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News / Clark County News

Morning Press: Portland police shooting; Evergreen schools chief on leave; Brian Kelly in Vancouver

By Amy Libby, Columbian Web Editor
Published: December 11, 2021, 6:00am

What will the winter weather bring? Check out the local weather forecast before you head outside.

In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories from the week:

Lanes of I-5 reopen after closures due to Portland police shooting

A fatal police shooting on Interstate 5 in North Portland closed both directions of the freeway for about 6½ hours Monday, causing traffic headaches throughout Clark County. Southbound I-5 reopened at the Interstate 5 Bridge by 5 p.m., and the northbound lanes reopened about 45 minutes later.

The I-5 Bridge closed in both directions around 10:30 a.m. The Washington State Department of Transportation routed southbound traffic from I-5 to state Highway 14 east onto Interstate 205.

Evergreen schools superintendent under investigation, on leave

The Evergreen Board of Directors placed Superintendent Mike Merlino on administrative leave pending the conclusion of an internal investigation, the district announced Wednesday morning.

The decision was made unanimously in an executive board meeting on Tuesday night after about 45 minutes of private deliberation.

Burnt ends and blowing smoke

Notre Dame football recruit Tobias Merriweather and his family had a front-row seat Monday to the college football craziness surrounding Brian Kelly.

That is, it didn’t turn crazy for the Merriweathers until moments after Kelly and three Notre Dame assistant coaches departed Vancouver, Wash., and the home of one of their Class of 2022 prized recruits. Only then did the Merriweathers realize Kelly would be departing as Notre Dame’s football coach, too.

Report: Housing outpaces incomes in Vancouver

More than a quarter of Vancouver mortgage holders are spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to a new report from Construction Coverage. That suggests an increasing number of local homeowners are cost-burdened by their mortgages.

The report examined whether wages were rising at the same pace as home prices. That showed not to be the case in Vancouver, nor in other Western cities and states. The trend, however, was also a national one. The study noted that the U.S. average income had risen by 61 percent since 2000, while the average home price increased 96 percent.

Renovation of former Value Motel paves long road to recovery

A few years ago, Heidi Hansen stayed at the Value Motel in Hazel Dell, an infamous motel where drugs were regularly bought and sold. She was homeless, anxious, and in need of shelter.

She remembers the experience as one of total despair and hopelessness.

“That place really needed to come down,” she said.

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