Morning Press: Sidewalk seating, county jail death, traffic

Be sure to keep the sunscreen handy, because the forecast says we’re in for a warm weekend.

Here’s a look at several stories that were of particular interest to columbian.com readers this week.

Top Shelf owner feeling fenced in

After Daren Morgan got a permit from the city of Vancouver allowing him to build a brushed steel fence for a new outdoor seating area at Top Shelf, he was excited about the opportunity to expand his bar’s business.

But after the fence went up — something required by the state Liquor Control Board — people started complaining about having to walk around it. City officials are now rethinking their decision to allow it.

Two weeks after the fence was bolted into the sidewalk, city officials approached Morgan, asking him to alter the seating area, according to Morgan.

• City of Vancouver’s second thoughts about permit for outdoor seating area create problems

Video to be released in death at county jail

A Clark County judge ruled Monday in favor of releasing jail surveillance footage used in an investigation of an inmate killed while being restrained by corrections deputies in 2015.

During an evidentiary hearing Monday, Clark County Superior Court Judge Bernard Veljacic heard arguments from both sides of a public records lawsuit filed by the estate of Mycheal J. Lynch.

The case centered around security camera footage from three of nine cameras that are in the jail’s medical unit, where Lynch was being held and where the altercation took place.

• Judge rules in favor of family of Mycheal Lynch, who died after struggling with deputies

Corrections deputy accused of sexual misconduct appears in court

A Clark County corrections deputy accused of sexual misconduct involving a female inmate told a judge Thursday morning that he’s “ready to be a man about what happened.”

Christopher A. North, 29, of Vancouver made his first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of indecent liberties with forcible compulsion and second-degree custodial sexual misconduct.

• Christopher North appeared on allegations of indecent liberties and custodial sexual misconduct
• Related story: Deputy accused of sexual misconduct posts bail, will be released

I-5 overflow snarls downtown Vancouver streets

Like water poured too quickly through a funnel, when traffic backs up on Interstate 5 it overflows and makes a mess of Vancouver’s west side and downtown.

While those diverting drivers may save themselves time, transportation officials say they’re making things worse on streets and on the highway.

“It is a big problem because the local streets are acting as a regional bypass,” said Patrick Sweeney, Vancouver’s principal transportation planner. “You have a local street network that’s designed for local traffic, however it’s handling this pulse traffic that uses it as bypass.”

• Freeway drivers bypass backups with a trip through Vancouver

4 women open food cart offering juices, smoothies around Vancouver

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or a lemon-infused smoothie.

Funky Fresh Juice Co., a new venture from four local women, welcomed light crowds to its blue-and-yellow truck just outside of the Clark County Public Service Center on Wednesday.

It was only the company’s fourth official day of operation and already one customer, Genni Goff, was buying for a second time.

• Read more about the addition to the county’s food cart lineup