📰 What's Making News

Skyview Edges North Thurston 4-3 in Saturday Thriller

If you've got a Skyview Storm fan in your house, Saturday was a good day. The Storm held off North Thurston 4-3 in a tight baseball game that wasn't decided until the final inning. Camden Jones turned in a solid outing on the mound, going four innings and allowing just two hits. Up next, Columbia River heads to Hillsboro Civic Stadium on Monday for a 4:30 p.m. matchup against Lincoln (Ore.) — a great excuse to catch some spring ball across the river. Full scoreboard here.

Humans Head for the Moon — First Time in 50+ Years

It's not local, but it's historic: a Boeing-built rocket launched four astronauts toward lunar orbit this week aboard the Artemis II mission, marking the first time humans have left Earth orbit since the Apollo era more than half a century ago. The milestone is also a big moment for Boeing's beleaguered space unit, which built the core stage of the massive Space Launch System rocket. If you grew up watching grainy footage of moon landings and wished you'd been alive for it — this is your moment. Read more from The Columbian.

8-Year-Old's Stuffed Toy Rides Along to the Moon

Here's the Artemis II detail guaranteed to make you smile. When the rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, it carried a tiny extra crew member: "Rise," a stuffed toy designed by an 8-year-old California boy. Rise serves as the mission's "zero gravity indicator" — when astronauts see the little figure floating, they know they've reached weightlessness. NASA has a long tradition of flying whimsical zero-g indicators, but this might be the most charming one yet. See the full story.

Choctaw Code Talker Descendants Gather for Marker Unveiling

Nuchi Nashoba grew up seeing a photograph of her great-grandfather Ben Carterby in her grandmother's Oklahoma home but knew little about the man beyond his service in World War I. Now she and other descendants of the Choctaw code talkers — soldiers who used their Native language to transmit secret messages on the battlefield — gathered in Fort Worth for the unveiling of a historical marker honoring that legacy. It's a powerful reminder that some of America's most consequential contributions came from communities that rarely got the credit. Read the story.

2 Smart-Home Gadgets Worth a Look This Spring

If your house is a tangle of smart speakers, lights, and thermostats that refuse to talk to each other, this one's for you. A new tech review spotlights two gadgets built around compatibility — meaning they're designed to work across multiple home-automation ecosystems rather than locking you into one brand. That's a big deal for anyone who's accumulated devices over the years without a master plan. Spring cleaning your tech setup? This is a solid starting point. Check out the review.

⚡ Quick Bites

Steakburger Flips to a New Chapter Under Tina Condon

The beloved Hazel Dell restaurant and mini-golf spot closed in 2014, but owner Tina Condon kept the legacy alive with her food truck, Steakburger on the Go. Now the Clark County favorite is shifting to yet another new format, bringing those iconic flavors to even more communities. Read more from The Columbian.

Clark County Middle Schoolers Find Calm, One Stitch at a Time

A crochet club at a Clark County middle school is giving students a screen-free way to decompress and connect — and they're learning stitches with names like bobble, butterfly, and popcorn along the way. Here's how it works.

24,000 Pounds of Trash Pulled from Highway 14 Since 2022

The nonprofit East County Citizens' Alliance has mobilized volunteer crews to clean stretches of Highway 14 through Camas and Washougal under WSDOT's Adopt-a-Highway program. Now they're digging into the root causes of all that roadside litter. Full story here.

Spokane's Anne McClain Reflects on Humanity's Return to the Moon

Washington state's own U.S. Army Col. Anne McClain, a Spokane native and NASA astronaut, is sharing her perspective on what it means to see humans heading back to the lunar surface. A proud Pacific Northwest connection to the cosmos. Read her reflections.

Regret Your Gmail Address? Google Now Lets You Change It

If you created your Gmail account in 2005 and have been living with the consequences ever since, relief has arrived — Google is officially allowing users to swap out their email address. Details on how to make the switch.

Apple Turns 50: From Wozniak's Garage to $3.5 Trillion

Fifty years ago, Steve Wozniak built a personal computer that Hewlett-Packard passed on. That rejection launched Apple — now valued at $3.5 trillion and a fixture in just about every pocket and purse in Vancouver. The full origin story.

