NEWS

January 01, 2020
The Army is among America’s top-grossing charities. In 2015, its 25,000 bell-ringers helped raise an all-time high of US$149.6 million. That was part of the year’s almost $3 billion revenue from bequests, grants, sales, in-kind donations and investments as well as direct contributions. Note: They are looking for volunteer bell ringers this season.

November 27, 2018

November 21, 2018

After working part-time as a personal trainer for almost a year, Rob Benson last week leaped fully into his passion for helping others build healthy lifestyles. The 39-year old Longview man quit his job at Georgia Pacific’s Wauna mill, says he sank most of his family’s savings into a large workout space and opened Train Together, a group training gym, on Nov. 12.

November 19, 2018

November 15, 2018

November 08, 2018

November 05, 2018

October 24, 2018

October 24, 2018
For details on these programs or any of the many classes offered at the YMCA, call 360-423-4770 or visit longviewymca.org. Online registration also is available. Find the Y on Facebook by searching for YMCA of Southwest Washington.


October 20, 2018
A small but growing number of households are joining what has become a bona fide movement: Zero Waste. While their goal of producing no trash at all may remain elusive, some Zero Wasters do come close, winnowing their household waste down to a tiny collection of non-recyclable and non-compostable items, so little that a year's trash can fit into a shoebox or a Mason jar.


On a 2-1 vote, the Cowlitz County commissioners on Tuesday created a “Community Court” program aimed at keeping low-level, mentally troubled offenders out of jail and ultimately saving taxpayers’ money.
Commissioners approved $26,600 to pay a community court coordinator through next year. The funds will come from the county’s mental health sales tax. Great Rivers Behavioral Health Organization is a partner and will pay the other 70 percent of the costs.
Every day the county can keep an offender out of jail saves $80.

School board Chairman Andy Ogden says the board decided to re-run the exact same bond this November because the district needs money to cover the “top priorities” of the schools. Lowering the amount would “not be a good deal for the taxpayers” because it would reduce the $17 million in state matching dollars the district would receive if the bond passes.

October 15, 2018

October 08, 2018

October 03, 2018

October 03, 2018

The shifting science on omega-6s
September 26, 2018
You know the omega-3 fatty acids in foods like salmon and flaxseed are good for you, but what about their less-talked-about cousin, omega-6s? We get this polyunsaturated fat from nuts, seeds and plant-based oils. But while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, omega-6 fatty acids have a reputation for increasing inflammation. Now, several new studies suggest this decades-long bad rap may not be deserved.
New bill in Senate aims to thin forests, stem wildfires
September 27, 2018
The Eagle Creek wildfire burns on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge near Cascade Locks, Ore. After a summer wildfire season that blanketed Oregon and much of the West in smoke, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has introduced a bill that would create a $1 billion fund to allow the Forest Service to increase the pace and scale of wildfire reduction projects, empower federal agencies to work with local communities to plan and prepare for wildfires, and permanently reauthorize a collaborative forest restoration program that brings stakeholders together to thin forests.
How should I prepare my home for fall drafts?
September 08, 2018

Cycling Cowlitz County: Six Rivers Trail to run north to south through community
July 29, 2018
For Kalama resident Colleen Neel, a bike trail spanning Cowlitz County from north to south would transform the way she travels through and sees the community.
Supporters of the proposed Six Rivers Trail say the 36-mile path linking Vader to Woodland would encourage healthy alternative commuting, draw cyclists to the area and help shrink the county’s collective midriff.
The trail would use existing city and county roads with the intention of widening and eventually separating the shoulders to protect cyclists and pedestrians from vehicles. Other, less expensive measures could involve signing and striping.