Top Stories: Battle Ground proclamations, Five Corners site contamination, new Bagley Downs construction
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Here are some of the top stories on columbian.com this week.
1. Battle Ground proclamations related to ICE, antifa draw protesters at City Hall
Battle Ground Mayor Eric Overholser introduced proclamations supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and condemning antifa at Monday's city council meeting, provoking fierce debate over some of the United States' most divisive political issues.
The proclamations affirm support for immigration and law enforcement agencies, condemn political violence and unlawful conduct, and encourage residents to uphold the rule of law and public safety.
* Mayor says city is 'standing for the rule of law and civil obedience'
2. Five Corners' neighbors say Vancouver developer too slow cleaning up contaminated site
Neighbors of a brownfield owned by Kirkland Development Group say the company's cleanup is taking too long and letting contaminated soil blow onto their land.
The 10-acre parcel north of Five Corners has lingering halogenated organic compounds, specifically polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs.
* County received $200,000 from Washington State Department of Ecology to aid in removing PCBs
3. Vancouver couple plans townhomes in Bagley Downs neighborhood
A Vancouver couple has proposed a 17-unit townhome development in Vancouver's Bagley Downs neighborhood.
The project is proposed for a roughly 1-acre parcel that borders Northeast 62nd Avenue just north of Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard in central Vancouver.
* Pre-planning documents show 17 units
4. 'Our lives are torn now': Fiancee mourns Vancouver man killed in Longview mill disaster
A Vancouver man was among those killed in last week's disaster at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview.
Eleven employees died after a tank holding a caustic chemical referred to as white liquor imploded Tuesday at the paper mill along the Columbia River. The industrial chemical is used to dissolve wood chips into paper pulp. Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker said over the weekend the event was one of the most significant tragedies to hit the region since the explosion of Mount St. Helens nearly 50 years ago.
* Norman 'Money' Barlow was last victim recovered Saturday
5. Businesses face challenges in changing Felida
In a small area like Felida, just one restaurant shutting down is enough to draw attention from residents.
So when the Mexican restaurant Los Potrillos closed in early May, leaving a vacancy within the Erickson Farms retail center, people started talking.
What gives? Does Felida present specific challenges, or are its businesses facing the same headwinds generated by the broader economic climate? The answer may be a little bit of both.
* Affluent area has seen retail closures in recent months
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