Library to place levy on August primary ballot
The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Board of Trustees last week unanimously passed a motion to place a levy lid lift measure on the Aug. 17 primary election ballot.
If passed, the measure would raise $3 million for purchasing books and other items, as well as restoring library hours, which were cut in 2009.
The district said it anticipates that the increase would cost the owner of a house assessed at $250,000 approximately $20 more in property taxes per year.
FVRL's last levy lift request was in 1993.
Students play tax collector for a day
Students from Union High School in Camas and Evergreen High School in Vancouver worked with agents from the Internal Revenue Service in a forensic accounting simulation last week.
"Typically, people run in the opposite direction when someone says ‘The IRS is coming!'" said Daniel Wardlaw, an IRS special agent, who attended the simulation.
A few lucky high school students were sworn in as honorary special agents, carrying out an undercover investigation before testifying before a grand jury made up of their peers.
Recovery act to train 550 state workers
Last week, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced Washington state would be receiving $5 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding to train state workers to fill jobs in healthcare.
"As Washington state workers continue to struggle in these tough economic times, it is more important than ever that they get the skills and training they need to fill open positions in growing industries like health care," Murray said.
The project receiving funding will certify or award degrees to 550 participants, of which 350 participants will be placed into healthcare sector jobs.
Help when foreclosure looms
More than $1.8 million is being used for foreclosure prevention programs in Washington, according to state attorney general Rob McKenna.
"The foreclosure prevention programs we're funding are lifelines for Washington homeowners," McKenna said.
The money is part of a landmark settlement that McKenna and five other state attorney generals negotiated in October 2008 with Bank of America as a result of unfair lending practices by mortgage giant Countrywide Financial.
Bank of America acquired Countrywide in June 2008.
Washington state advances health information
The Washington State Health Care Authority announced last week the receipt of $11.3 million in stimulus grant funding from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act provision of the federal Recovery Act.
The state HCA will use these funds to support planning and implementation of a shared health information technology infrastructure called the Health Information Exchange.
"This funding will not only improve health care for thousands of Washington residents, the creation of this HIE will result in new professional-level jobs in both health care and technology," said Gov. Chris Gregoire (D-Wash.).
