Voters approve Ridgefield
and Camas school levies

Click Here for Elections Department update

School district voters in Ridgefield approved a request for special levies in Tuesday’s special election by a 68.12 percent majority. Voters in Camas also approved a special levies by a 61.04 percent majority.

The Clark County Elections Department last night counted 24,365 votes from the mail-in election. According to elections officials, another 5,000 voters are left to count. Those include votes that were placed in drop-box locations and those that were received in the mail today.

The Battle Ground School District levy proposal was ahead by 59.4 percent majority of votes when all the votes up to that time were counted. All of the school measures on the ballot require at least a 60 percent majority. Although behind during the first count, the Battle Ground levy proposal is not dead.

The elections department is expected to count another 4,500 votes by late this afternoon.

A Camas School District bond issue for new schools was failing for lack of a 60 percent majority, with only a 58.87 favorable vote.

Washougal’s $7.5 bond issue that would have financed a new civic center failed even to get a majority approval. That vote was 973 yes, 1,273 no.

Nearly half billion dollars in Clark County
business expansion announced in 2006

Nineteen companies announced investments of $460 million during 2006, according to Bart Phillips, executive director of the Columbia River Economic Development Council. Phillips says the investments represent specific employment of 640 persons and an annual payroll of $29.6 million. In addition, another 850 jobs were indirectly created as a result.

Phillips says that during 2006 the CREDC successfully attracted 19 major economic development investments through its business investment and recruitment program.

The two largest business investment announcements in 2006 came from SEH America, $350 million, along with 150 new jobs, and Great Western Malting, a $100 million ethanol plant at the Port of Vancouver that will create 42 new jobs.

Other projects are as follows: Wells Fargo Financial, 115 new hires; Fisher Investments, new branch, Columbia Tech Center, 100 employees; Pacific Crest Cabinetry, new facility, Ridgefield, 60 employees; Bilfinger Berger, re-located U.S. headquarters in the Columbia Tech Center, 50 employees; Springhill Suites by Marriott, new hotel, Columbia Tech Center, 35 employees; Rahr Malting Company, 20 employees; and Pacific Continental Bank, Western Machine Works, Event 1 Software and Puget Sound Blood Center.

Sue Corey and Max Holloway named
to All-Washington Academic Team

    

             Sue Corey                           Max Holloway

Clark College students Sue Corey and Max Holloway have been named to the All-Washington Academic Team and are eligible for nomination in the All-USA Academic Team, sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges, USA TODAY and the American Association of Community Colleges.

Corey and Holloway are among 62 students from Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges who will be recognized by Gov. Chris Gregoire in March. They also will receive scholarships from the Clark College Foundation and KeyBank and the Northwest Education Loan Association.

Discovery Walk gets
KGW-TV sponsorship

KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8 has become the first major media sponsor for the Vancouver International Discovery Walk Festival, reports Burt Paynter, executive director.

The 11th annual international festival will be Friday, April 27, through Sunday, April 29.

Last year the festival drew walkers, bikers and swimmers from 22 countries and 18 states. For further information, go to www.discoverywalk.org.

Calendar

Port of Vancouver commissioners are holding a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. today in port offices, 3103 Lower River Road, to discuss future uses of port waterfront property due west of the Interstate Bridge. The property on the former Terminal 1 wharf is under a long-term lease to the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay. n Mayor John Idsigna delivers Battle Ground's State of the City address at 6 p.m. this evening in city hall. A reception begins at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 7 headlines

Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council favors replacing I-5 Interstate Bridges with wider lanes and either light rail or rapid transit bus; county commissioners are in minority--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Explosive construction costs wrecking county transportation planning--Columbian, Michael Andersen

Appeals court gives Clark Public Utilities OK to test underground water near Vancouver Lake--Columbian, Courtney Sherwood

Vancouver moving 150 employees to temporary offices to Electric Lightwave Building near Vancouver Mall--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize

Legislators looking at a bill that would exempt card rooms from public disclosure of detailed financial records--Columbian, Kathie Durbin

Target store in Vancouver Plaza to expand--Columbian, Jonathan Nelson

Bits 'N' Pieces--Columbian, Mike Bailey

Fifth helicopter to go down in Iraq since mid-January claims seven soldiers--New York Times, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Marc Santora

Tim Russert rebuts Libby testimony--New York Times, David Stout