Morning Press: Pike & Inslee, Cowlitz casino, jail review

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This week’s top stories and some news you may have missed

Pike at odds with Inslee over cap and trade

Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, criticized Gov. Jay Inslee’s cap-and-trade proposal and chastised the state’s top executive for calling businesses in her legislative district “polluters.”

“I’m just furious. … He’s identified polluters, and I call them enterprising job creators for Washington’s working families,” Pike said.

The cornerstone of Inslee’s legislative agenda, his controversial cap-and-trade system that would curb carbon emissions, drew hundreds to Olympia last week to testify. The measure had plenty of supporters who said action on climate change is crucial; but Pike, along with many other Republicans, blasted the plan.

In December, U.S. District Judge Barbara J. Rothstein in Washington, D.C., released a 57-page opinion rejecting the plaintiff’s case against the Department of Interior’s decision to secure 152 acres of land west of La Center for the tribe. The plaintiffs include the city of Vancouver, Michels Development, which runs La Center’s cardrooms, and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, operators of the Spirit Mountain Casino in Oregon.

With Rothstein’s decision, Cowlitz tribal leaders expected to be able to take the land into trust this winter. But the plaintiffs’ latest challenge sets back any resolution for at least several more months.

The appeal will go before a panel of three federal judges later this year, said Brent Boger, an assistant attorney for the city of Vancouver. Boger said he expects oral arguments to be scheduled for a date in the fall, likely in November.

Learn more about the appeal.

Brush Prairie woman hit by stray bullet feels ‘blessed’

Linda Sperling considers herself blessed. Had she turned her head or stepped an inch to the side on the afternoon of Jan. 26, she may be dead.

The 65-year-old Brush Prairie woman was outside on her 5-acre property collecting branches from a recent windstorm when she heard what sounded like an explosion.

“I didn’t even realize I’d been shot,” she said. She put her hand to her head and pulled it back to find blood on her gardening glove.

After she was rushed to an area hospital, doctors told her that a bullet entered and exited her scalp. She was treated and released, but continues to suffer from a concussion, memory and vision problems, and a constant headache. But she keeps in mind that she’s lucky.

“What if it was a quarter-inch deeper?” she said. “It’s just not my time.”

The Sperlings’ property, east of Hockinson, abuts Clark Rifles, a gun club that has two rifle ranges and a handgun range, according to its website. One of those 300-yard rifle ranges points toward the Sperlings’ property.

Read about Sperling’s brush with death.

Former ‘guest’ gives county jail five stars on Yelp

Clark County has its first five-star resort, at least if you believe what you read on the Internet.

In a post on Yelp.com, a site where people can review hotels, restaurants and the like, Yelp contributor “Lucky V.” extols the virtues of the Clark County Jail as a five-star “leisure center.”

“I have had the opportunity to reside here twice in the last six months,” writes Lucky, who claims to have enjoyed not only the rooms and meals, but the library, the store, group activities and the full array of educational, medical and legal services available to the guests.

“Of all of the places I have stayed overnight at, this is the only one that has a car service to pick you up,” Lucky says, going on to talk about the “Club Med feel” of the logo-adorned clothing.

Lucky also liked the industrial-like atmosphere, and notes that slippers are provided to keep your feet warm on the cold concrete floors.

Read more about the Yelp review.

Henna heals, empowers teen with alopecia

Madison Powers started losing her hair in first grade.

Powers, now 19, was diagnosed with alopecia as a child and, initially, wasn’t bothered by her baldness. Neither were her classmates. Powers’ hair grew back before long, but by middle school, she had big bald spots that couldn’t be hidden by creative hair styling. As a middle-schooler, Powers’ classmates weren’t as accepting of her differences. They were mean, often bullying the young girl because of her medical condition.