Top Stories: Ridgefield man yet to receive retirement; Vancouver councilors say new I-5 bridge favors Portland; Battle Ground Public schools lay off over 130 employees
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Here are some of the top stories on columbian.com this week.
1. Ridgefield man who retired early from federal government 8 months ago has yet to receive payments
Roderic Langer was one of the roughly 317,000 employees who left the federal workforce last year. He had amassed some 25 years of federal service. Despite filing his paperwork last summer, however, the Ridgefield man has yet to be paid.
Langer, who retired after serving in the U.S. Army and subsequently the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, joined the mass of workers who took early retirement. He feared his office would be gutted in 2025's wave of government layoffs.
* Agency processing applications faces backlog of about 65,000
2. 'Not getting treated equally': Vancouver councilors say new I-5 Bridge light rail plan favors Portland
Vancouver City Council members feel the city is being treated as secondary to Portland in the latest plans for light rail on a new Interstate 5 Bridge.
During the council's workshop Monday evening, officials asked Carley Francis, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program's interim program administrator, for more information about where the light rail trains would terminate after crossing the replacement bridge from the Oregon side of the Columbia River.
* Latest version of plan eliminates stop on Evergreen Boulevard, ends rail at waterfront
3. Battle Ground Public Schools plans to cut more than 130 positions
Battle Ground Public Schools plans to cut 137.2 positions to address a $20 million budget deficit, which district leaders largely blame on a triple levy failure and lack of adequate state funding.
The school board approved a resolution Monday authorizing staff reductions for the 2026-27 school year. The cuts are being made after a replacement educational programs and operationslevy failed to pass for a third time in February.
* Most positions cut are building-based staff, including dozens of teachers
4. Clark County Council selects land-use map for next 20 years
Clark County's updated growth plan will let Ridgefield, La Center, Camas and other cities expand their urban growth boundaries and explore ways to rezone land currently designated for agricultural use.
That decision came Tuesday, when the Clark County Council voted 3-2 to select one of three proposed land-use maps to guide the next 20 years of growth.
* Plan lets cities expand urban growth boundaries, explore rezoning options
5. Vancouver nurse Sarah Mittelman running for 49th District in state House of Representatives
Vancouver nurse practitioner Sarah Mittelman announced Monday she is running for the state House of Representatives' 49th District seat.
Mittelman, who until recently served as chair of the Clark County Democratic Women, is running as a Republican.
* Former chair of Clark County Democratic Women is now a Republican
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 7:12 AM.