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Camas Shirt Project Raises Nearly $5,600 To Assist Local Businesses

The Camas Shirt Project, which launched in April, has raised nearly $5,600 in profit, which will be distributed to several local businesses this week.

“The concept was to raise funds for downtown Camas businesses that were either shut down, getting shut down, or only able to partially function,” said Joseph Graves, a local business owner who helped coordinate the effort. “We started in March with this great idea that came from Mel Locke.”

To date, the Camas Shirt Project sold 722 shirts, of which 598 were sold online, and 124 were sold by local merchants. 

Locke owns Universal Martial Arts, and after witnessing how quickly local businesses were shuttered beginning March 16 because of the coronavirus pandemic, he decided a fun T-shirt project would be a good way to help out.

“Camas supporters did come out and we see a lot of people wearing the T-shirts, especially on Fridays,” said Locke. “The goal was to sell 20,000 shirts, and I think my expectations were too high. It was hard when some of these businesses couldn’t open for 90 days.”

The monetary distribution happens this week, and participating businesses simply needed to fill out a final form to get their share.

“We are so fortunate to have people in our community helping out our downtown businesses navigate this pandemic,” said Jennifer Senescu, Executive Director of the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce. “Not only have they raised significant funds, they’ve raised morale. They are helping to keep morale high.”

Shirt
www.lilyatelier.com

“This has grown to Happy Valley, as well,” said Graves. “It’s a good idea, and we’ve made improvements to make sure fulfillment and printing are totally dialed in.”

The shirts were initially printed at Printforia, but are now printed at Print Lab in Washougal. The shirts were designed by Tolo Tuitele, of Fuel Medical.

“I’m still excited about it, and I think we should do another run,” said Locke.

Graves wants to build on what they started.

“Now, we’ll start having fulfillment done so I can work on more designs,” said Graves. “We will have an Robert F. Kennedy shirt and other people that have said something worth knowing and remembering.”

Go to www.shirtsforcamas.com to order yours.

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Community Survey: Weigh In On SR500/Everett Road Safety Issues

CAMAS, WA — The public is invited to participate in a survey and weigh in on ways to improve safety on State Route 500, also known as Northeast Everett Street, near Northeast Robinson Road and Northeast 3rd Street, about four miles north of Camas. Rapid growth and development in the area have resulted in increased traffic and run-off-the-road crashes at these two intersections.

To inform future cost-effective improvements to help reduce fatal and serious injury crashes along the corridor, the Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking input from community members, area business and daily users of the corridor. 

The public is invited to provide feedback in the online survey from Monday, July 27, until Friday, August 7. Those interested in participating can also request a hardcopy of the survey by calling 360-905-2076.

Community input is integral to the safety study process. The ideas and comments gathered via the survey will help shape the project design, which is scheduled for construction in summer 2022. The current estimated cost of the project is $2.5 million.

For more information visit the project web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr500/ne-robinson-ne-3rd/home

Economic
www.electlarryhoff.com
Survey
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Inslee Issues Series of Rollback Orders on Several Businesses Statewide

OLYMPIA — Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday a series of rollbacks and restrictions on bars, restaurants, fitness centers, weddings and funerals as new confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise statewide.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the changes:

Weddings and funerals — Effective Aug. 6

  • Receptions are prohibited (ceremonies permitted)
  • Occupancy is limited to 20 percent capacity or 30 people, whichever is less. People must be able to maintain physical distance of six feet.

Restaurants and bars — Effective July 30

  • Alcohol sales must end at 10 pm
  • Table size reduced to five people and total occupancy to 50 percent capacity in phase 3
  • Game areas must close
  • Bars will close indoor service
  • Limiting indoor dining at restaurants to members of the same household. People meeting from different households can still dine outdoors.
  • No indoor service at any bar, brewery, tavern, winery or distillery, regardless of whether food is being served.
  • For counties in the third phase of the four-part plan, restaurant table sizes must be reduced to five people, and indoor occupancy to 50 percent.
  • Restaurants must also close down game areas, such as for video games, pool tables and darts, until their county has reached the fourth phase.

