Cheers: To urban farming. Indoor farming requires less land than traditional farming and is gaining popularity in Clark County, as detailed in a recent article by The Columbian’s Sarah Wolf. “Growing mushrooms in an urban setting was appealing to us because it was something we could start up relatively quickly without the huge investment of buying land to farm,” said Sarah Adams, co-owner of Cellar Mushrooms.
Small urban farms have been hailed by some as the future of agriculture. While they won’t replace large-scale farming, they can supplement the industry and enhance the availability of local produce. Cellar Mushrooms and other urban growers often sell their products at the Vancouver Farmers Market and to local restaurants, easing the farm-to-table process.
Jeers: To an increase in crime. The annual Crime in Washington Report confirms that crime is increasing in Clark County and throughout the state. Statewide, crime reports increased 8.5 percent in 2022 and violent crime increased 8.9 percent, following similar jumps the previous year.
“In 2022, there’s data out there showing that those trends were beginning to trend downward nationally,” said Steve Strachan of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. “We are seeing the opposite in our state, and I think that’s the critical question that our policymakers need to confront, and all of us need to confront in every community is how do we — we need to change that.” Notably, statewide law enforcement staffing reached a new per-capita low last year.
Cheers: To open roads. State Highway 14 has been reopened near White Salmon, following a weeklong closure as crews battled the Tunnel Five Fire in the area. As of Friday, the wildfire was burning on 529 acres about 18 miles east of Stevenson and was considered 80 percent contained.
The genesis of the fire has not been determined, but officials have said it was human-caused. A majority of wildfires are sparked by human activity and — as the highway closure demonstrated — their reach extends well beyond the immediate threat to structures and lives. Cheers go to the firefighters who have worked to contain the blaze and to reopen the highway.
Jeers: To COVID-19. No new deaths were recorded, but the latest report from Clark County Public Health shows an uptick in COVID infections and hospitalizations in the area. In numbers released Thursday, the seven-day infection rate was 13.8 per 100,000 people — an increase from 12.2 the previous week. New hospitalizations increased approximately 50 percent from the previous week.
More than 114,000 COVID cases (confirmed and probable) have been reported in Clark County since the arrival of the virus more than three years ago, and more than 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the disease. Infections are well below the peak of January 2022, but the recent uptick is a reminder that the virus is still with us.
Cheers: To a lack of buzz. Northern giant hornets, colloquially known as “murder hornets,” apparently have been eradicated in Washington. Since four nests were discovered and destroyed in 2021 in Whatcom County, the species has not been spotted in the area.
Northern giant hornets grow up to 2 inches long and often destroy honey bee hives, threatening the pollination process that is crucial to the state’s agriculture industry. Northern giant hornets have not officially been declared eradicated in Washington, but if they are gone they will not be missed.
