This week we offer cheers, nothing but cheers. Because nobody wants to begin a new year with jeers.
Cheers: To Washougal police. Officers arrested two teens suspected of burglarizing four convenience stores in the past two weeks. The primary clue: Footprints in the snow.
After police responded to a report of a burglary at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday at the 7 Market in Camas, they found two sets of footprints leading into the store and back out. As The Columbian reported: “The footprints led them to two people walking with backpacks. Police said the backpacks were full of stolen merchandise from 7 Market, and one of the suspects still had (smashed) glass stuck to his coat.” The teens are suspected in other recent burglaries in Washougal and Camas. Hopefully, the crime wave will come to an end thanks to some fine police work.
Cheers: To the Cougars. Washington State got to play in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl after all, following a COVID-related schedule change. The Cougars arrived Sunday in El Paso, only to learn that the University of Miami had withdrawn because of coronavirus issues. So WSU ended up facing Central Michigan, which had its bowl game canceled after Boise State withdrew.
College football’s bowl season has been chaotic, with several games canceled because of COVID-19. The chance to play one final game is a fitting reward for the Cougars following a 7-5 regular season in which their coach was fired for refusing to be vaccinated against the virus. Despite the turmoil, WSU can take pride in a winning record and a bowl appearance — plus a victory in the Apple Cup.
Cheers: To being conscientious. It is difficult to wring cheers out of the fact that Clark County has seen an 84 percent increase in coronavirus cases in the past week, but we will find a way. Cheers go to those who have been diligent in receiving vaccinations and booster shots and taking measures to protect themselves, their families and everybody they come into contact with.
No preventive measures are foolproof; the new omicron variant is highly transmissible, and even the best precautions can be inadequate. But we are thankful for those who are doing all they can to prevent the disease from spreading while recognizing that it is our duty to help keep each other safe.
Cheers: To snow. In our minds, a couple of light snowstorms this week have been ideal. At lower elevations, overnight dustings have covered the landscape with a fresh coat of brightness that overcomes the doldrums of winter. But the snow has not been heavy enough to make driving hazardous or cause lasting problems.
Those days might still be ahead. Be cautious on the roads, especially at higher elevations or when the temperature is below freezing. But be sure to enjoy the beauty of freshly fallen snow.
Cheers: To a harrowing rescue. In an event that sounds like something out of an action movie, a woman was rescued near Multnomah Falls. She reportedly slipped off a trail while hiking in snowy conditions and fell about 30 feet, where she latched onto a tree root above a 300-foot cliff. Bystanders lowered a rope to her, which she managed to tie around her waist, and they held onto her from the trail.
First responders arrived, and a rope rescue technician rappelled down and pulled her to safety. The woman was unhurt and was evaluated at the scene. Cheers go to the woman and her companions — and especially to anybody with the savvy to work as a “rope rescue technician.”
