Primary election ballots due by 8 p.m.

Ballots are due by 8 p.m. tonight, Aug. 18, to count for the primary election. Mailing in ballots is not recommended by election officials since ballots must be postmarked by today to be tallied. There are 23 drop-off locations available. A list these can be found here.

Baird talks health care in Amphitheater town hall meeting tonight

U.S. Rep. Brian Baird will discuss health care at a series of town hall meetings, the first one at 7 p.m. this evening in the Amphitheater at Clark County.

Admission and parking to the Amphitheater are free. The second town hall is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Cowlitz County Expo Center, 1900 Seventh Avenue, in Longview. Other dates and locations have not been announced.

Clark County nonfarm employment falls

Clark County seasonally-adjusted nonfarm employment fell by 400 jobs in July. Most industries followed normal seasonal patterns. The two exceptions were construction (-200) and retail trade (-100). Unadjusted nonfarm employment was estimated at 128,900. That was a 1,600-jobs drop from June, due primarily to seasonal layoffs in education. Since last July, the county has lost 5,900 jobs (4.4 percent).

Construction employment was unchanged at 9,600 jobs in July, when there are typically 200 seasonal hires. The loss over the year was 2,600 jobs (21 percent). Through June, housing permits for 287 units (all but 7 single-family housing) had been issued this year—about a third of last year’s total for the first half of the year.  For 1997-2006, the average was about 2,000 units. Housing prices as measured by the Case-Shiller index fell 0.9 percent in May and are now 21 percent below their peak in 2007. It is likely that home construction will bottom out before prices, which may continue to decline slowly for years.

Manufacturing employed 12,500 in July, the same as in June, but 1,300 below the year-ago level. The losses include 500 in electronics and 200 in transportation equipment.

Trade, transportation and utilities slipped down 100 jobs in July to 24,600. Wholesale trade was unchanged at 5,300, off 200 jobs over the year. Retail trade was also unchanged, with general merchandise stores down 100 but specialty stores up by the same amount. The total of 15,500 was 500 jobs below last July (-3 percent). Transportation dropped 100 jobs to 3,800, even with a year ago. All told, this sector employed 24,600, a decline of 700 (3 percent) over the year.

Information services continued to employ 2,500, a 200-job loss from last July (-7 percent).

Financial activities remained at 6,200 jobs, down 400 over the year—evenly split between banking & insurance and real estate & leasing.

Professional and business services added 200 jobs in July, mostly seasonal hires at employment agencies and in services to buildings (landscaping and janitorial). Professional services was unchanged at 6,500 jobs, 400 less than a year ago. Business services employed 6,800, down 500 from last July, including a loss of 600 at employment agencies.

Calendar

The Tim Leavitt post-primary celebration from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight, Aug. 18, at Tommy O’s downtown at 801 Washington Street.<> Washington State University is celebrating with a groundbreaking ceremony and grand opening of its Applied Technology building and its Undergraduate building at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19. 

Tuesday on the air

Seattle at Detroit (live)—4 p.m. FSN, KTRO

Election 2009: Vancouver City Council Mayoral Candidates—4:20 p.m. CVTV

Fun Wagon Promo (8-28)—5:07 p.m. CVTV

Election 2009: Vancouver City Council Position 1 Candidates—5:15 p.m. CVTV

Election 2009: Vancouver City Council Position 3 Candidates—6:14 p.m. CVTV

Iowa at Portland Beavers (live)—7 p.m. KKAD

Election 2009: Primary Video Voters’ Guide—7:05 p.m. CVTV

Election Night (live)—8 p.m. CVTV

Columbia River Crossing Vancouver Working Group (7-23)—11 p.m. CVTV

 

Community Calendar Links

• Southwest Washington Center for the Arts

• Greater Vancouver Chamber

• City of Vancouver Calendar

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 Headlines

 

Links to news of local & national significance

Dick Hannah to start dealing Dodges--Columbian, Cami Joner

Baird names sites for three more town hall meetings--Columbian, AP

Past comes alive as Blazers begin 40th year--Columbian, Brian T. Smith

2009 fair strikes its managers as a success--Columbian, Dave Kern

Health reform supporters start to outnumber critics at town halls--Huffington Post, Rachel Weiner

GM to reinstate about 1,350 workers due to "clunkers" increased demand--Huffington Post, AP

Conservative columnist Robert Novak dies--Washington Post, Adam Bernstein