Gyms and fitness centers — Effective July 30

  • Phase 2: Indoor fitness services limited to 5 people (not including trainers and staff)
  • Phase 3: Total occupancy limited to 25 percent capacity

“We do not take these steps lightly,” Inslee said. “We know every prohibition is a challenge for individuals and business owners. But we know that if we fail to act, we will expose thousands of people.”

Inslee
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com

Secretary of Health John Weisman also announced today new guidance on face mask requirements.

His new order mandates that face coverings are worn in all indoor common areas, not just public spaces. His new mandate includes elevators, hallways, apartment buildings, college dormitories, hotels, motels, universities, assisted-living facilities and adult family homes.

The new mask mandate goes into effect Saturday.

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Washington State Emergency Operations Releases Latest COVID-19 Report

Olympia, WA — The Washington State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) continues its response to the global outbreak of COVID-19, and provides regular reports. Fully activated on January 22, 2020, the SEOC has been coordinating the acquisition and delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE), the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), intelligence and advanced planning, and logistical support to stakeholders throughout the state.

This latest situation report includes SEOC and state agency activities related to the continued incident response and the Governor’s Safe Start reopening plan.

A highlight from the current report is that “Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman announced that he is returning all COVID-19 Safe Start applications from counties whose applications were put on pause or pending review before Governor Jay Inslee implemented a statewide pause on reopening plans. By the time these applications are eligible for review, at least four weeks will have passed. Much has changed during this time period and information in the applications will be outdated. The following county applications have been returned: Clark, Cowlitz, Jefferson, Kitsap, Klickitat, San Juan and Walla Walla.”

Statewide Risks

  • Multiple agencies are concerned about general misinformation regarding the positive impacts of mask wearing, and misinformation about negative health effects of mask wearing and how that could be exacerbated further with the scientific debate on infectious transmission of COVID-19.
  • The mental and emotional health and wellbeing of healthcare workers and first responders may become a factor in healthcare readiness and capacity as well as overall response operations.
  • There is a lack of exhaustive evidence around schools and pandemic spread, but there is a body of research that suggests the closure of schools (in 1918 and 2009) does result in a trough in the wave, signifying schools do play a role in transmission. Potential increased risk for housing and food crisis as early as Fall 2020.
  • A possible seasonal influenza epidemic in the fall will lead to additional challenges including disruption of the health and social care systems and a large resurgence of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Covid-like Illness (CLI) with local or regional epidemics. A generalized increase in respiratory infections over the winter could also rapidly overwhelm test and trace capacity.
  • Following the suspension of routine clinical care and general fear from the public around healthcare systems during the pandemic, there will likely be an increase in the number of poorly-managed chronic conditions or undiagnosed diseases combined with a surge in post-COVID-19 morbidity resulting in overall and long term health consequences.
COVID-19
www.arktana.com

Statewide COVID-19 Hospitalizations

  • Currently Hospitalized: 354
  • Currently Ventilated: 42

Statewide there are 4,907 beds available, and 341 ICU beds available.

COVID-19 Case Spikes Statewide (by County*) July 13-19

  • Benton: 450
  • Chelan: 141
  • Clark: 114
  • Cowlitz: 58
  • Douglas: 94
  • Franklin: 278
  • Grant: 106
  • King: 1,014
  • Kitsap: 84
  • Kittitas: 92
  • Okanogan: 151
  • Pierce: 496
  • Snohomish: 306
  • Spokane: 529
  • Yakima: 783

*This isn’t all counties, but those that had major spikes. The total of new cases statewide during period was 5,203.

Cumulative Data

  • Deaths: 1,447
  • Tested: 809,339
  • Positive Tests: 46,946

Statewide Unemployment

Since the week ending in March 7, 2020 when COVID-19 job losses began:

  • A total of 2,283,609 initial claims have been filed during the pandemic.
  • A total of 1,261,075 distinct individuals have filed for unemployment benefits.
  • ESD has paid out over $7.6 billion in benefits.
  • 920,153 individuals who have filed an initial claim have been paid.
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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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A Beer at a Time Temporarily Closes After Customer Drives Through Wall

Camas, Wa — A Beer at a Time is temporarily closing its doors after its west side wall was hit by a car  over the weekend.

