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In The News: Camas Mayor Appoints Jamal Fox as New City Administrator

CAMAS, WA – Mayor Barry McDonnell is excited to announce the appointment of Jamal Fox as the next Camas city administrator.

Fox comes with a wealth of experience in local government, most recently serving as the deputy chief of staff for Mayor Ted Wheeler in Portland, Ore., and as the property and business development manager for Portland Parks and Recreation prior to that.

“I am honored to be selected to serve the City of Camas as the next city administrator. I am looking forward to leading a strong and high-performing team of professionals and partnering with Mayor McDonnell in taking the City of Camas to the next level with a focus on the three C’s for sustained organizational performance and success: Core, Culture and Communications,” Fox said.

Before moving to the Pacific Northwest to be with family, at the age of 25, Fox became the youngest person ever to be elected to the Greensboro City Council in North Carolina. He represented District 2 (northeast Greensboro) and was later reelected, serving until 2017.

Previously, Fox worked for the City of Greensboro in the City Manager’s Office and in the Department of Planning and Community Development. Fox is also a former North Carolina A&T State University political science adjunct professor and Guilford County Schools high school teacher.

“I feel very fortunate to have Jamal as our new city administrator,” said Mayor McDonnell. “His background and skillset will be valuable in helping the City engage with the community to shape a vison for my three core priorities—land, people and honesty—while at the same time inspiring the next generation of Camas leaders and strengthening our community so everyone feels heard, empowered and welcome.”

GOW
www.annrivers.com

Fox and his wife, Jaimee, have one son, Jamal Jr., who is 14 months old. Fox is a proud father, husband and member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Fox and his family are looking forward to moving to Camas and becoming active members of the community.

City Council will consider Fox’s appointment and contract at the Mon., Aug. 3, 2020, meeting. The proposed start date is Aug. 31, 2020.

The public is invited to learn more about Mr. Fox and the selection process in this video discussion: https://youtu.be/WgtFlswtHFg

For more information, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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Nuestra Mesa Temporarily Closes; Family Member Tests Positive for COVID-19

The owners of Nuestra Mesa announced today that a restaurant family member tested positive for COVID-19, and that they will temporarily close.

“A MESA family member tested positive,” said Todd Moravitz, co-owner of MESA. “We care about the community, and we’re taking all the same safety precautions as Grains of Wrath. All of our employees will be tested early this week, and our restaurant will be professionally cleaned. We hope to re-open soon, but we first must address this.”

Moravitz has been in contact with Brendan Greenen, partner and General Manager of Grains of Wrath, and both establishments plan to use the same mobile COVID-19 testing unit, which is able to show results within 15 minutes. 

“Our restaurant follows all COVID-19 health and safety protocols,” said Moravitz. “Our customers have supported us through this entire pandemic, and we appreciate your patience as we do our due diligence to ensure everyone’s safety.”

MESA closed abruptly Sunday afternoon notifying guests of the situation, and will keep the public updated as more information becomes available.

On Saturday, Grains of Wrath discovered a direct employee of theirs tested positive for COVID-19, and abruptly closed, as well. Both restaurants are very stringent with following CDC and state mandated coronavirus safety and health protocols. Customers are required to wear face coverings upon entrance, and all employees wear them while preparing and serving food.

MESA
https://www.lesschwab.com/store/?storeId=714
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Grains of Wrath Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19; Abruptly Closes

Camas, WA — Upon learning a Grains of Wrath (GOW) employee tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday afternoon, the downtown Camas brewing company immediately closed its doors.

“We take these matters seriously, and we acted immediately,” said Brendan Greenen, GOW partner and General Manager. “The safety of our staff and customers comes first.”

A mobile COVID-19 testing unit is coming to GOW in the next day or so, and the results will me made known 15 minutes after each test is completed.

Greenan said they will quarantine any employee who tests positive, do a very deep professional cleaning early in the week, and then announce a re-opening date.

“I was eating lunch, and they very professionally let us know they were closing because an employee tested positive for COVID,” said Lisa Le, a local real estate agent. “They covered our lunch, I finished my beer and they closed.”