📅 Mark Your Calendar

Sunday, April 5

• Writer's Workshop at Ridgefield NWR — Led by Abby Braithwaite of Plas Newydd Farm Arts Initiative. Bring a favorite nature poem to share. 28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield
• Paella Cooking Class — Fabiola Donnelly teaches you to make paella from scratch, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Class Cooking, 110 E. 15th St., Vancouver. $118.10
• Paint a Bunny in Watercolor — Beginner-friendly watercolor class with instructor Hannah Complin, 6–8 p.m. at The Art Zone, 6929 NW Friberg-Strunk St., Suite 230, Camas. $54.26
• Easter Vigil Service — Bilingual Eucharist at 7 p.m. at St. Luke's–San Lucas Episcopal Church, 426 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver. Free
• VanCity Saturday Social Dance and Beginners Lesson — 45-minute lesson at 7 p.m. followed by social dancing until 10 p.m. at VanCity Ballroom, 9212 NE Hwy 99, Suite 110, Hazel Dell. $10
• Blueprint Ensemble Presents: The 80s! — Live show featuring Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, and more at Rose City Park United Methodist Church, Portland
• Saturday Karaoke Night at Pour Choices Pub — Starting at 8:30 p.m. at 1919 Main St., Vancouver
• Candlelight: 90s Unplugged — Live multi-sensory concert at The Old Church Concert Hall, Portland. 60 minutes
• 2026 SW WA Youth Photo Contest — Vancouver Audubon Society, HD Aluminum Prints, and Columbia Credit Union sponsor a nature photography contest for youth
• Columbia River Spring Chinook Season — Anglers get 39 days on the main-stem Columbia. Seasons run through April 28 plus May 2
• Mountain Bike Trail Work Party — Join Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance – SW Chapter at Upper Thrillium Trailhead, Yacolt Burn State Forest, 9 a.m. Lunch provided. Discover Pass required
• Ridgefield's Discover Downtown Dash — Epic scavenger hunt through Downtown Ridgefield. Fun for all ages
• Renaissance Pointe Park Ribbon Cutting — Celebrate the unveiling of Renaissance Pointe with the Parks Foundation of Clark County at 2111 SE Columbia River Dr., Vancouver
• Vancouver Audubon Guest Speaker: Katherine Luscher on Tufted Puffins — Monthly meeting at 13413 NE LeRoy Haagen Memorial Dr., Vancouver
• Science on Tap: Boosting Biodiversity with Insect-Friendly Gardens — Speaker Amy Campion shares five years of garden makeover lessons. Vancouver
• Forest Canopy Walk at Plas Newydd — Hosted by Abby Braithwaite and David Morgan at Plas Newydd Farm
• Wild About Nature — Guest speakers Tessa Ott (WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife) and Michael Tehan (NOAA Fisheries) at White Salmon Valley Community Library, 1085 N. Main Ave., White Salmon
• Ivy Pull Volunteer Event — Help remove invasive English ivy at Abrams Park in Ridgefield. Demo at 9 a.m., then pull. Collaboration with the Ridgefield Garden Club
• Author Talk: Aaron Jones on The Great Task of Oliver Otis Howard — Hosted by Friends of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site at the Visitor Center
• Forest Walk at Columbia Springs — Guided nature walk at 12208 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver. Great for all ages (trails not stroller-friendly)
• Weeding Volunteer Event at Grandmother Camus — Join the Vancouver Bee Project for weeding, mulching, and cleanup. Parking along Q Street. No registration required

Family & Kids

• Spring Beak Nature Walk — Search for spring "beaks" at the Water Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver. Families with kids ages 6+. Binoculars available. Advanced registration required
• Klineline Kids Fishing Derby — 45-minute time slots at Salmon Creek Regional Greenway. A beloved tradition for young anglers

Teens

• 2026 Students for Clean Water Video Contest — Middle and high school students can win $500 for a video about protecting water
• ROAD TRIP: Spring Break Day Camp — Living Traditions of the Yakama Nation — Confluence hosts a one-day cultural camp for Native youth ages 13–17 at the Center for Native Arts and Cultures, 800 SE 10th Ave., Portland. Limited to 25 participants

