The Clark County Council worked together and approved a plan to speed up and stabilize the hiring of county deputies. Sheriff Chuck Atkins now has the green light to hire.
It’s a positive development that something is being done to address the vacant positions we’ve had for so long. I grew up as a police officer’s daughter and understand the long hours and emotional toll being a police office can take on not only the officer but the family as well.
In addition to the mental strain of having a shortage of deputies, it also means overtime must be worked on a regular basis. Overtime is never good when it comes to balancing the budget.
I look forward to hearing about the new hires and hope to meet them — but obviously not on the side of the road with their lights on.
EPA using taxpayer money for lobbying efforts
Are you kidding me?
The EPA admitted to using funds to promote their whatsupstream.com campaign. The money was used for a website, radio ads and billboards. If you went to their website whatsupstream.com, there was a button at the top of the site that directed visitors to “Take Action! We’ve made it Simple.” Just click on the button and text was sent directly to you, ready to send to the Washington state legislators urging them to support stronger laws, 100-foot natural buffers between agricultural lands and streams, plus more.
Thank you Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., for speaking up. Beutler said, “It’s bad enough that the EPA is trying to gain new authority over development near every pond or seasonal stream, drainage ditch or puddle, in the U.S., whether on public or private property. Now we learn that this agency illegally used taxpayer money to advocate for its egregious power grab.
“The EPA owes taxpayers some answers about how it made the decision to waste taxpayer money promoting backward, harmful regulations in a manner clearly prohibited by law.”
The thing I find most ironic about this entire topic, in addition to the illegal spending for campaigning, is that most farms in our area both large and small already comply with strict rules and regulations for water pollution. Next thing you know, they’ll be asking us to filter the water that runs along the ditch in front of our house because we might have put fertilizer on the lawn.
Student suicide
It’s with a heavy heart that I write my final piece.
Last week Clark County lost a young man to suicide, a student from Battle Ground High School. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and hundreds of others.
In response to this horrific loss, I implore you to take a few minutes and talk to the kids, teens and adults in your life. Don’t lecture or criticize but simply talk while you’re eating dinner together, pulling weeds or washing the car.
Suicide is not an easy topic to discuss but maybe start by asking a simple question like “why do you think kids commit suicide?” Continue the dialog by asking engaging questions and listen.
I am not an expert on the topic of communicating, counseling or raising children by any means, but I am a mom of two teenagers. Getting them to open up can be an art at times. Having deep conversations can be uncomfortable but I guarantee you’ll be surprised at what you hear and the connection you will both feel once you do.
Laura Venneri
General Manager
The Reflector
