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Government

July 23, 2026
A sign and fence at the Green Hill School for juvenile offenders, in Chehalis, Washington. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)

Youth prison system woes detailed

Nearly half of front-line staff at Washington’s overcrowded juvenile detention facilities leave within a year. Many report feeling unsafe, unprepared and unsupported.

July 9, 2026
Afternoon light illuminates units at the Vista Del Rio Mobile Home Community in October. The Clark County Council is considering a new overlay zoning code that would help preserve manufactured home parks in the county’s urban growth area. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian files)

Clark County Council mulls mobile home protections

For thousands of Clark County residents, manufactured home parks represent one of the last pathways to affordable housing in the region. Now, the Clark County Council is trying to figure out how to keep the communities from vanishing.

July 9, 2026
Motorists navigate traffic near Ridgefield on July 1. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Clark County’s transportation plan largely familiar

Clark County’s updated transportation capital projects plan looks very similar to the prior plan update completed in 2022. The revised large-projects list is part of the county’s ongoing effort to update its 20-year growth plan under the state’s Growth Management Act.