GOW
www.annrivers.com

GOW issued this statement:

To our GoW friends and family,

“Just moments ago we were notified one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19 and is now on their way to self-quarantine.

“We do not know how or when this person contracted the virus. That being said, we are not taking any chances. GoW will be closing until every employee undergoes testing. We will be organizing and covering all expenses. Additionally, our entire facility will be receiving a deep clean by hired professionals.

“The safety of our staff, families, and guests is our top priority. As we know more, we will keep you updated via social media and our website. In the meantime, please support all your local bottle shops, taprooms, and restaurants.”

Stay safe and healthy,
Grains of Wrath Brewing

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Inslee Adjusts Rules for Social Gatherings; Threatens New ‘Stay Home’ Order

Governor Jay Inslee announced at Thursday’s press conference he is restricting gatherings in Phase 3 from 50 to 10 people to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and said multiple times that another stay-home order is possible. 

Counties in modified Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the state’s Safe Start plan may continue to have social gatherings with five people or less. However, counties in Phase 3 can now only have social gatherings with 10 people or less. Previously, counties in Phase 3 could have gatherings up to 50 people. 

The governor said the changes are in direct response to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases across Washington. As of today, the seven-day rolling average is 629 cases per day and the state is averaging 115 cases per 100,000 people.

“We have a problem that can be addressed by individual action, and too many aren’t exercising the caution necessary,” said Inslee. “The disease is spreading at social gatherings that are happening sporadically across the state, and we don’t want to look like Arizona or Texas. We cannot let our guard down even as we engage in more activities.” 

The state is also prohibiting all live indoor and outdoor entertainment to help curb the spread of COVID-19.  These new rules will go into effect Monday. The new rules, however, will not impact weddings, funerals and spiritual services.

Inslee said as citizens venture out and have small social gatherings, they need to wear face masks and continue to physical distance from each other. He also recommended having gatherings outdoors over indoor ones.  He also said multiple times he’s not ruling out another stay-at-home order if individuals don’t mask up and follow the mandates.

Washington continues to see a rise in coronavirus cases and it’s most commonly spread at social gatherings, according to Secretary of Health John Wiesman.

Inslee
www.annrivers.com

Wiesman said during the week of June 26-July 2, the state averaged 629 new COVID-19 cases every day. He said it’s the highest rate of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. 

There are currently 43,046 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Washington state, including 1,421 deaths.  A total of 733,886 people have been tested for the coronavirus and of those, 5.9 percent of the tests came back positive for COVID-19. 

“You can only be with five people outside your household,” Inslee said. “Doing things outside are safer than inside. Keep wearing masks. We’ve had a significant surge in COVID cases with young people and we are seeing an explosion of this virus during this pandemic.”

Answering a reporter’s question, Inslee said: “If trends continue we have to look at what is least essential to our economy. We could limit restaurants, bars, by we have to be confident our mask requirements will be enough to reduce this rate. At the moment, school opening is in great question. Something has to change dramatically so we don’t have to issue another stay-at-home order.”

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Long For Congress Campaign Raises $682,000+ in 2nd Quarter 2020

Carolyn Long Campaign Announces Over $682,000 Total Raised in the Second Quarter of 2020

Vancouver, WA — Today, the Long for Congress campaign announced that its total raised during the second quarter of 2020 is $682,000 — bringing their total raised for this cycle to $2.29M — and that it has over $1.58M in cash on hand.

The campaign said this quarter their team was able to raise these funds from thousands of contributions — 91 percent of which were low-dollar contributions, and over 77 percent of which were local — reflecting what they say is “a strong, sustained grassroots support for Carolyn’s candidacy and her campaign to represent Southwest Washington in Congress.”

The Long for Congress campaign hasn’t taken any corporate PAC money. 

