Vancouver, Wash. – Fire in a chicken coop can be a real, frightening possibility that can hurt your animals and destroy your property.

In recent weeks, there have been multiple fires in various structures in Clark County caused by heat lamps used by some residents to keep livestock or pets warm during chilly spring nights.

“Many fires can be prevented by using common safety measures and knowing the risks of equipment that can be hazardous when used incorrectly,” said Dan Young, Clark County Fire Marshal. 

Clark County Green Business will wrap up its free spring workshop series for sustainability focused teams with an event next week.

The final event, Change Making and Progress Tracking, is set for 8:30 am Thursday, May 13. The workshop will review necessary leadership skills for making lasting change at any organization.

Clark County’s Master Composter Recycler program is offering a series of free sustainable living webinars this spring. The three webinars will teach people simple things they can do to be kinder to the earth. 

Pre-registration is required for all workshops and space is limited. To register for workshops, visit the Master Composter Recycler webpage. Participants will receive a confirmation email after successful registration. 

Clark County Public Health is offering more opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Public Health will offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine at two upcoming weekend events and is adding evening hours at the Tower Mall vaccination site.

A new paint recycling program is operating in Clark County, allowing households and businesses to recycle leftover paint, stain, and varnish conveniently and sustainably.

The program, operated by the nonprofit PaintCare, launched on April 1 and is now operating more than 20 paint recycling drop-off sites in Clark County and more than 150 sites across the state. PaintCare is replacing the Clark County Paint-Take-Back program that has operated in the absence of a stewardship program since 2005 through a partnership between Clark County and Waste Connections.

The Clark County Youth Commission is recruiting youths from all walks of life to fill six positions for the 2021-2022 program year.

The commission is a group of 30 people ages 11-19 which serves as a voice for Clark County youth. It advises the Clark County Council, county departments and community organizations about how their work can affect young people. It identifies and takes action on youth concerns, educates the community about building strong youth-adult partnerships, and provides leadership opportunities for youth.

Clark County is hosting a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 11 to introduce the Housing Options Study and Action Plan project. Participants will view a presentation on initial research before sharing questions and comments. The meeting will be held via Zoom and recorded. A questionnaire will also be made available to collect public comments and feedback.

For more information on how to join and participate in the meeting, please visit www.clark.wa.gov/housingoptions.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Clark County Auditor’s Office for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year that ended Dec. 31, 2019.

This is the 34^th consecutive year that the Auditor’s Office has received this award.

The Clark County manager is seeking volunteers to serve on the county’s newly-created rural equestrian facilities stakeholder work group.

In December 2020, the Clark County Council directed staff to convene a rural equestrian facility stakeholder work group to develop recommendations for county code and policy revisions to mitigate operational impacts of such facilities on adjacent neighbors and neighborhoods.

The six-member work group will serve until the county council makes final action on the group’s recommendations – up to 12 months if needed.

Public Health is urging Clark County residents to continue taking steps to slow the spread of COVID-19, including getting vaccinated, as case numbers continue to rise.

In the last seven days, Clark County has averaged 80 new cases per day – up from 69 new cases per day the previous seven days. This time last month, Clark County was averaging 43 new cases per day.