“A 15 year-old driver, with her learner’s permit, thought her car was in park, but it was in drive so she went through the side of the building,” said A Beer at a Time’s owner, Shelby Piersol. “Her mom was with her. We bordered up the hole and decided it was best to close until it’s inspected by a structural engineer. I would be devastated if our customers or employees got hurt.”

The car punched a hole through the brick wall, but nobody was hurt. 

Piersol doesn’t have an estimated timeline on the inspection, repairs or when the popular craft beer taproom will reopen.

“Our biggest concern is public safety,” said Piersol. “Our customers have sustained us through the pandemic and we hope to reopen as soon as possible. I hope in 20 years she’ll look back on this and laugh. Their family is one of great customers.”

Beer
www.artfuljuxtaposition.com
Beer
Punched hole in the wall.
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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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ERC Report: Retail Trade Helps Lead Washington’s Economic Recovery

This past month, Washington state revenue collections came in $260 million higher than the June forecast, according to a Economic and Revenue Forecast Council report.  The higher collections are not due to deferred payments being paid back (as those came in on target), but show greater economic activity, primarily in retail trade.  

A key part of the economic report says:

Non-retail trade payments were down about 20%, similar to the forecasted decline in total collections for the period. During May, a majority of counties reached Phase 2 of the state’s pandemic reopening plan, which allowed non-essential retail establishments to open on a limited basis. In June, most of the remaining counties reached Phase 2 and several reached Phase 3, so next month’s retail trade activity could also be higher than forecasted. It remains to be seen, however, if the higher activity is sustainable or if it represents a one-time response to several months of pent-up demand.   

  • U.S. employment increased by 4.8 million jobs in June; the unemployment rate declined to 11.1%.
  • Light vehicle sales improved for a second straight month but remain 24.1% below June 2019 levels.
  • Housing units authorized by building permits and housing starts both increased in May but were below May 2019 levels.
  • Washington employment continued to recover in June following the historic decline in April.
  • Washington manufacturing activity improved in June for the first time since February.
  • Major General Fund-State (GF-S) revenue collections for the June 11 – July 10, 2020 collection period came in $260.7 million (14.8%) higher than the June forecast.
  • Revenue Act tax collections were $247.0 million (19.7%) higher than forecasted and other tracked revenue came in $13.6 million (2.7%) higher than forecasted.
  • Most of this month’s surplus was from higher-than-expected taxable economic activity in retail trade, the result of the allowed May opening of non-essential retail establishments in a majority of counties. While increased June openings may bring another month of stronger-than-expected activity, it remains to be seen if the activity is sustainable or merely a temporary release of pent-up demand.

“I see people in our district working hard everyday to bring their businesses back to pre-COVID-19 levels, and this report shows the results of so many efforts,” said Senator Ann Rivers, 18th Legislative District. “I support them, and we need to keep a balance in our state as we continue to recover from the effects of this pandemic.”

Employment Outlook

The council has just one month of new Washington employment data since the June forecast was released. The report says employment continued to recover in June following the historic decline in April. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose 86,500 (seasonally adjusted) in June, which was 34,600 more than expected in the June forecast. Private services-providing sectors added 74,600 jobs in June. Construction employment increased by 10,100 jobs and manufacturing added 1,700 jobs despite the loss of 3,000 aerospace jobs. Government payrolls were unchanged in June. Washington’s unemployment rate declined to 9.8% in June from 15.1% in May and 16.3% in April. The April rate was an all-time high in the series that dates back to 1976.

Tax Payments

The report also says total tax payments as of July 2 from electronic filers who also filed returns for May activity in the June 11 – July 10, 2019 period were down 9.0% year over year (payments are mainly Revenue Act taxes but include some non-Revenue Act taxes as well). Last month payments were down 14.4% year over year. Some details of the payments:

  • Total payments in the retail trade sector increased 6.3% year over year. Last month, payments were down 7.1% year over year.
  • Payments from the motor vehicles and parts sector were down 4.1% year over year. Last month, payments in the sector dropped 54.3% year over year.
  • Retail trade sectors showing strong year-over- year growth were miscellaneous retailers (+77.8%), electronics and appliances (+32.2%), nonstore retailers (+28.9%) and building materials and garden supplies (+12.4%).
Economic
www.electlarryhoff.com
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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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