ANDERSON: Good news? You got it

Tired of bad news about the economy? Last week turned out to have a lot of good news for Clark County.

Here are the highlights:

— Gasoline prices have cratered here as global oil prices hit 18-month lows near $60 a barrel. In Vancouver gas was selling last week for an average of $2.81 a gallon for regular unleaded, said AAA. The good news? More money in our pockets.

— Boeing Co. Machinists came to an agreement with the giant aerospace company on a new labor contract that is to be voted on this weekend. The good news? Some 800 workers at Boeing’s Gresham, Ore., parts plant who live in Clark County will see pay increases of 14 percent over the next four years.

— The September foreclosure report out last week showed that the number of foreclosures in Clark County fell to half the August total and was about even with September 2007. The good news? Our housing market — with one foreclosure in every 1,084 homes — is better the national rate of one in every 475 units and Oregon’s one in every 677 homes.

— The Washington Employment Security Department September jobs report shows that a total of 199,610 Clark County residents are collecting paychecks. Those local workers hold jobs here and outside the county, mostly in the Portland area. The good news? That’s a gain of 1,370 jobs from August as folks went back to work in schools and is about even with 2007. Despite cutbacks in construction, we’re breaking even on jobs with about 95 percent of the work force earning a paycheck.

— The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates another half-percent last week. The good news? The rate drop eventually should filter through the financial system and translate into lower mortgage rates. The good news? Lower rates in a month or two will make it easier to sell the glut of unsold housing inventory in the Clark County market.

— Through September, a total of 4,464 new and preowned houses have been sold in Clark County. The good news? While home values have declined this year, 4,464 buyers had the confidence and the financial resources to buy a house here.

— Umpqua Bank and Key Bank were among the first banks in this region to receive encouragement from the federal financial rescue plan. The feds are buying $214 million in preferred stock at Umpqua and $2.5 billion at Key Bank because both banks are well positioned to increase lending and help the economy.

— Comcast, the cable-telecom service provider for Clark County, reported a 38 percent jump in quarterly earnings to $771 million. Good news? You bet.

— WSU Vancouver is moving ahead with construction of two more buildings at its Salmon Creek campus. Construction of the first project could get started by mid-2009. The good news? WSUV is a major economic engine for us.

— A total of 8,375 Clark County residents bought a new car this year. The good news? That’s down from the 9,728 sales registrations through September in 2007, but still these people had the money and confidence to invest in a new vehicle. In September, new vehicle sales registrations in Clark County totaled 813, down 16 percent from 2007. People are still buying cars.

— Through September some 9,700 people moved to Clark County. The good news? Hey, this is a good place to be.

Julia Anderson is The Columbian’s business editor. Reach her at 735-4509 or julia.anderson@columbian.com.