Paul Valencia says he will always be a Sports reporter, but he appreciates how his role as a reporter has changed through the years at Clark County Today
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
In a span of two weeks in 2024, I was able to speak with the United States Speaker of the House, I sat next to the mayor of Vancouver at a Veterans Day event, and I was on the floor at the Clark County Republican Party’s Election Night gathering.
Not a bad gig for an old sports guy.
I have been a reporter since the 1990s, and for most of that time, I have been in sports. I’ll always love sports. And I appreciate that so many readers think of me as that guy in sports. It is a huge compliment.
But in the seven-plus years I have been at Clark County Today, my role has changed. Oh, I’m still very much into sports, but it has been exhilarating as I chase after news stories, business profiles, the education beat, as well as law enforcement and judicial stories.
Yes, it has meant less sports, but hopefully the readers at Clark County Today can appreciate that also has meant more community news. After all, that is our main mission at Clark County Today.
As many of us review 2024, here are some of the highlights from my 2024 non-sports stories:
One story started in early 2024 and has had several updates, and will continue to 2025: The grassroots operation that became Save Vancouver Streets has been hoping to get the city to change the way it changes major streets and thoroughfares. The city is holding public comment on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 regarding an initiative that Save Vancouver Streets put together, collecting thousands of signatures in support.
Our first story on this project in 2024 was last January. Our last story of the year was Dec. 26. Plus there were a few stories in between, showcasing the power of the people.
In March, we noted how transparency was key in school districts facing budget cuts: https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/transparency-is-crucial-for-schools-facing-budget-cuts/
In other school news, we checked out the construction at the Washington School for the Deaf in March.
Late in the academic year, we started highlighting some of the best seniors in Clark County. That included a Hudson’s Bay student who was named the state’s top plumber. Clark County Today has been highlighting many students, through the years, who are excelling in the trades.
We also highlighted this incredible teacher, a band director from Battle Ground who was the grand marshal of the Grand Floral Parade in Portland:
In other education news, combined with business, a local McDonald’s held a graduation ceremony for one of its workers, celebrating that company’s emphasis on education.
Clark College is taking students to new heights.
Speaking of things looking up, Clark County residents took advantage of the opportunity to see the Northern Lights in May. It was my first time seeing the lights.
Back on the ground, we found folks loving the water feature in downtown during a heat wave this summer:
Later in the summer, we wrote several stories on the Clark County Fair, including this feature of a family that has been volunteering with the Lions Club for years:
The 39th President of the United States passed away Sunday. Earlier this year, we highlighted a project that was near and dear to President Carter’s heart: Habitat for Humanity. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/habitat-for-humanity-makes-dreams-come-true-for-new-homeowners/
We said goodbye to a retiring chief of police and welcomed the new chief of police for Vancouver.
For years, Clark County Today has highlighted the efforts of Target Zero, trying to make our roads safer. For one of our projects this year, we zeroed in on the judicial side of drunk driving. We highlighted Judge Abigail Bartlett and the DUI Treatment Court: https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/target-zero-dui-treatment-court-provides-intense-therapy-for-high-risk-offenders/
I had some fun in the summer judging a barbecue contest. Hey, someone had to do it.
Come fall, it was time to get back into politics. We attended a couple of Let’s Go Washington campaign events, visited with Congressional candidate Joe Kent a few times, and, as noted earlier, met the U.S. Speaker of the House.
And on Election Night, I was there with the GOP of Clark County experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. Folks there loved the national results that night but were concerned about the local congressional race. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/clark-county-republican-party-celebrates-election-night-with-their-own-party/
The next day, I was at King’s Way Christian High School for a pre-Veterans Day event, sitting right next to Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. As a veteran, I will always have respect for the mayor for her support for veteran causes.
There are many more stories, including several business profiles, that I did not get to for this review. I’ll be out in the community again in 2025, looking for more stories.
I’ll always be the guy in sports, but I know you can appreciate that there is more out there to cover. If you’d like, send me a story idea. I can be reached at paul.v@clarkcountytoday.com
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