The Columbian

Clark County Business

The 192nd West Lofts apartment building in east Vancouver is owned by Avenue 5 Residential, a company named in several lawsuits for alleged collusion to illegally raise rents.

Clark County escaped impacts of alleged rent price-fixing scheme, experts say

February 25, 2025, 6:10am Business

An alleged rent price-fixing scheme may have affected some Clark County tenants’ rents but likely has had no impact on the larger market, experts say. Read story

A rendering of the proposed megaproject from developer Rye Development.

Proposed renewable energy megaproject on Yakama Nation sacred site inches forward

February 25, 2025, 6:08am Business

A Klickitat County renewable energy megaproject planned for a site sacred to the Yakama Nation inched closer to reality late last month, Washington Department of Ecology documents show. Read story

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center on Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore.

Southwest Washington officials say data centers use too much power, employ too few people to make economic sense

February 24, 2025, 6:08am Business

The number of data centers around the Pacific Northwest has exploded in recent decades, growing from less than two dozen in 2008 to more than 200 across Oregon and Washington today. Read story

Dannielle Wright looks out the back door of her house in Vancouver. Wright says Molina Healthcare has denied claims to cover a specific depression medication despite Wright having a genetic test that proves alternative medicines will have bad side effects.

Who is in charge of health care? Vancouver woman’s doctor prescribed a medication but insurance denied it four times

February 22, 2025, 6:14am Business

Dannielle Wright hoped to get her life back on track by seeking treatment for her depression. Then, her doctor and insurance company could not agree on the best medication. Read story

Josie, 10 months, from left, Roger, Savannah and Ellerie Malfait stand in front of Washougal River Mercantile earlier this month. The family bought the store from the Fuller family, who had owned it since 1977.

Washougal River Mercantile has new owners but they want to keep the store’s ‘hometown feel’

February 22, 2025, 6:13am Business Subscriber Exclusive

Roger Malfait and his wife, Savannah Malfait, had a simple reason for wanting to purchase the Washougal River Mercantile, a general store that had previously been owned by the Fuller family for nearly 50 years. Read story

“Sold Out” signs hang above every chicken pen Thursday at Orchards Feed Store in Vancouver. Stores across Clark County are selling out of chicks as soon as they arrive thanks to soaring egg prices at the grocery store.

Hatching a plan to raise chickens in Clark County? Be prepared for costs, upkeep and local rules

February 22, 2025, 6:12am Business

When Orchards Feed received its first batch of chicks last week, they sold out by the end of the day. The store expects its next delivery to sell just as fast. Read story

The Columbia River pours through the Bonneville Dam spillway Aug. 22. The Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates 21 locks and dams along the Columbia, Willamette and Rogue rivers. The Corps submitted the names of 157 employees this week expected to be in the next round of federal probationary employee firings.

Cuts to BPA, Army Corps could mean longer and more frequent power outages for Southwest Washington

February 21, 2025, 1:36pm Business

Clark County may soon see longer and more frequent power outages, as the Bonneville Power Administration and region’s Army Corps of Engineers lose hundreds of employees after actions by the second Trump administration to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Read story

Economists Scott Bailey, from left, Mike Wilkerson, Emily Robertson and Matthew Gardner sit on a panel moderated by The Columbian’s Editor Will Campbell during The Columbian’s Economic Forecast event Thursday at the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

Experts split on what’s to come for Clark County’s economy

February 21, 2025, 1:05pm Business

A panel of economists was split Thursday afternoon over their optimism for Clark County in the coming years. Read story