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Wednesday,  May 14 , 2025
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Stories by Alexis Weisend

Columbian staff reporter

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alexis.weisend@columbian.com
Jimmy Howland, left, hands a photo of their kids to Gina Muehe to put on the fridge Wednesday at Howland’s apartment in Vancouver. After three years in the Hope Village Safe Stay community, Howland has moved into housing.

‘I didn’t know I was Superman’: After living on streets, losing his leg, Vancouver man discovers depths of inner strength

Jimmy Howland, left, hands a photo of their kids to Gina Muehe to put on the fridge Wednesday at Howland’s apartment in Vancouver. After three years in the Hope Village Safe Stay community, Howland has moved into housing.

March 25, 2025, 6:09am Clark County News

The men carrying furniture into Jimmy Howland’s new apartment treated him like a celebrity. Read story

Construction equipment sits near newly built houses Jan. 27 in the North Haven development near Fairgrounds Community Park in north Clark County. The National Association of Home Builders believes tariffs will raise the cost of a single-family home in the United States by $7,500 to $10,000.

Clark County homebuilders rely on Canadian lumber; tariffs likely to drive up home prices, rents

Construction equipment sits near newly built houses Jan. 27 in the North Haven development near Fairgrounds Community Park in north Clark County. The National Association of Home Builders believes tariffs will raise the cost of a single-family home in the United States by $7,500 to $10,000.

March 21, 2025, 6:10am Business

New and planned tariffs set by the Trump administration on imported construction materials have Clark County builders worried about rising costs and slowing housing production. Read story

Traffic stacks up on Highway 503, North of Highway 500 and Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard during rush hour. The Vancouver City Council is weighing annexation options that could include the section of Orchards east of Interstate 205 between state Highway 500 and Padden Parkway.

Vancouver City Council weighs ‘going big’ by annexing entire urban growth area

Traffic stacks up on Highway 503, North of Highway 500 and Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard during rush hour. The Vancouver City Council is weighing annexation options that could include the section of Orchards east of Interstate 205 between state Highway 500 and Padden Parkway.

March 18, 2025, 1:47pm Clark County News

The Vancouver City Council is weighing annexation options. Read story

Amber Rodriguez, a resident at the 415 West Safe Stay community, straightens up her unit in downtown Vancouver. Rodriguez was living in a homeless camp and addicted to fentanyl, which she used to help her sleep through the night in the rowdy camp. Now, she’s one of several Safe Stay residents pleading with the city of Vancouver for permanent funding for the pallet shelter communities.

Should Safe Stays stay? Vancouver officials, advocates for the homeless debate whether communities should be permanent

Amber Rodriguez, a resident at the 415 West Safe Stay community, straightens up her unit in downtown Vancouver. Rodriguez was living in a homeless camp and addicted to fentanyl, which she used to help her sleep through the night in the rowdy camp. Now, she’s one of several Safe Stay residents pleading with the city of Vancouver for permanent funding for the pallet shelter communities.

March 15, 2025, 6:14am Clark County News

Vancouver’s system of temporary shelters may become a permanent part of the city’s plan to address homelessness. Read story

Data admin Ali Velilla, left, and community resource manager Casey McDougall work at the Community Eviction Support booth Feb. 28 at the Clark County Courthouse. ACES directs people to free legal services and rental assistance, but it also refers people to mental health services, housing resources, job and educational support, and conflict resolution.

Clark County eviction support program on shaky ground financially

Data admin Ali Velilla, left, and community resource manager Casey McDougall work at the Community Eviction Support booth Feb. 28 at the Clark County Courthouse. ACES directs people to free legal services and rental assistance, but it also refers people to mental health services, housing resources, job and educational support, and conflict resolution.

March 15, 2025, 6:08am Clark County News

Clark County has one of the few court-affiliated programs in the nation to support people throughout the eviction process. Despite record eviction filings with no end in sight, the program could die in 2026. Read story

Mary Du Bois, longtime Vancouver resident, enjoys a foggy walk at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site with her dog, Lillyanne, in December. Fort Vancouver is commemorating 200 years since completion of the fort in 1825.

Fort Vancouver continues to commemorate bicentennial

Mary Du Bois, longtime Vancouver resident, enjoys a foggy walk at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site with her dog, Lillyanne, in December. Fort Vancouver is commemorating 200 years since completion of the fort in 1825.

March 14, 2025, 2:49pm Clark County Life

Festivities commemorating Fort Vancouver’s bicentennial continue this month with a series of speakers. Read story

Vancouver’s state of the city set for March 24

March 14, 2025, 1:55pm Clark County News

The city of Vancouver will host the 2025 State of the City and Council Community Forum at 6 p.m. March 24 at Firstenburg Community Center, 700 N.E 136th Ave. Read story

Cars sit in a parking lot outside of Mill Creek Apartments in Battle Ground. The apartment complex is one of Vancouver Housing Authority’s non-subsidized housing units in Clark County but outside of Vancouver.

VHA wants blanket approval for housing projects outside of Vancouver from the rest of Clark County

Cars sit in a parking lot outside of Mill Creek Apartments in Battle Ground. The apartment complex is one of Vancouver Housing Authority’s non-subsidized housing units in Clark County but outside of Vancouver.

March 14, 2025, 6:09am Business

The Vancouver Housing Authority wants jurisdictions in Clark County to agree to blanket approval of its housing projects outside of Vancouver, but some officials are hesitant. Read story

A traffic stop late last month on Interstate 5 lead to a marijuana bust and the arrest of two men.

Washington State Patrol traffic stop leads to huge marijuana bust in Clark County

A traffic stop late last month on Interstate 5 lead to a marijuana bust and the arrest of two men.

March 6, 2025, 3:02pm Clark County News

During a Clark County traffic stop late last month, Washington State Patrol troopers arrested two men from New York transporting large amounts of marijuana and ketamine worth as much as $900,000, according to a news release from the Washington State Patrol. Read story

City workers pull materials out of a homeless camp Wednesday along the Mill Plain sound wall. The city cleared the homeless camp after a year of escalating complaints from neighbors.

City closes sound wall homeless camp along Mill Plain in west Vancouver

City workers pull materials out of a homeless camp Wednesday along the Mill Plain sound wall. The city cleared the homeless camp after a year of escalating complaints from neighbors.

March 5, 2025, 2:17pm Clark County News

City of Vancouver workers erected a sign that declared “Property Closed to Camping” as they cleared tents Wednesday morning along West Mill Plain Boulevard. Read story