News

Ten years after adopting catchy slogan, police warn to buckle up

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012, 11:21am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- When the primary seat belt law went into effect in June of 2002, approximately 82 percent of Washington drivers wore seat belts. Today we celebrate a seat belt use rate of 97.5, marking the seventh consecutive year of more than 95 percent of Washingtonians buckling up.

The medical costs of an unbuckled motorist average $11,000 more per collision than those who buckle up according to data from Harborview Injury Prevention Research Center. After the adoption of the Click it or Ticket project, with the primary seat belt law enforcement, the number of traffic deaths dropped from 658 in 2002 to 455 in 2011 (preliminary data WTSC).

"Ten years ago we hoped that we could make an impact on the number of traffic fatalities if we could increase seat belt use," said Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and University of Washington Associate Professor of Pediatrics. "Now we have one of the highest seat belt use rates in the nation. We have prevented thousands of serious injuries and deaths. Buckling up is the routine."

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Share scores award for Backpack Program

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012, 8:20am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Officials from Share announced their organization was selected to receive the 2012 Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Community Leadership Award for the Columbia River Region.

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Household hazardous waste collection event set for Saturday

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 4:07pm

WASHOUGAL, Wash. -- Residents throughout Clark County will have a dozen opportunities to safely dispose of household hazardous waste, block foam and unwanted electronics by dropping them off at collection events.

The upcoming event is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the East County Fire & Rescue Station 91 (Fern Prairie), 600 N.E. 267th Ave.

Household hazardous waste
Includes pesticides, paints, solvents, batteries, thinners, motor oil, antifreeze and cleaners. Look for signal words, such as poison, danger, warning, caution or flammable.

Accepted: Most household hazardous wastes, but no commercial or industrial waste.
Not accepted: Explosives, ammunition, biological materials or business-generated hazardous waste. Call Clark County Environmental Services, 360-397-2121 ext. 4352, for information on where to properly dispose of these materials.

Block foam
Accepted: Clean and bagged foam from households.
Not accepted: Plastic-wrapped yellow urethane foam, hot tub covers, packaging peanuts or foam from businesses.

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Vancouver Police launch new crime map

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 8:11am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The Vancouver Police Department launched a new crime mapping tool which can allow people to access a variety of information on local crimes.

The new crime map, through Crimereports.com, allows users to search for crimes by date range, by crime type, to receive alerts when crimes occur within a specific area, to submit an anonymous tip, which goes directly to Crime Stoppers of Oregon, or view crime mapping information on an IPhone via the Crimereports.com IPhone application.

This new mapping tool provides more information and has more user friendly features than the previous crime map and allows users to select only the crimes they want to view and set up defined areas to view. Crime locations are referenced by hundred block and cross street. Information is uploaded to the map daily from Vancouver Police Department reports.

This new crime map posts information that was difficult to locate with the prior system or required the assistance of law enforcement personnel to query. The new VPD crime map provides users easy to access crime information anytime.

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'Stamp Out Hunger' today

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff

Saturday, May 12th, 2012, 7:33am

PORTLAND, Ore. – If you’re feeling charitable, you can help "stamp out hunger" on Saturday.

“Stamp Out Hunger” is the annual food drive by the Oregon Food Bank and Oregon State Association of Letter Carriers. Postal carriers in Oregon and southwest Washington delivered 1.5 million yellow, biodegradable bags to homes this week.

If you would like to donate, simply fill the bag with non-perishable food – like canned soups, cereal and pasta – and leave it outside for your mail carrier. Items like peanut butter and tuna fish are in high demand for kids, since schools and food pantries need help with their summer lunch programs.

“Nobody raises more food in one day than letter carriers do across the country by l,” said Kevin Card, the president of the Oregon State Association of Letter Carriers. “It's that one time we can work with our customers to do something really incredible.”

The drive can bring in two million pounds of food for Oregon and southwest Washington; however, donations were down by 18 percent last year. Organizers do not know the reason.

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Construction begins Monday along busy Southeast 164th Avenue

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff

Thursday, May 10th, 2012, 8:36am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Construction begins May 14 on interchange improvements along Southeast 164th Avenue, the first of a season of projects planned for this busy east Vancouver street corridor.

This first City of Vancouver project will focus on six intersections, from Southeast 34th Street to Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard, and include accessibility upgrades for a number of curb ramps, as well as improvements to the stormwater system along the corridor. The project will also provide for fiber optic improvements to enhance coordination of traffic signals. The work is expected to be substantially complete by about mid-August, construction conditions permitting.

Intersection improvements will then be followed by an overlay of asphalt on Southeast 164th Avenue, from just south of Southeast 34th Street to about Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard. That paving project is part of the city's 2012 Pavement Management Program. Other curb ramps in this 164th Avenue corridor and Cascade Park Drive are also scheduled for accessibility improvements this summer, in advance of the overlay work.

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Fort Vancouver National Trust to host fourth teen vocal competition auditions

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012, 9:35am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Registration is open for auditions for this year's Sing Fourth Teen Vocal Competition presented by Davidson Insurance and Liberty Northwest Insurance Company.

Auditions will be granted to the first 45 Clark County high school students who contact contest organizers at the Fort Vancouver National Trust at 360-992-1804 or events@fortvan.org. Auditions begin at 1:30 p.m. June 9. Contest information, including the registration form, is available on the Trust's website.

A panel of judges will select 10 finalists who will compete in the Sing Fourth Teen Vocal Competition presented by Davidson Insurance and Liberty Northwest Insurance Company, which takes place on the Vancouver Toyota main stage during Independence Day at Fort Vancouver presented by Bank of America, at the Fort Vancouver National Site. The Sing Fourth Teen Vocal The competition begins at noon on July 4.

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