“This impressive fundraising quarter is another demonstration of the incredible grassroots support for Carolyn Long here in the district — and a testament to the fact that Southwest Washington is ready for new leadership,” said Abby Olmstead, Campaign Manager. “In these incredibly difficult times, folks in our communities recognize that we can’t go on with business-as-usual politics in DC. We need a leader who will put people first, fight to protect health care and lower the cost of prescription drugs, and ensure that our path to economic recovery prioritizes small business and working families. Carolyn is that leader — and together, we will build a better future for Southwest Washington.”

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler’s campaign team hasn’t released their second quarter campaign numbers yet.

Long will be conducting an interview with Lacamas Magazine next week. Stay tuned.

To learn more about the Long campaign, click here: https://electlong.com

To learn more about the Hererra campaign, click here: https://www.votejaime.com

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Inslee’s COVID-19 Update: All Statewide Re-openings On Pause Through July 28

OLYMPIA, WA — Governor Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that the current statewide pause on counties reopening will continue through July 28, possibly longer.

Today’s news comes as COVID-19 cases statewide continue to spike, and Inslee said that this time is a pivotal in determining what conditions will look like in September when students — at all levels — are expected to return to the classroom.

“We have to find somewhere to break that chain of looming disaster,” Inslee said.

Inslee also issued an advisory that Washingtonians shouldn’t be surprised if some pandemic restrictions are rolled back over the course of the pandemic. He said this may include things like indoor seating in businesses, but that will be determined in the upcoming days and weeks. New restrictions will also be determined by how many people wear face masks and practice physical distancing in public.

The governor also praised residents for adhering to the mandatory statewide order to wear face masks. He said today’s announcement is designed to keep the virus from spreading.

“We are not in as bad a state as others,” Inslee said, naming Arizona and Florida, that have been struggling in recent days to stop a massive virus case spike. “We can’t overstate how important this moment is in addressing the pandemic.”

The state’s mandatory face mask rule went into effect on June 26. Under the order, violators can be punished with misdemeanor criminal penalties and businesses are asked to refuse service to customers who are not in compliance with the order.

COVID-19
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com

Inslee said the face mask order is having a positive effect on fighting COVID-19.

“What we know is this effort is working,” Inslee said. “Washingtonians are masking up.”

Exemptions to the face mask order include:

  • People who can’t wear masks because of existing medical conditions.
  • Children 5 years old and younger.
  • People who are deaf or need to have their mouth uncovered in order to communicate.
  • When it is onerous to do so, including customers who are eating out at a restaurant.

“We have to look at where we’re going to be, not where we are,” the governor said.

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Clark County COVID-19 Update: 106 More Test Positive Over Weekend, 1 Death

Clark County Public Health issued the following update today:

“Since our last update on Friday morning, another 106 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and one person died – a man in his 60s with underlying health conditions. Over the weekend, we had an average of 35 new cases per day (Fri-Sun). To date, 1,272 Clark County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 33 people have died. Currently, 26 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized and seven persons under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19 are hospitalized.”

According to Clark County Public Health, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should call your health care provider right away and request to be tested.

Early testing is critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Clark County. Identifying cases early enables us to more quickly isolate those who are sick and quarantine their close contacts.

Most health clinics are offering COVID-19 testing now. People who are unable to access testing through their regular health care provider, those who do not have a health care provider or those who are uninsured can contact the following facilities to request testing:

  • Legacy GoHealth. Hazel Dell, 360.787.4151. Cascade Park, 360.787.4135.
  • Providence Walk-In Clinic, Battle Ground. 360.687.6650. •Rose Urgent Care and Family Practice, Vancouver. 360.952.4457. (drive up testing available)
  • Sea Mar Community Health Center, Battle Ground. Call 360.342.8060 to schedule an appointment. (drive up testing available). Testing hours: 8:30 am to noon Tuesdays, 1 to 4:30 pm Thursdays. •Sea Mar Community Health Center, East Vancouver. Call 360.726.6720 to schedule an appointment. (drive up testing available). Testing hours: 8:30 to 11:15 am Mondays, 1 to 4:15 pm Thursdays.
  • Sea Mar Community Health Center, Salmon Creek. Call 360.852.9070 to schedule an appointment. (drive up testing available). Testing hours: 1 to 5 pm Wednesdays, 9 am to noon Thursdays. •The Vancouver Clinic. Various locations. Call 360.882.2778 to schedule an appointment. (*These facilities are providing tests at no cost for those who are uninsured. Some may charge a fee for the office visit. Call the facility for more information.)
Inslee
www.electlarryhoff.com

