EDITORIAL: Cheers & Jeers: Public Health; insurance cost

Aug. 3—Cheers: To public health. Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County's Public Health Officer since 2013, has announced that he will retire this month. Melnick has helped shepherd the community through the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the largest measles outbreaks in state history, all while misinformation has undermined public health efforts throughout the country.

"I am proud of the work Public Health has done over the years supporting the community," Melnick said. "It has been a true pleasure working with everyone, and I look forward to following Public Health's positive impact in Clark County in the future." In 2017, before the arrival of COVID-19, Melnick told The Columbian's Editorial Board, "As our population goes up and our funding goes down, I'm concerned about our preparedness." That view proved prescient, and it highlights the difficult job performed by Melnick and his staff — as well as the problems facing his successor.

Jeers: To unaffordable insurance. According to a report from LendingTree, home insurance premiums in Washington increased 55 percent between 2020 and 2025. Even more disturbing, the report indicates that 12 states saw a higher rate of increase.

LendingTree attributes a 47 percent national increase largely to climate change, with the risk of natural disasters rapidly expanding. Combined with broad supply-chain issues, that sharply increases the cost of rebuilding or repairing damaged homes. Between 2020 and 2024, the United States experienced an annual average of 23 natural disasters causing at least $1 billion in damage; the previous five years, there were an average of 15 such disasters. The costs are being borne by homeowners.

Cheers: To giving back. Fox Crader, a University of Oregon lineman and Evergreen High School graduate, has purchased new football uniforms for his alma mater. Crader donated $23,000 from his UO Name, Image and Likeness earnings for the jerseys, which he designed.

"It's really just a testament to giving back to the people who pour into you," Crader, a 2024 Evergreen graduate, told The Columbian. "I stayed here all four years of high school. I had opportunities to leave, but these coaches are selfless. They've been here for years before I was here, and they're still pouring into these kids. I appreciate all of them so much."

Jeers: To technical difficulties. Because of what is being described as a technology issue, the Washington State Bar Association exam was canceled last week. That left 645 law school graduates in the lurch — after they spent time and money traveling to Yakima for the exam.

Law school administrators have appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court, asking that the students be granted diploma privileges, and the bar association has offered options for makeup tests. Either way, the situation is frustrating for students — and for law firms looking to hire new graduates.

Cheers: To heroism. Vancouver's Madilyn Berry is being awarded the Girl Scouts Medal of Honor, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. The 17-year-old is the first Girl Scout from Southwest Washington or Oregon to receive the honor.

While on a trip to Greece last year with her scouting group, Berry jumped into the water off Hydra Island and saved a young boy who was drowning. "I just jumped right in," Berry told The Columbian. "I didn't even think about what was going on. I just saw the kid was in danger." With her actions, Berry lived up to the Girl Scouts promise to "help people at all times."

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© 2026 The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.). Visit www.columbian.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.