Cheers: To coronavirus clarity. Clark County Public Health has released new guidelines for the reopening of schools. All school districts in Clark County are going to begin the school year with remote learning, and the hope is that the virus will soon dissipate in the county to allow for in-class learning.
Throughout the pandemic, conflicting information — particularly from the federal government — has hampered efforts to stem the disease. It also has emboldened members of the public who are reluctant to recognize the severity of the pandemic. The new guidelines should help inform school administrators as they consider when it is safe to reopen schools, and they should help the public better understand Clark County’s progress in fighting the disease.
Jeers: To more cancellations. This year’s Veterans Day parade at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site has been canceled, Historic Trust officials announced. The parade, which was founded in 1986 and now features more than 100 entries and 5,000 annual visitors, is the latest victim of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We know this is an important and meaningful tradition in the Portland/Vancouver area,” Historic Trust CEO David Pearson said. Jeers go to the virus and its continued disruption of normalcy, adding the Veterans Day parade to a long and still-growing list of traditions that have been postponed this year.
Cheers: To journalistic independence. A state Supreme Court commissioner has postponed a lower court order that would require The Seattle Times and four Seattle TV stations to turn over unpublished and unaired material. A previous ruling from King County Superior Court ordered the media outlets to assist police in investigating violence and vandalism at a recent protest in the city. The emergency stay allows time for legal challenges to the order to proceed.
Forcing news organizations to provide law enforcement with information that is not available to the public blurs the line between the media and the state. Such a move violates journalistic independence and makes it more difficult for the media to effectively do its job. Indeed, vandals and other criminals should be identified and prosecuted, but the media should not be expected to perform the job of law enforcement.
Jeers: To wildfires. Wildfire season is in full swing, and Gov. Jay Inslee this week declared a state of emergency because of blazes in Central and Eastern Washington. The declaration authorizes activation of the Washington National Guard to help battle fires.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said: “Due to hot, dry conditions and lightning storms, we have fires burning across Washington, and existing firefighting resources are at capacity.”
It won’t do any good to jeer lightning, but we offer a reminder that caution is needed to keep human-caused fires from adding to the toll.
Cheers: To progress at Hanford. A milestone of sorts was reached recently in cleanup efforts at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette visited the facility to herald the opening of one of four major buildings planned for a vitrification plant at the site. “It seems like just yesterday we were starting this project — 20 years ago,” he said.
The completed plant will work to turn 56 million gallons of radioactive waste into a more benign glasslike substance. Cleanup at the nation’s most toxic nuclear site has been slow, but the new building is a small sign of progress.
