News Briefs

BY VBJ STAFF

Baird outlines transportation requests

Congressman Brian Baird has requested $283 million worth of earmarks in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill (the federal transportation budget), the third most of Washington's state representatives.

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Among the requested earmarks is $200 million for the Columbia River Crossing project, $1.74 million for rehabilitation of the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, $11 million for the Port of Vancouver's West Vancouver Freight Access Project and $4 million for the Vancouver's Downtown Waterfront Redevelopment Access Project.

Baird requested earmarks for 35 total projects.

Stimulus funds boost WSUV cannabis research

Michael Morgan, a Washington State University Vancouver professor of psychology, qualified to receive $148,438 for his two-year Neural Mechanisms for Enhanced Cannabinoid/Opioid Antinociception project. The grant from the National Institutes of Health is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Morgan's research examines whether administration of marijuana in conjunction with anti-pain medications, such as morphine, provides better pain relief then either drug alone. This research could be especially relevant for patients suffering with severe or chronic pain.

State Route 502 gets a new name

The Washington State Transportation Committee has named state Route 502 the Battle Ground Highway and a portion of State Route 503 the Lewisville Highway.

The Battle Ground Highway is a four-mile connection from Battle Ground to Interstate 5 with the new interchange that opened in October. A widening project, scheduled to begin construction in 2012, will widen the highway from two to four lanes.

Lewisville Highway is named for the portion of state Route 503 from the junction of state Route 500 in Orchards north to Amboy. The name changes will not change street names or mailing addresses.

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