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Public Invited to Join LIVE Virtual GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Forum Thursday

Fern Prairie, WA — Lacamas Magazine and Clark County Today are hosting a LIVE GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on Thursday, July 9 at 6:30 pm, which will be moderated by radio personality Scott Hogg.

The forum is organized by Clark County Republican Women and allows candidates the opportunity for opening and closing statements. Candidates will draw for order of opening and closing statements, and they will answer forum questions in alternating order. The moderator will allow 30 second rebuttals on a limited basis.

To view the LIVE GOP Candidate Forum feed, visit Lacamas Magazine on Facebook and join.

Here are the Forum topics:

  • Question 1: Tax policy/state budget
  • Question 2: Homeless crisis
  • Question 3: Transportation, transit vs. lane miles
  • Question 4: New bridges over Columbia River
  • Question 5: Legislative priorities
  • Question 6: Pandemic response
  • Question 7: Civil unrest
  • Two-minute closing statement by each candidate

Participating GOP Candidates

Loren Culp
As a U.S. Army Soldier, Loren honed his leadership skills in the Drill Sergeant School which he then used to help turn civilians into soldiers. He was the Honor Graduate for his class of Combat Engineers and an Honor Graduate of the Non Commissioned Officers Academy for Leadership. CulpForGovernor.com

Tim Eyman
A fearless, battle-tested fighter, Tim passed 11 initiatives, saving taxpayers $43 Billion. He’s a conservative who wins despite millions in Democrat attacks. In 20+ years as a policy reformer, he has demonstrated the persistence needed to solve Washington’s big problems. tim4gov.com

Phil Fortunato
Phil is currently the last Republican State Senator in King County and won reelection by almost 60%. He is a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment and has distinguished himself in the Senate with his “No Sanctuary for Criminals” legislation, Term Limits for Governor, and more. PhilForGov.org

Joshua Freed
Joshua’s experience as a leader in small business, local government, and helping those in need make him uniquely qualified to tackle the biggest challenges facing our state. He founded his real estate company with the vision of developing strong communities for families. FreedforGovernor.com

Raul Garcia
Dr. Garcia is a graduate from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and has been in practice for over 21 years. Dr. Garcia considers himself to be a protector. His interest and willingness to protect doesn’t stop at his immediate family, as he has a great love for Washington state and the people who live here.
DrGarcia4Governor.com

Anton Sakharov
Anton came here because his parents believed this country is an ideal place to achieve their dreams and make sure their kids could achieve theirs. A country where laws are followed, bureaucracy is nonexistent, people are safe and prosperous, and a chance to live the dream. AntonSakharov.com

Martin Wheeler
Martin L. “Iceman” Wheeler will place the needs of the citizens of the State of Washington in front of the few. He has established transparency as a firefighter and as a way of life. Through his years of public service, he is dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. WheelerForGov2020.com

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Carolyn Long’s Congressional Campaign Celebrates First Anniversary

Vancouver, WA — One year ago today, Carolyn Long announced that she was running for Congress in Washington’s 3rd Congressional district “to give Southwest Washington a strong voice in DC and a hard working, accountable, committed Representative here at home.”

Today, her campaign is looking back on a year on the ground, recognizing the grassroots support and enthusiasm they’ve seen across the district, and looking forward to the work ahead between now and election day.

