Troy Brynelson
Troy Brynelson is OPB’s reporter in Southwest Washington. Previously, he’s covered everything from wildfires and a mass shooting in rural Oregon to tech and housing in Vancouver. He most recently reported on the homeless crisis in the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Troy grew up in Southeast Portland, graduated Franklin High School and is a lifelong Blazer fan. Ball don’t lie!
Have a tip? Send him an email.
Latest Stories

Feds tell planners of new I-5 bridge they must include lift to allow taller ships
The bridge as currently planned may not be high enough, planners said Friday. But planning for a lift doesn't mean the bridge will have one.

Constitutional sheriff Bob Songer taps another Republican firebrand to run local jail
Loren Culp, a frequent flyer in unsuccessful political bids in Washington, quietly started his new job on March 1.

Vancouver Public Schools continued to use prohibited restraints on students after state ban
A review of hundreds of pages of records show security guards at Vancouver Public Schools have used banned restraint tactics at least through December, over a year after the state outlawed them. State officials are urging the district to conduct more training.
Independent police investigators in SW Washington follow ‘many best practices’ but still misstep, auditors say
The documents show a dozen errors in procedure during the deadly force reviews. In one case, the auditors found investigators failed to monitor who is accessing reports during an active investigation.

Vancouver police to start wearing body cameras
The cameras arrive after citizens and civil rights groups have for years called for greater police accountability.
Special election: $100M affordable housing levy in Vancouver narrowly passing
Vancouver voters supported the 10-year, $100 million proposal roughly 52% to 48%. Election officials have counted less than half of the expected total.

Vancouver pushes pause again on warehouses, a move that others say just pushes away jobs, money
A recent surge in warehouse construction for mega retailers like Amazon spurred city staff to request the moratorium.

Backers of $100M affordable housing levy in Vancouver optimistic
The city, as much of the Northwest, has grown so much in recent years that its housing stock has not kept pace. The levy’s backers say people in the community are viewing the proposal as a necessity.

Pay issues and finger-pointing: When the Clark County Jail left its sheriff
Weeks before Clark County officials created a new department to run the local jail, tensions flared over the sheriff's unconventional plan to bring help to his shorthanded staff.

SW Washington’s Gluesenkamp Perez focuses on common ground at first town hall
The congresswoman held her first town hall Wednesday night and marked her first public return to Washington state’s southwestern district since she won the seat in a surprise upset in November.