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Stories by Doug Flanagan

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May 27, 2021

Washougal students to perform ‘That’s Emma!’ this weekend

While watching “Emma,” the 2020 film production of the famous Jane Austen novel, last August, Hayley Courtney started picturing some of her Washougal High School theater colleagues in the different roles. She envisioned Emma Free rather than Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse, and saw herself as Augusta Elton instead of Tanya Reynolds.

May 20, 2021
Washougal's Melina Aguilar (top) scraps for positioning in her opening-round match at the Region 3 girls wrestling meet in Kelso, Wash., on Feb. 15, 2020. Aguilar, a two-time Mat Classic qualfier, is the Panthers' 2021 captain. (Post-Record file photo)

Washougal wrestler goes for the iron

In the summer of 2018, Washougal wrestling coaches John and Heather Carver took their grapplers to North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for a camp that featured several highly decorated instructors, including Clarissa Chun, a former Team USA competitor who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.

May 20, 2021
The Washougal School District Administrative Offices are pictured Tuesday morning, April 14, 2020. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Chaos at Washougal School Board meeting ends in arrest

Washougal School Board members said they were forced to end their May 11 meeting early after several residents — who had been asked to leave the in-person meeting after they refused to wear face coverings in accordance with the school district’s COVID-19 safety protocols — began writing on district windows and board members’ cars parked outside the meeting room.

May 13, 2021
Washougal Mayor Molly Coston (second from right) presents Cindy Reidel (far left) and Tom Pastore (second from left) with a "Hometown Hero" award in recognition of their community service. (Doug Flanagan/Post-Record)

Washougal honors Hometown Heroes

During a year of unprecedented challenges, several Washougal residents maintained — and in some cases increased — their efforts to make their community a better place.

May 13, 2021
Washougal High junior Lacey Klopman, a two-time Mat Classic qualifier, is one of the leaders on the 2021 Panthers' team.

Washougal teams kick off ‘winter’ season

All of Southwest Washington’s high school sports seasons have been shorter than usual during the 2020-21 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 2A Greater St. Helens League’s winter campaign, which begins this week, will be the shortest of them all.

May 6, 2021

Washougal man wins ‘Rising Star’ award

Corey Dobbs left his parents’ Washougal home for good when he was 14. By 16, he had dropped out of high school. He had worked three part-time jobs, but after losing them all, Dobbs worried he would become homeless.

May 6, 2021
Washougal students work on a painting at Washougal High School in April 2021. The project is part of the Unite! Washougal community coalition's latest beautification project. (Contributed photo courtesy of Dani Allen)

Washougal students on mission to beautify their hometown

The metal post that holds the marquee sign in the parking lot of the Washougal Food Center, at 1736 “E” St., has seen better days. Some of the black paint used to spell out the word “liquor” has peeled away, revealing chunks of the original surface and turning the letter “I” into a silver splotch.