Top Stories: Snow and ice arrive; voters approve levies; Sahota’s widow sues Clark County

Will we get more snow? Check out our local weather forecast before you head outside.

Here are some of the top stories of the week on columbian.com. Wondering what else was popular this week with readers? Check out our Trending Stories page.

1. Schools close, thousands of residents without power in Clark County as snow moves in

Snow and wind in Clark County closed schools, downed power lines and caused crashes all over the county.

A winter storm warning remains in effect in Clark County and much of the Portland area through 10 a.m. Friday, so the morning commute could see more of the same.

• Some 20,000 households across Clark County saw power outages Thursday morning
• Related: Injuries reported in a more than 100-vehicle pileup near Multnomah Falls on I-84
• Update: Promised snow and ice arrives in Clark County for a white Valentine’s Day

2. Voters approve Vancouver, Evergreen, Ridgefield levies; Battle Ground trailing while Hockinson fails

Voters approved six out of nine Clark County school funding measures on Tuesday’s ballot were passing in early returns.

Vancouver’s levy was passing, while Evergreen voters split on that district’s two levies. Battle Ground’s levy was trailing, while Ridgefield seemed to be passing a capital levy after six consecutive failed bond attempts since 2019.

• Mount Pleasant and La Center also passing

3. Vancouver-based Rotschy buys sand and gravel business Storedahl & Sons

LONGVIEW — J.L. Storedahl & Sons, which dates back more than half a century, has been bought by one of Southwest Washington’s largest excavation and construction companies.

Vancouver-based Rotschy Inc. is the new owner of sand and gravel firm Kelso’s J.L. Storedahl & Sons and metal fab business Nor-Tech Fabrication, according to a press release issued Monday by the contractor and excavation company.

• Rotschy also acquired Nor-Tech Fabrication

4. Officer Donald Sahota’s widow files lawsuit against Clark County, ‘trigger happy’ sheriff’s deputy who shot him

The widow of former Vancouver police Officer Donald Sahota has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit alleging Clark County failed to properly train the “trigger happy” sheriff’s deputy who mistakenly shot her husband in 2022 and that the shooting was unreasonable and reckless.

The lawsuit, filed by Dawnese Sahota on Jan. 22 in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, alleges negligence, excessive force, depravation of familial relationships and failure to train. The suit seeks unspecified damages to be determined at trial.

• Suit alleges county was negligent in not retraining Jonathan Feller after his role in shooting of Kevin Peterson Jr.

5. WA lawmakers and governor are getting big raises. Here’s how much

Washington’s governor, attorney general and state lawmakers are in line for hefty pay raises in the next two years.

And salaries for the state’s seven other executives and hundreds of judges will climb as well — though not as fast — as a result of decisions Wednesday by the independent citizen commission that sets pay scales for the state’s legislative, executive and judicial branches.

• A citizen panel approved hikes of 16% for legislators and 14% for the governor spread over two years. Increases kick in July 1, barring a referendum.