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October 9, 2025
Singed trees remain standing in the Columbia River Gorge’s Coyote Wall Recreation Area in mid-September, about six weeks after the Burdoin Fire. (Photos by Scott Hewitt/The Columbian)

Drastic change of scenery at Coyote Wall

BINGEN — In spring, you can count on the Columbia River Gorge’s Coyote Wall trail network to dazzle the eyes with crowded carpets of yellow and purple wildflowers. In the heat of summer, Coyote Wall’s jagged, tilting grassland dries out into a furrowed plateau of glowing gold.

October 9, 2025
Dying leaves seen on a western red cedar tree Friday in Vancouver show the stress some native tree species are facing due to climate change. Western red cedar, western hemlock and bigleaf maple trees are dying in greater numbers because of hotter, drier summers. Trees already stressed from heat or drought can be more susceptible to fungus and pests such as beetles.

Tree loss accelerates amid hotter summers

The hot, dry summers Clark County and much of the Pacific Northwest have experienced in recent years are harming some native tree species. Forestry experts and environmental groups say western hemlock, western red cedar and bigleaf maple are dying off due to the changing climate.

October 2, 2025
Customer Al Schmid of Washougal strolls the aisles at Lutz Hardware in Camas on Monday afternoon. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Lutz Hardware celebrates 75 years of family ownership in Camas

On Christmas Day of 2022, Aaron Lutz received word from one of his regular customers that the family had lost water service at their house due to freezing weather. Lutz didn’t hesitate to act, temporarily pausing his own holiday festivities to save somebody else’s.