The Columbian

Smoggy conditions in Clark County mean vulnerable people should limit time outside

Air quality in Vancouver is expected to be poor through Friday due to heat.

September 5, 2024, 9:38am Clark County Health Free

Elevated levels of ozone pollution — otherwise known as smog — have prompted the Southwest Clean Air Agency and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to issue an air quality advisory for the Portland-Vancouver and Salem, Ore., areas. The advisory is expected to remain in effect until 8 p.m. Friday. Read story

Grab your binoculars, Saturn will be peak viewing in Southwest Washington on Sunday

This April 2017 image from the short film “Cassini’s Grand Finale” shows the space probe diving between Saturn and its innermost ring. Sunday night will offer the best Saturn viewing for Earth-bound observers this year.

September 4, 2024, 6:07am Clark County Life Subscriber Exclusive

Summer is winding down and partly cloudy skies have been making a comeback, rendering stargazing conditions uncertain lately. But even if Sunday night turns out to offer limited viewing, it still marks the start of a long window for gawking at the most elaborately decorated planet in the solar system. Read story

Riding in traffic where there’s no bike lane, Sara Schmit approaches the busy intersection of Mill Plain Boulevard and Southeast 98th Avenue in Vancouver. Schmit has been a dedicated all-season bike commuter for years, and said she learned how to do it safely and comfortably the hard way: trial and error.

‘The first bad decision was assuming I needed a car’: Vancouver woman embraces biking to work year-round

August 31, 2024, 6:13am Clark County Health Subscriber Exclusive

It’s a rare occasion when Sara Schmit climbs into somebody’s car. When she does, she said, she always feels anxiety. As the car moves, her legs refuse to stay still. They want to pedal. Read story

Do you have a story? Let’s hear it

August 31, 2024, 6:00am Clark County News Free

It’s back-to-school season for kids, and back-to-storytelling season for fans of our “Everybody Has a Story” feature. Read story

Camas plein air event is a tribute to its founder, the late Marquita Call.

August 30, 2024, 8:44am Clark County Life Free

An Oct. 5 plein air painting competition in Camas will honor the late Marquita Call, an arts booster and local gallery owner who founded the annual event in 2013. Call died in August 2023. Read story

Beaches restaurant, which will close at the end of the year, hosts its last few Summertime Cruisin’ events Wednesdays through Sept. 25 at Portland International Raceway in North Portland.

Try this: Cruisin’ at cruise-ins; grist mill’s Treat Day; Day of Healing the Wimahl

August 29, 2024, 6:05am Clark County Life

Cruisin’ to the end Beaches restaurant, which will close at the end of the year, hosts its last few Summertime Cruisin’ events Wednesdays through Sept. 25 at Portland International Raceway in North Portland. The event raises funds for nonprofit organizations and features hot rods, exotic sports cars… Read story

The Cowlitz County sheriff (Jack Vanover, center) and a U.S.

‘Feet of Death’: SW Washington filmmaker’s Bigfoot story to screen Thursday at the Kiggins in Vancouver

August 28, 2024, 2:51pm Clark County Life

The way Mount St. Helens looms large over James Chick’s home turned out to be inspirational for the aspiring local filmmaker. Read story

Stories by Scott Hewitt

Columbian staff reporter

Try this: Make a scarecrow; Nature walks; Masquerade for moms

New traffic circle opens at Northeast 119th Street, Northeast 152nd Avenue in Hockinson area