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In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:
The search for a missing Camas teen came to a sad end Friday evening when his car with the body of a young male was found inside in Chehalis.
Authorities have not yet identified the body, which was released to the Lewis County coroner for positive identification. However, Camas police officer Debra Riedl said that police have called off their search for 16-year-old Cole Burbank. The teen had been reported missing April 13.
A family friend who was among the volunteers searching for Burbank located his vehicle at about 5 p.m. in a shopping center parking lot, Riedl said.
Late Friday night, a message was posted on behalf of Burbank’s family on a Facebook group dedicated to finding him. The group, Cole Burbank Search Party – Volunteers Needed, had surpassed 4,600 members.
“Cole has been found and God has a new angel in his choir. We are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support and prayers that all of the individuals in this community have shown during this difficult time. We are blessed by your prayers and find comfort in knowing so many of you cared for Cole.”
Just hours before the discovery, his parents, Michelle and Matt Burbank, held a brief press conference pleading for him to come home.
Read the full story: Missing teen’s car found with body inside
Imagine if the parts under the hood of your car were made in layers of color like jawbreaker candies. As the parts become worn, the changing colors would alert you to wear and tear.
Or imagine one finicky piece breaks and, rather than scouring parts stores or junkyards, you look up the replacement online and press “print.”
The bridge between now and then could develop sooner than you think.
HP Inc., the Palo Alto, Calif.-based printing company, released last fall its Jet Fusion 3D 4200, an obsidian-colored printer nearly the size of a Smart Car. It reportedly prints 10 times faster than its peers in a growing industry that, according market research firm Wohlers Associates, was last year doing $7.3 billion in business. HP’s own research pegs the industry closer to $6 billion.
Unlike the typical 2-D inkjet printer that costs less than $100 today, the industrial 3-D printer costs $200,000 to $250,000. That would obviously be a prohibitive price for most individuals, but HP has its sights set on manufacturers.
“This isn’t about HP shipping a product into an existing $6 billion 3-D printing scene,” said HP spokesman Noel Hartzell. “This is taking on the injection molding category,” as well as other processes that have been linked to manufacturing for generations.
To do that, HP is embarking on a years-long strategy to drive down costs and raise a market where 3-D printing could become common. The company believes 3-D printing could usher in another industrial revolution by unleashing design possibilities and shortening supply chains. And much of its research and development is happening here in Vancouver.
Read the full story: 3-D printing, industrial revolution could be forming in Clark County
For years, Washington state lawmakers attempted to send a message to their Oregon counterparts proving they are ready to talk about the region’s chronically congested Interstate 5 Bridge.
But every venture became mired in political gridlock and ultimately died a toxic death. Last week, a bill addressing the bridge sailed out of the Washington state Senate — the same chamber responsible for killing the Columbia River Crossing project — and Southwest Washington lawmakers felt triumphant, even victorious, calling the approval monumental.
But the message they tried to send across the river appears to have fallen on busy and frustrated ears.
“The view from Oregon is we don’t want to talk about bridges,” said Democrat Lee Beyer, who chairs the Senate Committee on Business and Transportation. “At least not the one crossing the Columbia.”
Beyer likened Oregon lawmakers to still feeling “a little bit like Charlie Brown.”
Remember when Charlie Brown gears up to kick the football and at the last second Lucy pulls it away, leaving Charlie Brown laying flat on his back?
In Beyer’s analogy, Washington is Lucy.
That is to say, Oregon lawmakers still remember when they were ready to go on the Columbia River Crossing and the Washington Senate pulled out of the project.
Washington legislators aren’t surprised by Oregon’s reaction. It’s what they expected.
Read the full story: Bridge bill falls on busy ears in Oregon
As soon as Marlene Julye moved to Clark County, she started the search for child care.
Julye moved here in late July while seven months pregnant. She wouldn’t need child care until February, but Julye had heard she needed to get on waiting lists early in order to have care when she needed it.
She Googled. She read Yelp reviews. She asked for recommendations on Facebook.
Finally, she found a place — a center in Fisher’s Landing. The center was great, she said, but it was expensive, $1,200 per month, and it wasn’t in a convenient location. Nevertheless, exhausted from searching, she put her name on the waiting list.
“It’s an amazing facility,” Julye said. “But it definitely was a settle for me.”
At the time, Julye felt she had few other options.
“I wanted a good place, but I needed something affordable,” Julye said. “And it seems like you can’t have both.”
She’s likely not alone in that feeling. Even as Clark County’s population continues to grow, the number of child care spots has declined while the cost of care now rivals that of housing.
Read the full story: Finding care isn’t child’s play in Clark County
Muddy feet and sore muscles gave way to smiles and laughter at Clark Public Utilities’ annual StreamTeam Earth Day Fest on Saturday.
The annual volunteer project and nature fair is a staple for Clark County and, based on the crowd perusing booths and helping plant trees at Salmon Creek Regional Park, remains as popular as ever.
“It’s become an awesome thing to do on Earth Day,” StreamTeam coordinator Ashley King said. The event is in its 18th year.
It was also one of several Earth Day events across the region, where volunteers pulled weeds, picked up trash and planted trees in support of the planet.
Read the full story: County celebrates Earth Day
