election’s Office released photos of the burned ballots Tuesday evening.

FBI investigates fires at Vancouver, Portland ballot boxes that burned hundreds of ballots

October 29, 2024, 6:25pm Clark County News

Recently released photos from the Clark County Election’s Office show the magnitude of the Monday morning attack on an east Vancouver ballot box. Hundreds of ballots with singed edges and burns are shown spread over a table. Read story

Taylor Balkom/The Columbian
A Vancouver police cruiser sits in a parking lot Tuesday near the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center ballot box following an attack on the box that destroyed hundreds of ballots Monday morning.

Ballot boxes in Clark County will have 24/7 observers after Monday’s arson in east Vancouver

October 29, 2024, 12:31pm Clark County News Free

Ballot boxes in Clark County will be staffed with Clark County Elections Office observers 24/7 after arsons on ballot boxes in east Vancouver and Portland early Monday drew national attention. Read story

Does Trump plan to send Columbia River water to California? It’s unclear

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference held at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C.

About a dozen media outlets around the U.S. and Canada reported in recent weeks that former President Donald Trump seemed to propose diverting the Columbia River to solve California’s water crisis and fight wildfires. Read story

Three people have filed most of the more than 100 voter challenges in Clark County in 2023 and 2024

Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey opens a box containing archives of voter registration forms at the Clark County Elections Office. Kimsey’s office handles paperwork for voter registration, which is now becoming increasingly political.

The 2022 and 2024 voter-registration challenges for 18th Legislative District candidate John Ley have been in the spotlight in recent months, but it’s certainly not the only voter-registration challenge the county has received. Read story