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Here are some of the stories that grabbed readers’ attention this weekend.
The Clark County Council will not go forward with reconsidering its ordinance that bans marijuana businesses in unincorporated parts of the county.
After a work session in December, the council determined it would hold a hearing on the matter where the public could weigh in. But, at its regular Wednesday afternoon meeting, the council reversed course after Chair Marc Boldt said he had changed his mind about reconsidering the ban.
Previously, Boldt had been open to lifting the ban. But speaking after the meeting, Boldt said he’s met with recovery and prevention groups, school superintendents and the Salvation Army, who he said all opposed lifting the ban. He also noted that the sheriff supports the ban.
“I just thought it was sending the wrong message, so I thought I wouldn’t support it,” said Boldt.
Councilors Jeanne Stewart and Eileen Quiring had been opposed to lifting the ban or holding the hearing. With three members of the five-member council now opposed to lifting the ban, Boldt said it made no sense for the council to go forward with the hearing.
Read the full story: Clark County scraps plan to reconsider pot ban
Shane Gardner’s worst fear, apart from a school shooting itself, is turning on the TV news and seeing someone he’s worked with say “We never believed it could happen here.”
The reality is, it could.
“That is the enemy of our preparedness, is if we’re complacent,” said Gardner, a former sheriff’s sergeant who is now the safety and security manager at Evergreen Public Schools.
That awareness has brought campus shootings to the forefront of school safety plans. Officials from area school districts say they’re taking a multifaceted approach to preventing and responding to campus violence like last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Positive relationships with students, secure facilities, and training on how to respond should a shooter come on campus are key to making sure schools stay safe, officials say.
Some say Clark County is on the cutting edge of campus safety. The county’s approach to school security has been honed over 20 years with the launch of the Clark County Safe Schools Task Force in 1998 after the Thurston High School shooting in Springfield, Ore., said Peggy Sandberg, director of insurance programs for Educational Service District 112 in Vancouver.
“I think we’re ahead of the game,” Sandberg said.
Read the full story: Clark County school districts train to prevent, respond to violence
Since a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, survivors of the deadly attack — and their demand for reform — have dominated headlines and cable news channels.
That streak of demonstrations and grief has touched Clark County, with area students urging elected representatives to support gun reform and planning a mass walkout later this month.
The Women’s March Youth EMPOWER group, an effort borne of last year’s sweeping Women’s Marches following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, is urging students across the country to walk out of class for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. March 14. That’s one minute for every victim of the Parkland, Fla., shooting.
So far, four area schools have signed up to participate in the ENOUGH: National School Walkout, including Camas High School, though students from other schools have indicated they’ll also participate.
Read the full story: Local students plan walkout, write letters
Like thunder, steady strikes on the elk skin drum reverberated through the Heritage High School gymnasium — the foundation for six men who wailed a traditional Native American song and a roomful of dancers who whirled in colorful regalia, every step accented by a cacophonous harmony of bells hung from their ankles and dresses.
“It’s the heartbeat. People look at it as the heartbeat of the earth,” said James Thinn, a Navajo man from Portland, and drum carrier for Turquoise Pride — one of the drum groups that performed at Saturday’s Traditional Pow Wow.
Thinn and hundreds of other people, from all over the West and with tribal affiliations from around the country, came to Saturday’s powwow, which was hosted by the Native American Parent Association of Southwest Washington. For many, it was a celebration and sharing of culture, customs and connection with fellow Native Americans, regardless of tribe, and the community at large.
Thinn formed his first drum group in 2005 and hasn’t looked back. Performing, he said, is a chance to share Native traditions and pass them on to an upcoming generation.
“For me, it’s the tradition and the culture,” he said. “It’s always good to sing songs, to sing for the people — especially the young ones –to share that and so they can learn from it.”
Read the full story: Dancers in step with heritage at Traditional Pow Wow