Adults

• Adventures in Art: Nature Journaling — Fort Vancouver Regional Library's monthly art session for adults. Drop in anytime. All materials provided. 901 C St., Vancouver. Free
• Pollinator Efficiency in Action: The Mason Bee Model — Anne Bulger (WSU Master Gardener and OSU Master Melittologist) on creating mason bee habitat. Cocoons for sale after the talk (cash/checks only). Free for NatureScaping members, $25 for non-members

Seniors

• Forever Young Hikers: Lake to Lake Loop via Lacamas Creek — Moderate, 4.8 miles, 500 ft elevation gain in Camas. Registration required

Saturday, April 11

• Potting Party with Clark Conservation District — Help pot bare-root native plants for streamside restoration projects, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
• ROAD TRIP: Outdoor Cooking with Dutch Ovens — Learn to create hearty camp meals with simple ingredients and cast-iron cookware
• Listening to the Landscape: Bird Language Basics — Field class on songbird calls and behaviors at 4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver
• Camp Hope Spring Clean Up Day — Volunteer to spruce up camp for the season. All welcome
• Sakura Festival at Clark College — Ceremony at 1 p.m. in the Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, festivities continue at 2 p.m. in Gaiser Student Center with performances, cookies, and tea. Downtown Vancouver campus
• Clark College Sakura Festival: Cherry Blossoms — Koto and flute performance, dignitary speeches, Clark College Treble Ensemble, plus a butterfly release at the Andersen Fountain at 2 p.m.
• Grow Your Own Strawberries Workshop — WSU Extension Clark County Master Gardeners cover types, planting techniques, and common pests
• Digging the Dirt: Making Great Soil — WSU Master Gardener Gary Fredricks discusses soil basics for a successful garden. Free, at the Community Room
• Worm Bin Composting Workshop — Learn to turn food scraps into garden fertilizer with red worms. Cascade Park Community Library. Free
• Klineline Pond Cleanup at Salmon Creek Regional Park — Join Clark County Public Works for litter pickup along accessible paved trails. 1112 NE 117th St., Vancouver
• Heritage Farm Walk / Heritage Farm Camina — Guided bilingual walking tour with Latinos Unidos Y Floreciendo. Learn about the season ahead and ways to get involved
• WA Native Plant Society Hike: Lacamas Park — Moderate 4-mile wildflower loop through forested slopes and flowering meadows in Camas. Joint hike with Suksdorfia Chapter WNPS
• Lacamas Park Spring Hike with WNPS — Joint hike with Suksdorf and Portland chapters. Look for camas and fawn lilies in bloom. Contact Ron Klump to sign up

Seniors

• Forever Young Hikers: Weldon Wagon Road — Moderate, 5 miles, 1,200 ft elevation gain near White Salmon. Registration required

Tuesday, April 14

• Volcano Outdoor School Virtual Info Session — Mt. St. Helens Institute hosts a free one-hour Zoom session for educators at 4 p.m. Learn about day, overnight, and virtual field trip options

Friday, April 17

• Ridgefield Dragon Boat Community Paddling — Free paddling season kicks off April 17 and runs through October 3. Ages 14+, no experience needed. Ridgefield

Saturday, April 18

• Washougal Beaver Bash 2026 — Community festival celebrating International Beaver Day, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Reflection Plaza, Washougal. Followed by Beaver Trivia at Kascadia Public House, 3–5 p.m. All ages
• Lilac Days at Hulda Klager Gardens — Opens April 18 and runs through May 10, daily 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $10 adults, kids 12 and under free. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hulda Klager Lilac Society
• Potting Party with Clark Conservation District — Another Saturday session, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Pot bare-root native plants for restoration projects
• ROAD TRIP: Naturalist Training Program — Reading the Landscape with Cascadia Wild — Learn wildlife tracking, botany, ecology, navigation, and more in this multi-session program
• Hydrangeas: Variety and Beauty in Your PNW Garden — Master Gardener Carley Wecks shares tips on choosing, pruning, and changing bloom color. Meyer Memorial Trust Community Room. Free
• Bird Walk along Washougal River Greenway — Early morning birding with Vancouver Audubon Society. Meet at corner of Yale St. and NE 2nd Ave., Washougal
• Clean & Green: Waterfront Park Cleanup — Join SOLVE to celebrate Earth Day by picking up litter through downtown Vancouver and the Renaissance Trail. Meet in the Waterfront Park parking lot