The Clark County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed the identity of a woman whose body was discovered 17 years ago.

The Medical Examiner’s Office recently identified Donna Lee Swindell as the unidentified person found in Hazel Dell on Nov. 6, 2004. Swindell was 57 years old at the time of her death. The cause and manner of her death are undetermined.

Randon Walker was a homicide detective with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office when Swindell’s body was discovered. Walker worked the case as a detective, but lost hope that the woman would be identified after exhausting… Read More

Clark County Solid Waste and Environmental Outreach encourages people to take steps to reduce waste as they celebrate the holidays.

Household waste in the U.S. and Clark County typically increases 20% to 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Trash cans fill up with holiday food waste, shopping bags, bows and ribbons, packaging, and wrapping paper that contribute an additional 1 million tons a week to our country’s landfills. But by taking a few simple steps to reduce, reuse and recycle, the holiday season can be a little greener.

The holidays may look different this… Read More

Clark County is accepting nominations for the 2022 Green Awards, an annual celebration and awards program recognizing leaders in environmental sustainability.

Clark County Public Health is seeking nominations for organizations and individuals who consider the environment in decision-making and practices. Self-nominations are encouraged.

Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:

• Green Business Award for a business with 25 or fewer employees
• Green Business Award for a business with more than 25 employees
• Green Business… Read More

Clark County Public Health is warning the community about a recent increase in emergency department visits due to opioid overdoses. Preliminary evidence suggests much of the increase may be due to fentanyl – a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

Fentanyl may be added to illicit drugs during their production without the drug user’s knowledge. This has resulted in substantial increases in drug overdose deaths across the country, including in Clark County. In Clark County, fentanyl overdose deaths increased by 200% from 2019 to… Read More

Clark County Public Health has lifted its blue-green algae advisories at Round Lake and Lacamas Lake in Camas. The blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, at both lakes have dissipated.

Public Health removed the warning advisory at Lacamas Lake earlier this month after test results from water samples showed toxin levels were no longer elevated. The warning advisory at Round Lake remained in place until the bloom dissipated this week.

The warning advisory signs posted at the lakes are being removed. However, educational signs about blue-green algae will… Read More

The Clark County Council is seeking applicants to fill two volunteer positions on the Solid Waste Advisory Commission.

The open positions represent the stakeholders below:

• North Clark County
• Clark County at-large  

Terms for all positions begin immediately and end Sept. 30, 2024.

Commission members act as representatives of their regions or stakeholder groups and advise the county council on solid waste issues, such as recycling, garbage collection, landfills, transfer stations and waste-reduction programs. Members also, at times… Read More

Clark County Public Health has lifted its blue-green algae advisory at Vancouver Lake. The bloom of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, at the lake dissipated and results from water samples collected this week showed toxin levels are no longer elevated.

The advisory signs posted at the lake are being removed. However, educational signs about blue-green algae will remain year-round at Vancouver Lake and other waterbodies known to have harmful algal blooms. Public Health encourages people recreating in the lake to continue to watch for floating blue-green-colored scum and… Read More

Clark County Public Health is encouraging residents to take precautions during Halloween activities to reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

Clark County’s COVID-19 case rate is slowly decreasing but remains very high. Last week’s case rate of 450.9 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days is comparable to peak rates during the winter months.

“We want people to be able to enjoy Halloween. But with virus activity still high, it’s important to take precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and… Read More

Clark County Public Health is seeking community feedback about proposed changes to the county’s Solid Waste Enforcement code. The last full review of Clark County Code 24.12 was about 30 years ago.

Public Health conducted an internal review process and is proposing updates to language, titles and responsibilities, and references. Additional proposed changes would better define and clarify standards and implement policy changes in the interest of… Read More

The Clark County Council is requesting applications for two volunteer positions on the Mosquito Control District Board of Trustees.

One position represents district 1 and the other represents district 3. A district map is on the county’s website. Terms for both positions begin Jan. 1, 2022 and end Dec. 31, 2023. 

The Board of Trustees oversees the work of the Clark County Mosquito Control District. The board establishes policy, manages expenditures and approves contracts for… Read More