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Morning Press: County farming; Replica grenade; Youth health report; Transgender girl

By The Columbian
Published: March 20, 2017, 6:00am

What’s on tap for this week’s weather? Check our local weather coverage.

In case you missed them, here are some of the top stories of the weekend:

Can county cultivate farming?

As local farmers struggle to make living off land, food advocates, some officials say Clark County can do more to ensure their survival.

The total number of farms in the county fell from 2,101 in 2007 to 1,929 in 2012, according to the U.S. Census of Agriculture. The market value of products dropped from $52 million to $50 million.

Clark County, with its proximity to booming Portland, is experiencing its biggest growth in population in a decade, driving up the price of land and putting more pressure on agriculture.

“Houses are a lot more profitable than carrots,” said Jordan Boldt, executive director of the Vancouver Farmers Market. “Where agriculture falls into that will be a really interesting situation.”

Farm advocates say that Clark County has reached a pivotal point. While there is some cause for optimism, they also wonder how, or even if, the county will preserve this part of its heritage.

Read the full story: Can county cultivate farming?

Replica grenade prompts hourlong shutdown of Main Street in Vancouver

A replica grenade found knotted into the end of a sock shut down two blocks of Main Street in Vancouver’s Uptown Village for more than an hour Saturday morning, according to witness reports.

Salmon Creek Outfitters owner Randy Larson, 52, found the object shortly before 10 a.m. while sweeping his storefront. As he swept, he noticed a knotted sock with something in the foot, and he saw the distinctive shell of a grenade through some holes.

“I went to go sweep it onto a plate and noticed the bottom end of the sock was exposed and a little grenade was sticking out of it,” Larson said. “So I immediately went in and called the police, who came pretty rapidly down, closed off the street and took it away.”

Read the full story: Replica grenade prompts hourlong shutdown of Main Street in Vancouver

County youth health report shows reduction in drug, alcohol use

Alcohol, marijuana and tobacco use among Clark County youth is continuing to trend downward — welcome news to public health officials.

But with the good news comes some troubling news in the eyes of Clark County Public Health: The percentage of youth who perceive marijuana use to be harmful is also going down.

“That’s a bad thing,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and public health director. “If kids are perceiving it as less harmful than they have before, then we’re worried those use rates will go up.”

The analysis comes with the release of the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey results. The survey is administered statewide every two years to students in sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades. Survey answers are voluntary and anonymous. The fall 2016 survey results were released Wednesday afternoon.

Read the full story: County youth health report shows reduction in drug, alcohol use

Vancouver police investigate alleged assault on transgender girl

The Vancouver Police Department is investigating a student’s alleged assault on a transgender girl at McLoughlin Middle School, the school district announced Friday.

Vancouver Public Schools Superintendent Steve Webb wrote a letter on the district’s website regarding an incident Wednesday in which a student allegedly punched 13-year-old Lindsey Smith in the face. Webb wrote that the aggressor was “disciplined immediately,” though what that amounts to is unknown due to student privacy laws. He said information about the incident was provided to police.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said the school’s resource officer was writing a report on the incident, which when finished will be sent to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed.

Lindsey’s aunt, Leslie Goodnight, wrote about the alleged attack on her Facebook page earlier this week. The post had been shared more than 13,000 times as of Friday evening.

Read the full story: Vancouver police investigate alleged assault on transgender girl

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