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Morning Press: Lyme disease and suicide; Sheriff’s Office says no to pot money; Austin Justin

By The Columbian
Published: May 20, 2019, 6:01am

Will the warm weather return? Check our local weather coverage.

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

Vancouver couple believe Lyme disease played role in son’s suicide

As Zach Moritz sat in the shade of the sequoia trees, he could envision the outlines of a new life.

It was July 2013, and the 25-year-old Vancouver native had just completed a vision quest with the School of Lost Borders in California’s Inyo Mountains. The vision quest, or rite of passage for young adults, meant three days of camping, fasting and self-exploration. In the previous year, Zach had begun to enjoy transcendental meditation, and saw this quest as a way to take his passion to the next level.

Afterward Zach’s father, John, and his mother, Beth, joined him for a reincorporation meeting, where quest participants shared their experiences, takeaways and thoughts about what they wanted in life.

Clark County Sheriff’s Office says no to cannabis revenue

If the Clark County Council moves forward and lifts its ban on recreational cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas, it’s expected to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenue from taxes on the drug.

But the Clark County Sheriff’s Office wants none of it.

Clark County Undersheriff Mike Cooke made the statement in a March 27 email exchange with Clark County Council Chair Eileen Quiring. The email was released by the county under the state’s public disclosure law.

“Drugs have been destroying families for generations and will continue to do so,” Cooke wrote. “Unfortunately, now our local governments want to increase revenue on the backs of these poor families.”

For Vancouver 6-year-old, life is a walk in progress

Austin is familiar with an ice rink, but he also feels at home shooting on his Little Tikes plastic basketball hoop, or on the baseball diamond in Miracle League, or pretending to score touchdowns in his front yard in Brush Prairie.

Austin may be a typical young sports enthusiast, but it is his persistence and confidence in the face of disability that makes him stand out.

Austin was born with a genetic disorder called unknown muscle myopathy. He was born with twisted legs and clubbed feet. He underwent surgery to correct his feet, and braces keep his feet in proper position.

140 toss hats into ring for 92 Clark County offices

Clark County filing week wrapped up with a bang Friday evening, with a total of 140 candidates offering themselves up for 92 offices on the Aug. 6 primary ballot.

The races for Vancouver City Council saw a surprise spate of last-minute candidates before the filing period closed at 5 p.m.

Erik Paulsen’s Position 2 seat went from unchallenged to a three-way race in the span of a couple of hours.

Maureen McGoldrick, who ran for the council in 2017 and 2018, threw her hat into the ring. Shortly after, Justin Forsman, who in 2015 ran a colorful city council campaign focused on eliminating fluoride from Vancouver’s water, also filed for the seat.

Further down the ticket, another face joined the race to succeed Bill Turlay in Position 6. Paul Montague, a mainstay in the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Identity Clark County, decided at the last minute to launch a campaign. As the final candidate running for Position 6, Montague rounds out a seven-way race — easily the most competitive 2019 race in Clark County.

Suit, petition offer glimpse into Cowlitz tribal conflict

David Barnett, an early driving force behind the ilani casino at the Cowlitz Indian Reservation near Ridgefield, filed a lawsuit this week accusing the tribe’s public safety director of defamation.

Barnett’s lawsuit says Donald Walkinshaw “made a range of false statements about Mr. Barnett” at a March 2 meeting of the Cowlitz Tribal Council meeting at the tribe’s headquarters in Longview. At the time, Barnett was general council tribal secretary, having been elected in 2018.

The lawsuit comes about two months after Walkinshaw filed a no-contact petition in Cowlitz County District Court in Longview, based on events at the March 2 meeting. The petition accuses Barnett of making threats.

About two weeks after filing the petition seeking court-ordered protection, Walkinshaw asked the court to dismiss the case, a Cowlitz County District Court clerk said Friday.

Hockinson’s Sawyer Racanelli commits to UW

Sawyer Racanelli has had a number of special moments throughout a memorable high school football career for Hockinson.

Friday, he wrote his next chapter announcing his verbal commitment to the University of Washington.

Racanelli, a junior receiver who’s led Hockinson to consecutive Class 2A state titles, is considered one of the state’s top players. He’s ranked as a three-star recruit by the national recruiting website 247sports.com. Racanelli becomes UW’s first in-state recruit for the class of 2020 and fourth overall, according to 247sports.com’s national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman.

Racanelli took to social media to announce the news Friday, giving thanks to God, his parents, Sundee and Josh, also the Hawks’ offensive coordinator, and praising coaches and teammates for “pushing me to be the best I can be.”

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