La Center alligator taken into custody

Bob Austin, left, BPA, and Tippy Rutherford, Clark County Animal Control officer capture alligator near La Center today.  

A three-foot long alligator was taken from a pond near La Center today and taken to the Southwest Washington Humane Society for transfer to an animal rescue organization.

The gator is thought to have been abandoned as a result of a state law that became effective last month declaring alligators as potentially dangerous animals. Except under very limited circumstances, according to the new law, individuals may not keep alligators or other potentially dangerous animals.

The alligator was captured by Bob Austin Bonneville Power Administration, and Clark County Animal Control officer Tippy Rutherford on BPA transmission right-of-way near NE 38th Avenue and 379th Street.

Austin, who had worked with alligators and crocodiles in the Everglades in Florida after graduate school from Central Michigan University in the 1970s, volunteered for the mission.

VectorVision comes to Legacy Salmon
Creek Hospital operating rooms

VectorVision, utilizing real-time, three-dimensional imaging technology, is being used in operating rooms in Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital to guide surgeons through precise operations on the ear, nose, throat, brain and hip and knee joints, reports Jonathan Avery, chief administrative officer.

The new navigational system permits more endoscopic surgeries, according to Avery, lessening the need for more invasive surgical procedures.

Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital has eight operating rooms.

Parade of Homes opens in Ridgefield August 10

The annual Clark County Parade of Homes, featuring five luxury homes in the 3,500- to 6,000-square-foot range, opens a 16-day run Friday, Aug. 10, and ending Sunday, Aug. 26.

The homes are in the Hillhurst II subdivision south of Ridgefield.

Builders of the homes for the Building Industry Association of Clark County are as follows: Barton Brothers Construction, Clark & Son Homes, Lynwood Homes, Omega Custom Homes and Visionary Homes.

Parade of Homes hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Admission is $12 for adults. Coupons for $2 off are available online by going to www.ClarkCountyParadeOfHomes.com.

WSU Vancouver library podcasting

Using a one-year $7,600 grant from the Washington State Library, the Washington State University Vancouver Library is developing podcasts for students, staff and faculty.

Podcasts deliver prerecorded text,audio and video messages that can be downloaded by subscribers automatically or on demand for later replay.

The first podcast will be instructional explaining how to search for and request books from the library’s online book catalogs, says Linda Frederiksen, WSU Vancouver access services librarian.

Ultimately, podcasting could be extended to class lectures and assignments.

SWIFT spices up fundraising with
$4,000 first-prize Texas Hold’ em

Southwest Washington Forward Thrust expects a sellout for its first no-limit Texas Hold’ em poker tournament Saturday, Sept. 15, in the Pantheon Banquet Hall, 5932 SE 92nd Avenue, Portland.

First place prize is $4,000. The top ten players all receive payouts which will be paid off in prepaid credit cards.

The tournament opens at 3:45 p.m. Tournament play continues from 4 to 10 p.m.

Play will be limited to 200 entrants. Entry fees are $110 minimum buy-in, $210 maximum buy-in. There is a player registration fee of $10, which includes light snacks. For further information, call 619-4498.

Calendar

The City/County Telecommunications Commission meets informally at 6:30 p.m. and begins a formal session at 7 p.m. this evening in City Hall. <> $15 sports physicals are being offered by Family Medicine of Southwest Washington from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, in suite 11 in the Southwest Washington Medical Center, Memorial Campus, 100 E 33rd Street. For further information, call 514-7550. <> The Beatniks present their version of ’60s and ’70s rock and roll at the free Riverview Community Bank Six-to-Sunset concert series in Esther Short Park Thursday, Aug. 2. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available from vendors in the park.  

Headlines Wednesday, Aug. 1

Bridgeport developer has eye on old airfield--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Summer school serving about 1,200 elementary students in Vancouver School District--Columbian, Isolde Raftery

Dogs will be jumping at Clark County Fair--Columbian, Mary Ann Albright

Mount St. Helens clearer than ever with new high definition camera--Columbian, Tom Vogt

Casino agreement issue in La Center race--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize

Detroit is outsold by imports in U.S.--New York Times, Micheline Maynard

Violence rages in Baghdad as Sunni bloc leaves cabinet--New York Times, Jon Elsen and Stephen Farrell

Stocks close higher after late rally--New York Times, Jeremy W. Peters and Wayne Arnold

Rumsfeld denies coverup in Tillman case--USA TODAY, Tom Vanden Brook

Iraq Coalition Casualties