Morning Press: Jerome Kersey, ‘In God We Trust’ motto, tsunami study

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

Former Blazer Jerome Kersey mourned by teammates, friends

PORTLAND — The absence of words from Terry Porter spoke the loudest.

Porter shared his love for his friend and former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Jerome Kersey, who died unexpectedly Wednesday. His speech was labored and broken.

The tears, however, flowed freely.

“Like so many of you this morning, I woke up hoping it was a bad dream,” Porter said, haltingly, at a Thursday morning press conference. “The joy and the smile, the way he embraced life. The way he touched people. Anybody who came across Jerome was just amazed.”

Board times do not include time for public comment, though about 15 people attended Wednesday’s meeting, clapping and booing at several points.

Madore said on Feb. 10, after Councilor Jeanne Stewart said she wouldn’t support the motion, that he wanted the board to appear unanimous on the issue.

However, Madore backtracked on Wednesday, saying he didn’t second the motion because he didn’t want to rush into a decision, adding that he wanted to hear more comments from the public.

“We could hear something we didn’t consider before,” Madore said. “We could hear compelling arguments.”

Learn more about the councilors discussion.

New Camas restaurant built on town’s history

Tim McCusker has been all around the world, but there’s a certain charm about downtown Camas that makes him feel at home.

“My dad says I have itchy feet,” said McCusker, the 42-year-old owner of Harvest on Fourth Avenue beneath the Camas Hotel. “What he means by that is America is my 27th country.”

McCusker grew up in Northern Ireland, working for his parents, who owned several pubs and hotels. After finishing school, he traveled Europe, bouncing around from one restaurant job to the next before moving to the United States.

Several years ago, he landed in Southwest Washington and eventually began running the show at Harvest. Now, McCusker is breathing new life into downtown Camas, bringing a touch of the city’s historic industrial past into his new steakhouse, Feast at 316, which opened last month.

Learn more about the new Harvest restaurant.

Tsunami surge could push far up Columbia

When a major earthquake strikes the Northwest, destructive shaking won’t be the only thing the region has to worry about.

“The big one” could also trigger a tsunami that threatens communities up and down the Washington and Oregon coasts. And the surge could also push miles inland along the Columbia River, raising water levels as much as 13 feet at the river’s mouth, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon State University.

The study found that the Columbia would rise by about 6.6 feet at river Mile 12, within 3 miles of Astoria, Ore. At Welch Island, just downstream of Cathlamet, the river would rise by about 1.6 feet. It wouldn’t be until Longview — some 50 miles upstream — that the tsunami would largely dissipate and cause no measurable rise on the Columbia, according to the study. The Portland-Vancouver area would also be unaffected by the surge.

The study also found the tsunami’s severity would be impacted by ocean tides more than the amount of water flowing in the river at the time.

“We were a little surprised that the river’s water flow didn’t really matter that much,” David Hill, an associate professor of civil engineering at OSU’s College of Engineering, said in a released statement. “The maximum reach of a tsunami on the Columbia will be based on the tidal level at the time, and of course the magnitude of the earthquake causing the event.”

Learn more about the tsunami study.

Can a DNA test improve your health? One Vancouver laboratory says yes

A diet that works for one person might not work for another. Just like an exercise routine that produced results for one person might not produce the same, or any, results for the next person.

But a local laboratory is hoping to help people focus on the methods that will produce the best results, and it’s using DNA to do so.

Molecular Testing Labs, an accredited testing laboratory in Vancouver that specializes in molecular genetics, is now offering DNA testing that will analyze a person’s genetic code to identify the types of diet and exercise habits to which their body responds.