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In case you missed it, here are some of the top stories of the week
With the release of a new batch of ballots Thursday, Clark County council chair candidates Marc Boldt and Mike Dalesandro declared victory over all three sitting county councilors.
Republican Councilor David Madore remained solidly in third place, trailing by 777 votes with an estimated 600 ballots to count.
Boldt, a former GOP county commissioner who ran with no party preference, received 16,786 votes, or 26.75 percent.
“It’s a nice relief to have this over and rest a little bit,” Boldt said. “It was such a close race between the three of us. It’s good to have it done.”
Dalesandro, a Democrat and Battle Ground City Council member, came in a close second, receiving 16,702 votes, or 26.62 percent.
“The votes have been counted and I’m honored to be moving through to the general election in November,” Dalesandro wrote in a statement. “The support of this community has been tremendous and I’m deeply appreciative of their vote of support and confidence.”
See more election coverage.
A plan to build the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver does not comply with the federal Clean Water Act, and should not be granted a key permit until its impacts are fully addressed, according to a letter the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week.
The Corps is considering whether to grant its blessing to the proposal by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Cos. to build a terminal that would handle an average of 360,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The oil would arrive by rail and leave by ship.
The Corps of Engineers must issue a permit for in-water work before the facility can be built. But officials have said the Corps is somewhat limited in what it can and cannot analyze in its regulatory role.
The EPA’s letter, submitted as part of a monthlong public comment window, raised a host of concerns the agency believes should be included in the review. The EPA noted a potential impact area that includes 1,493 miles of railroad track in Washington, the entire Columbia River downstream of Vancouver, and marine areas off the coast. The letter highlighted the risk of oil spills and leaks, and said proposed mitigation measures to minimize accidents “may not be adequate.”
Learn more about the EPA’s comments about the oil terminal.
A partnership led by Texas-based USAA Real Estate has agreed to buy large stakes in five Westfield malls, including Westfield Vancouver, in a transaction that values the properties at a combined $1.1 billion, according to the industry website Real Estate Alert.
The reported deal includes $169.7 million for 465,000 square feet of commercial space owned by Westfield at the 913,000-square-foot Westfield Vancouver mall. Westfield owns space that houses mall anchors Cinetopia, H&M and Gold’s Gym, which occupies one floor of the former Nordstrom space. Anchor stores under separate ownership are Macy’s, Sears and JC Penney, according to the Real Estate Alert report.
USAA Real Estate is a unit of San Antonio insurer USAA. Its partners in the purchase are Montgomery Street Partners, a unit of San Francisco-based Blum Capital, and Centennial Real Estate of Dallas. That partnership and Westfield will form a joint venture that will buy the properties, Real Estate Alert reported.
The report did not address if or how the ownership change would affect operations or management at the mall, Clark County’s largest retail center.
Learn more about plans for the mall.
It’s no secret that many people develop a sense of dread when a jury summons turns up in the mail, racking their brains for an excuse to skip out on their civic duty.
Oftentimes, the excuses are legitimate, involving concerns such as missing crucial work time or finding reliable child care. Some people suffer from medical conditions that hamper their ability to serve.
However, others, plain and simple, don’t want to sit through days or possibly weeks of a trial.
“There’s certainly a sacrifice of time when serving as a juror, but they are an essential piece to the puzzle,” Clark County Jury Coordinator Kirsten Morrisey said.
“This office tries to make it as easy as possible to serve as a juror,” she added. “We know it’s difficult, especially today, because everyone is busy.”
Over the years, judges and attorneys have heard a myriad of excuses, particularly during voir dire — the process in which jurors are determined to be impartial.
Read more excuses to get out of jury duty.
Annie Weston should have been in a coma.
Two years ago, the Vancouver teen was experiencing migraines and extreme fatigue, sleeping considerably more than she used to. When the persistent thirst kicked in, Annie’s parents, Lori and Ryan Weston, realized their daughter could have diabetes. Lori called one of Annie’s cousins who has Type 1 diabetes and asked him to stop by with his testing kit. She wanted to test Annie.
Annie’s blood-sugar level was off the charts, literally. Her levels were so high the monitor couldn’t read them. The meter topped out at 600. A normal blood-sugar level is lower than 100.
At the emergency department, blood tests revealed Annie’s blood-sugar level was 1,003 — a number that would, in many cases, result in a diabetic coma.
“This was really scary,” Lori Weston said.
Annie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the beta cells in the pancreas, making the body incapable of producing insulin. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, which is tied to obesity and sedentary lifestyle, Type 1 diabetes cannot be slowed or reversed.
Read more about Annie’s quest for a service dog.
Jay Ponciano passed along a piece of local Little League history when he visited a Cascade All-Stars practice this week.
He might have also been passing a torch.
Ponciano was a star on the Hazel Dell team that went to the Little League World Series in 2000. He brought back a souvenir bat from Williamsport, Pa.
Tuesday, he gave that bat to Cascade’s players as a good luck charm.
“Hopefully you’ll get to bring back one of your own,” Ponciano told the 11 and 12 year olds.
The Cascade All-Stars are hoping to become the second Clark County team to reach the Little League World Series. They are one step away.
After winning the state championship Saturday, Cascade is headed to the Little League Baseball Northwest Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, Calif.
Read more about the Cascade All-Stars.
