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Morning Press: Kim, Kraft in 17th; Condit Dam, 5 years later; ‘Gig economy’ in Clark County

By Carly Dubois, Columbian staff writer
Published: October 24, 2016, 6:00am

What’s on tap for this week’s weather? Check our local weather coverage.

In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:

Kim, Kraft pitching to voters door to door

Republican Vicki Kraft and independent Democrat Sam Kim have spent a lot of time knocking on doors in the 17th Legislative District lately, hoping to convince voters to elect them to fill Rep. Lynda Wilson’s seat in the statehouse.

“I’m seeing all my old friends, I’m making new friends. So many of the voters are saying, ‘Candidates don’t come around, except you,’ ” Kim said. “So, I’m glad I’m participating in making democracy work for so many people.”

Clearly, the two candidates aren’t knocking on the same doors, because Kraft says she is hearing the same.

“I’ve been out doorbelling … and a lot of people have rallied to support me locally,” Kraft said. “Whether it’s community leaders, people at the door have been very supportive overall.”

Kraft had raised $217,115 in campaign contributions as of Friday. Kim had brought in $183,302.

Read the full story about candidates Kim, Kraft pitching to voters door to door.

Condit Dam: Life after the breach

The White Salmon River continues a steady recovery since the removal of Condit Dam, but uncertainties linger for some stakeholders through the river’s healing process.

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Constrained for a century by the 125-foot PacifiCorp hydroelectric dam, the White Salmon was freed on Oct. 26, 2011, when contractors detonated charges opening a tunnel through the base of the dam, draining Northwestern Lake and sending millions of gallons of water and an estimated 2.3 million cubic yards of sediment thundering downriver.

Five years later, the dam and reservoir are only a memory, though the side effects of the massive stream restoration project has troubled cabin owners living along the river. At the same time, fish returns meet and sometimes defy expectations, and boaters and outfitters are taking advantage of new opportunities in previously inaccessible stretches of river.

As the White Salmon continues to heal, they’re all looking to a new legacy on a new waterway.

Read the full story on Condit Dam: Life after the breach.

How does the ‘gig economy’ look in Clark County?

Chelsey Lensing and Dane Campbell are sort of professional multitaskers.

Both are teachers in east Vancouver who have cobbled together extra cash by working outside of their main jobs. Lensing, 26, teaches French at Heritage High School but has worked at restaurants part time and recently acquired her real estate license. Campbell, 27, works with disabled students at Evergreen High School and has moonlighted in restaurants, as well.

But the couple recently turned a spare room into extra income via Airbnb, joining the growing number of people who earn money by offering rides, rooms and other services on demand. The jobs, with nebulous work hours and wages, have been called the “gig economy,” and a new study says they are growing as rapidly here as it is in other urban centers across the country.

“I didn’t think, initially, it would be worth it,” Lensing said, adding that she and Campbell spent about $400 sprucing up the room. “It sounded like a lot of work. And even people I have talked to since have reacted with hesitation, like ‘You let people into your home?’ … But within the first month it had more than paid for itself.”

Read the full story that asks: How does the ‘gig economy’ look in Clark County?

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Columbian staff writer