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September 18, 2012

Camas students excel on state tests

Students in Camas continue to score well above average on all parts of the state tests. Recently, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released the results, which included the Measure of Student Progress, end-of-course exams, and High School Proficiency Exam. "While scores in Camas continue to exceed state averages, we have focused efforts on growth and improvement, said Dana Lighty-Jones, director of teaching, learning, and special services. "We work to identify students who might not be at grade level and implement intervention and prevention strategies to assist and support them." All five Camas elementary schools have a reading specialist and two have a part-time math specialist. "These specialists recognize students at risk of not meeting grade level standards through ongoing assessment and progress monitoring and respond with intensive instruction specifically designed to meet individual student needs," Lighty-Jones said.

September 18, 2012

Washougal receives a clean state audit

The City of Washougal has received a clean audit from the Washington State Auditor's Office. The report released yesterday pertains to financial statements and a federal single audit for 2011. No deficiencies were noted. The auditor reviewed the federal portion of the "E" Street project and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

September 18, 2012
A basalt column carved by Greg Robinson, a tribal council member of the Chinook Indian Nation, is located in the Chinook Plaza, in Washougal. Three interpretive panels will be unveiled at the plaza Thursday, in the Parkers Landing Historical Park.

Chinook Plaza ceremony is Thursday

The vice chairman of the Chinook Nation is expected to be among the participants of a ceremony at Parkers Landing Historical Park. The event will begin Thursday, at 4:30 p.m., with a traditional Chinookan blessing by Sam Robinson. Three interpretive panels will be unveiled by members of the Parkersville National Historic Site Advisory Committee. The panels describe area plant use, Chinook Indian artifacts and the local Chinookan Royal Family. The ceremony will be open to the public.

September 4, 2012
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First Day Frenzy

Amid hustle and bustle, students at Grass Valley Elementary School in Camas

August 28, 2012

Highway 14 traffic advisory

Drivers on State Route 14 will encounter lane closures and narrow lanes this week while construction crews install a median barrier on the West Camas Slough Bridge. Single lane closures that began yesterday will repeat again today starting at 8 p.m. and continuing until 6 a.m. Wednesday

July 31, 2012
Rev. Jessie Vedanti was recently ordained and installed as the new vicar at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Washougal.

St. Anne’s introduces new vicar

Jessie Vedanti has a nose piercing, tattoos and a deep love for the natural world. And she is the new vicar at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Washougal. "They were looking for a new expression of Church," said Vedanti. "And I was a good fit." Her vision for her role at St. Anne’s involves connecting Jesus, the environment and people in need. She wants to offer new opportunities for worship and gently shake up the traditional role of the church. Vedanti wants to take worship outside the walls of the church and show people how to show God’s love in nature and the community. Nature walks and volunteering are just the beginning for her.

July 31, 2012

State Auditor issues ‘finding’ against Camas

For the first time in more than 30 years, the Washington State Auditor has issued a finding following an audit of city of Camas financial records. A report released to the public yesterday states that a recent accountability audit of records from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2011, found that the city "does not have adequate support for its allocation of shared costs, resulting in a shift of general government costs to restricted funds," and that the city "is unable to show documentation that it complied with state laws that prohibit shifting restricted resources to other funds."

July 31, 2012

Camas anticipates results of EMS levy vote

Camas voters have until Tuesday, Aug. 7, to make a decision and get their ballots in the mail on a proposal to increase the city's current emergency medical services levy. If approved, the six-year levy would raise the current rate from 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to 46 cents. Starting in 2013, the owner of a $300,000 home would pay $138 per year -- a $33 increase. The current levy expires at the end of the year. The proposed increase is an effort to stabilize the emergency medical services funding stream. In recent years the EMS fund's revenues have dropped, primarily due to a decrease in assessed property values. At the end of 2011 the fund had a shortfall of $55,000, an amount that had to be covered by the city's general operations fund.