News

Ten years after adopting catchy slogan, police warn to buckle up

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012, 11:21am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- When the primary seat belt law went into effect in June of 2002, approximately 82 percent of Washington drivers wore seat belts. Today we celebrate a seat belt use rate of 97.5, marking the seventh consecutive year of more than 95 percent of Washingtonians buckling up.

The medical costs of an unbuckled motorist average $11,000 more per collision than those who buckle up according to data from Harborview Injury Prevention Research Center. After the adoption of the Click it or Ticket project, with the primary seat belt law enforcement, the number of traffic deaths dropped from 658 in 2002 to 455 in 2011 (preliminary data WTSC).

"Ten years ago we hoped that we could make an impact on the number of traffic fatalities if we could increase seat belt use," said Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and University of Washington Associate Professor of Pediatrics. "Now we have one of the highest seat belt use rates in the nation. We have prevented thousands of serious injuries and deaths. Buckling up is the routine."

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Share scores award for Backpack Program

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012, 8:20am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Officials from Share announced their organization was selected to receive the 2012 Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Community Leadership Award for the Columbia River Region.

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Vancouver residents can now get online crime stats

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 6:54pm

VANCOUVER, Wash. - It used to be if you lived in Vancouver and wanted crime information about your neighborhood you had to wait for an annual report.

Well not anymore. Now there's an online crime map that you can access any time.

The map keeps track of everything from stolen vehicles, to assaults, to vandalism. You can track crimes for the last three days, the past week, two weeks or as far back as 30 days.

Trends can be followed and there is also a place to send in a tip to Crimestoppers. You can also see where multiple crimes have happened in one specific place. For iPhone users, there is also an app you can download.

Portland has a similar online crime map. To see the types of crimes that are happening in your neighborhood you just type in your address and hit 'search.'

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Household hazardous waste collection event set for Saturday

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 4:07pm

WASHOUGAL, Wash. -- Residents throughout Clark County will have a dozen opportunities to safely dispose of household hazardous waste, block foam and unwanted electronics by dropping them off at collection events.

The upcoming event is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the East County Fire & Rescue Station 91 (Fern Prairie), 600 N.E. 267th Ave.

Household hazardous waste
Includes pesticides, paints, solvents, batteries, thinners, motor oil, antifreeze and cleaners. Look for signal words, such as poison, danger, warning, caution or flammable.

Accepted: Most household hazardous wastes, but no commercial or industrial waste.
Not accepted: Explosives, ammunition, biological materials or business-generated hazardous waste. Call Clark County Environmental Services, 360-397-2121 ext. 4352, for information on where to properly dispose of these materials.

Block foam
Accepted: Clean and bagged foam from households.
Not accepted: Plastic-wrapped yellow urethane foam, hot tub covers, packaging peanuts or foam from businesses.

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'I got a boat on top of my leg'

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 3:02pm

VANCOUVER, Wash. – A boat barreling down on you is not a sight that you expect to see while at the beach. But that is what happened to a teenager who was hit on the shore of the Columbia River.

Witnesses said the boat was going at least 30 miles an hour when it came about 25 feet onto the shore.

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Vancouver Police launch new crime map

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 8:11am

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The Vancouver Police Department launched a new crime mapping tool which can allow people to access a variety of information on local crimes.

The new crime map, through Crimereports.com, allows users to search for crimes by date range, by crime type, to receive alerts when crimes occur within a specific area, to submit an anonymous tip, which goes directly to Crime Stoppers of Oregon, or view crime mapping information on an IPhone via the Crimereports.com IPhone application.

This new mapping tool provides more information and has more user friendly features than the previous crime map and allows users to select only the crimes they want to view and set up defined areas to view. Crime locations are referenced by hundred block and cross street. Information is uploaded to the map daily from Vancouver Police Department reports.

This new crime map posts information that was difficult to locate with the prior system or required the assistance of law enforcement personnel to query. The new VPD crime map provides users easy to access crime information anytime.
 

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Boat runs aground on the Columbia, hitting two people

Submitted by KATU Communities Staff
Sunday, May 13th, 2012, 7:41am

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Two people were injured Saturday when a boat ran up onto a beach and hit them.

The accident happened at Wintler Park, a 12.5-acre beach area on the Vancouver, Washington side of the Columbia River.

The two people who were hit, a teenager and an adult male, were treated at the scene and then transported to the hospital. One may have ended up with a broken ankle and the other had what was described as a minor injury.

According to Vancouver police, the boat was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit the beach. There were four people on board at the time.

"I saw the boat at full throttle - and I heard it actually - and jumped up from where I was sitting," said Chance Henriksbo. "And then I looked up and saw all these people scattering and watched the whole boat fly up onto shore."

"He was going like 30 miles per hour and he just runs over my friend's ankle," said Tanner Berry. "He was like 'ouch' and his ankle's all bloody and swollen and stuff."

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