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In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories from the weekend:
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has fired a deputy photographed wearing, and who apparently merchandises, apparel affiliated with the Proud Boys, a far-right group known for its white nationalist rhetoric and frequent appearances in the middle of political violence locally and nationwide.
The sheriff’s office placed Deputy Erin Willey on leave for an internal investigation in response to The Columbian’s reporting, after the office was shown a photograph of Willey wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with a Proud Boys logo. She was terminated on Tuesday after the investigation was completed.
The undated photograph, shared with The Columbian by an anonymous source, shows Willey wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a logo showing a switchblade, lipstick and an abbreviation for Proud Boys’ Girls, which appears to be for sale on the online storefront Redbubble, an Australia-based market similar to Etsy.
Clark County Public Health is investigating two cases of shigellosis bacteria reported to the department Friday.
Battle Ground Lake is possibly the source of the bacterial infection, which is spread through fecal-oral transmission, according to a Public Health press release. There are signs posted at the lake warning the public, but the lake and Battle Ground Lake State Park remain open pending further testing.
Public Health took water samples Friday and expects to have results Saturday. If test results show high levels of the bacteria, the lake will be closed for swimming and wading. The department will do additional testing Monday.
A revival of “Rugrats” — on the big and small screen — is coming to a sandbox near you.
Viacom announced Monday that it has greenlighted a revival of the beloved children’s program for a 26-episode run on Nickelodeon, in addition to a new live-action feature film featuring CGI characters.
The 2.0 version of “Rugrats” will feature new adventures with everyone’s favorite pipsqueak characters from the ’90s: Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Susie and Angelica (and, let’s hope, Reptar) — but a new world of characters also will get some playtime.
Cruise the Couve is all about the sights — the classic, cool and kooky cars that drive up and down Vancouver’s Main Street — but there is also a fair amount of sounds. Engines revving, horns honking, clunkers chug-a-lugging along, old tunes playing from cars and restaurants, and phrases like “whoa” and “that’s awesome” fill the air.
The sounds were a bit much for 3-year-old Cody Davis, who was sporting a pair of earmuffs during Saturday’s massively popular automobile event. For whatever reason, he prefers the sounds of monster trucks to the cacophony of Cruise the Couve noises. Some like rock music, some like classic; to each their own.
If there’s an engine that runs on social media envy and daydreams, it’s the one powering the business of building adventure wagons.
Van conversion, where everything from old Volkswagen Vanagons to plain white work vans are turned into yachts-on-wheels, is thriving in the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area. Companies thank the growing numbers of retirees and untethered freelancers who are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to be nomads in comfort.
The trend is helping local companies like Van Haus Conversions and Panther RV Products do bigger and bigger business every year. Revenue growth is in high gear, both companies said, and they are primed to expand.
“One reason is this whole boom of people doing corporate jobs, stuck in the cubicle and seeing images of #VanLife,” said Erik Ferjancic, owner of Van Haus Conversions, alluding to a social media trend that romanticizes a van pilgrimage to bonfire-lit beaches or to the feet of golden bluffs and mountains. “It’s fueling this whole ‘I want to get out of this 9-to-5.’”