“Together, we are determined to bring forth new leadership that will build a better future for Southwest Washington by putting working families and small businesses first,” the campaign said in a statement. “In the past year, the Carolyn Long campaign has seen incredible levels of grassroots support and enthusiasm from folks in every community in our district. Since launching the campaign, we have raised over $2.29M from over 20,000 grassroots contributions. Over 80% of these contributions were local and have come from over 8,000 individual contributors. We have not taken a dime of Corporate PAC money, and we never will. This powerful fundraising is critical to the campaign’s ability to operate and communicate with voters all across the district — and it is a demonstration of the strong grassroots support for new, better leadership in Congress.”

And, the campaign continues to adapt.

“We have also held events in many different formats — especially as we have adapted quickly in the face of the coronavirus crisis to continue speaking with folks throughout our communities and taking questions on the issues that matter most,” the campaign said.

Since July 8th, 2019, when Long hosted three massive launch rallies across the district, the campaign has hosted or attended:

  • Six Rallies
  • Nine Facebook Live Town Halls and Policy Roundtable Discussions
  • Twenty-nine Coffees and Cold Ones with Carolyn

“This campaign is built on incredible support from voters all over the 3rd District, the strong desire for new leadership that puts people first, and the unifying belief that together, we can and will build a better future for Southwest Washington,” said Abby Olmstead, Campaign Manager.

Long lost her first bid for Congress in 2018 against incumbent, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler.

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Gov. Inslee Announces ‘Safe Start’ Proclamation; Emphasizes Face Masks

Olympia, WA — Governor Jay Inslee announced Friday the state’s phased reopening “Safe Start” proclamation is replacing the existing emergency “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, which is set to expire on May 31. 

The new order loosens several aspects of his shelter in place policy, which began in March, but it also asks Washingtonians to voluntarily wear face masks while at work, or in public settings.

During the presser Inslee said he is updating the metric of requiring there to be no more than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents in past 14 days, from 10 cases per 100,00 residents.

The new proclamation is likely to speed up efforts to reopen parts of Washington under the governor’s four-phase recovery plan. 

His new plan makes it easier for businesses in more populous counties to move phases, and to evaluate more on a county-by-county basis. No county is yet in Phase 3. Twenty-six counties are in Phase 2. Clark County’s application to move to Phase 2 is on pause, pending a full review of last week’s coronavirus outbreak at a fruit processing plant in Vancouver.

“This is a path that will have more businesses opening,” said Inslee. “It will mean more activities will be allowed, and more flexibility will be allowed for counties in a variety of phases.”

Inslee also encouraged all Washingtonians to wear face coverings in public.

“When we wear a face covering, I really think it’s an expression of love and affection,” he said. “It’s a badge of commitment, and it’s a critical tool in moving forward.”

Face masks
www.champpizza.com

As part of this plan, workers in Washington will have to wear facial coverings at their jobs, unless they don’t have in-person interactions. That part of the provision will take effect June 8.

Washington’s largest counties, facing higher COVID-19 infection rates have largely remained in Phase 1 of Inslee’s plan. Friday’s order should change that.

The guidance at work places is as follows:

  • Workers are required to wear face coverings.
  • Employers must provide face coverings.
  • Stores will encourage shoppers to wear face coverings by posting signs.

Dr. John Lynch, an infectious disease doctor from Harborview Medical Center, said: “This is just one of many things to help each other. A lot of people have minimal symptoms or don’t even know they’re sick, it’s like influenza. Putting on a mask is effective at capturing droplets.”

Lynch said face masks “are not a perfect tool” and added “if we wear this it shows we are supporting each other, and we know we can’t wear the masks all the time.”

Inslee likened this new approach to prevent the virus from coming back rapidly. 

“We’re getting out of the quarantine lifeboat,” Inslee said. “The science on the cloth mask is more conclusive that they (face coverings) do help.”

Inslee said the order does not require business owners to reject a customer who is not wearing a face mask.

Senator Ann Rivers, who represents Washington’s 18 legislative district, said: “By today’s guidelines set by Governor Inslee Clark County could open, but the official approval from the Secretary of Health Weisman to move to Phase 2 is still on pause. Now, with that said our Clark County Director of Health is really pushing Weisman to open as soon as possible.”

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