Brandon gets recognition
from WSU Foundation

Mark Brandon, First Independent executive vice president and chief lending officer, has been honored by the Washington State University Foundation board of trustees for his volunteer leadership with the Washington State University as well as Washington State University Vancouver.

In his service for WSU, Brandon has chaired the Portland/Vancouver President’s Associates, is a member of the Portland/Vancouver Planned Giving Advisory Board and the Gift Acceptance Committee for the WSU Foundation, and has served on the WSU Vancouver Search Committee for the director of Campus & Regional Development.

Active in Vancouver, Brandon is past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, a past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, former member of the Board of Directors of United Way of Portland representing Clark County, and former member of the Board of Directors of SWIFT.

Brian Bieger joins JD White
BERGER/ABAM Engineers

Brian Bieger has joined the natural resources team at JD White, a division of BERGER/ABAM Engineers, as a senior scientist.

A former wildlife biologist with the U.S. Peace Corps, Bieger has also worked in Washington state. Bieger is a graduate of Oregon State University.

JD White services include land use planning, civil engineering, natural resource planning, structural engineering, construction management and public involvement.

Nearly one in three expected general
election voters have returned ballots

Although deadline for voting in the Tuesday, Nov. 7, general election is over a week away, nearly one in three of the expected Clark County voters have returned ballots to the Clark County Elections Department.

The department began receiving ballots daily since October 23. Today’s batch of 8,434 ballots brought the total so far to 33,073.

Ballots were mailed to 188,409 registered Clark County voters. Elections supervisor Tim Likness predicts a 57 percent return, which would be just a little over 107,000 ballots.

Students to protest above-average
crash rates on Mill Plain Boulevard

Because of its high number of fatal and disabling collisions that have occurred along Mill Plain Boulevard in east Vancouver, the arterial has earned a “traffic safety corridor” designation by the state Department of Transportation.

Bringing attention to this state of affairs are students from a number of schools in the city, who will be stationed at intersections along the thoroughfare between 2 p.m. And 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, waving signs with safety slogans.

The street is averaging just over one collision a day, according to Carol Fenstermacher, Evergreen Public Schools director of community relations. Evergreen Schools’ Shahala Middle School students will be stationed at the intersection of Mill Plain Boulevard and 192nd Avenue.

The principal causes of crashes on Mill Plain Boulevard are common driving errors, including following too close, failing to yield, inattention, speeding, and disregard of traffic signals. Alcohol played a part in fewer than one in twenty crashes.

Calendar

Clark County commissioners meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. n A board of county commissioners’ workshop on the Clark County comprehensive plan update is at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Monday headlines

For Clark College educator, college means freedom--Oregonian, Holley Gilbert

Fox appeal of Ridgefield firing underway--Columbian, Don Hamilton

Hansen cautions in Fox appeal--Columbian, Don Hamilton

Just about all you need to know about bats--Columbian, Jose Paul Corona

First public hearing on Kalama coal plant Wednesday, Nov. 8--Columbian

Housing slows but local business people still upbeat--Columbian, Julia Anderson

Iraq violence leaves 80 dead--USA TODAY, AP

Britain hires Al Gore to lobby U.S. on global warming--Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin

U.S. newspaper circulation falling--Washington Post, Seth Sutel

NAA analysis shows total newspaper audience rising as newspapers turn to websites--Newspaper Association of America, Jeff Sigmund