Morning Press: Wildfires and historic wind event, I-5 Bridge repair canceled, Columbia River mascot, Christian event at the waterfront

Is rain on the way to help control the wildfires? For details, check our local weather coverage.

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

Oregon wildfires put massive Interstate 5 Bridge repair project on hold

A massive project to rebuild a portion of the Interstate 5 Bridge was put on hold Thursday out of concerns that evacuees from Oregon wildfires would overwhelm the region’s freeway system.

The postponement was announced late Thursday by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The closure of the northbound span of the Interstate 5 Bridge had been scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and last for nine days. The project would replace parts in the lift mechanism in the south tower of the 103-year-old northbound span.

Read more about the project.

Winds fan wildfire concerns in Clark County

Air quality in much of Clark County improved dramatically overnight Monday, but windy and dangerous fire conditions kept firefighters busy through Tuesday, including a large blaze off Fruit Valley Road that sent plumes of smoke in the air, visible for miles.

Crews were dispatched at 2:32 p.m. to 4808 N.W. Fruit Valley Road for a brush fire with an exposure. The address is associated with Frito Lay, and clouds of smoke rising from behind the building could be seen from as far as Felida.

Read more about the wind storm and its aftermath.

More wildfire, wind and air quality coverage:

•.  Two major Clark County fires under control; crews continue multiple responses

•. Air quality at near hazardous levels in Vancouver

•. North county residents heed pre-evacuation notices as Gifford Pinchot burns

•. Clark County’s air quality continues to worsen because of wildfires

•. Hazardous air settles in to Clark County; relief will be slow in coming

Large Christian event packed Vancouver Waterfront Park

Thousands of people worshipped at Vancouver Waterfront Park on Friday evening as part of a national tour protesting what it termed an “unprecedented attack” on freedom to worship.

The Let Us Worship tour was started by Christian singer and pastor Sean Feucht. As the sun set, he sang and preached emphatically to the crowd, which was largely not wearing face masks despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about the Let Us Worship event.

Suspect in hit and run at east Vancouver bar appears in court

A Vancouver man is accused of following a group from a Patriot Prayer event to an east Vancouver sports bar Saturday, where a confrontation in the parking lot ended with him striking a man with his vehicle.

But the defense attorney for Charles R. Holliday-Smith contested that version of events during his client’s first appearance Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court.

Read more about the suspect’s version of events.

Vancouver Public Schools retires chieftain from Columbia River, Minnehaha schools

The Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors unanimously voted Tuesday to retire the chieftain name and mascot at Columbia River High School and Minnehaha Elementary School.

It was a vote that seemed all but certain headed into the school board meeting, as board members last month expressed their desire to end the use of the image of a Native American chief in a feathered headdress. Local tribal leaders urged the school board to stop using the image, and more than 1,700 people signed a petition this summer opposing its continued use.

Learn more about the decision.