Morning Press: I-5 Bridge, again; vigil for 10-year-old; 31-year sentence in Sifton Market murder-arson

There’s not much precipitation in the forecast for early in the week, but from Wednesday on into the weekend, rain and showers are prominent. Check out our weather coverage.

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

New I-5 Bridge project: Here we go, again … again

Political voices on both sides of the Columbia River are striking a positive tone and avoiding past battles as they launch a second effort to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge.

Lurking beneath the veneer of tranquility are the same issues that polarized the region a decade ago: opposition to tolling, hostility toward light rail, support for a third Columbia River bridge, concerns about climate change, and a sneaking suspicion this $3 billion-plus megaproject will cost too much and deliver too little.

Read the full story: New I-5 Bridge project: Here we go, again … again

Vigil honors Vancouver boy killed in bicycle crash

Community members gathered for a candlelight vigil in east Vancouver on Saturday evening to honor the life of a 10-year-old boy who died in a bicycle crash on Tuesday morning.

The vigil was held at the intersection where Damien Trick was struck by a pickup truck, at Northeast Ninth Street and Northeast 167th Avenue. In the days since the accident, the sidewalk on the northeast corner has been home to an ever-growing array of flowers, candles and stuffed animals.

Read the full story: Vigil honors Vancouver boy killed in bicycle crash

Judge sentences Heng to 31 years for Sifton Market murder-arson

Before handing down his sentence Friday, a judge told Mitchell Heng — convicted last month of killing a clerk and setting fire to Sifton Market — that he thinks “this was probably the most heartless” crime he’s seen.

Clark County Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke then handed down a more than 31-year prison sentence — the high-end of the standard sentencing range of 281 to 374 months.

Read the full story: Judge sentences Heng to 31 years for Sifton Market murder-arson

Clark County sees tight market for office space

It’s been less than a year since The Murdock — currently The Waterfront Vancouver’s sole office building — came online, but its owners say it’s on track to hit 100 percent occupancy.

The quick leasing could be chalked up to the popularity of the waterfront, but there’s more to it than that. It fits a pattern that commercial real estate agents say they’re seeing across all of Clark County: Put simply, office space is in very high demand.

Read the full story: Clark County sees tight market for office space

Union members vote to ratify grocery store contract

A “sizeable majority” of members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 555 have voted to ratify a new contract with grocery store employers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. UFCW Local 555 announced the result in a press release late Friday night.

The new three-year contract includes a 20-hour weekly guarantee for work hours, wage increases for all workers, no increases in health care premiums, new health care benefit additions and improved procedures for vacation requests.

Read the full story: Union members vote to ratify grocery store contract