Basics Northwest, a provider of services to children with autism and related special needs, will hold an open house event at its new clinic at 2570 Ocean Avenue in Raymond on Wednesday, August 16, from 5-7 p.m.

This past June a new photography business -- Emma Rose Company LLC -- opened its doors in South Bend.

Situated at 1015 W. Robert Bush Drive, between Elixir Café and the Chester Tavern, the space is utilized by owner Emma Rose not only as a studio but for hosting photography workshops as well.

David "Bugzy" Frank, 63, a member of the Chinook Tribe and a fisherman and former logger of mixed Chinook and Quinault descent, is determined to save the area's fish populations by chasing away sea lions. He estimates, for example, that about 30 of the aggressive predators are currently ensconced in an area beyond the Raymond Bridge.

Creations by Robert Fermanis now on display at Raymond gallery

With the recent opening of Pacific Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Raymond, local sculptor Robert Fermanis, who already has a few pieces on display there, has taken a renewed interest in his own work.

Clerk/Treasurer Dee Roberts reported to the South Bend City Council on June 26 on the Association of Washington Cities conference she and other city officials had recently attended. Based on what she'd learned there, Roberts warned that the city will have to be cognizant in the future of remaining neutral in regard to ballot measures and persons running for elected office.

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler spoke from her Washington D. C. office with constituents during a telephone town hall held June 27, mainly addressing questions regarding health care legislation.

Beutler began, however, by mentioning her work on a bipartisan bill that had passed the House and which is aimed at helping welfare recipients transition to work.

Due to what the Washington State Department of Health has determined to be high bacteria levels, six commercial shellfish harvesting areas around the state have been closed with more than a dozen more facing the same threat.

Students and faculty of South Bend's Mission Creek Christian School recently returned from a trip to Peru where they engaged in activities that included the distribution of water filters and staple foods like rice and beans to impoverished residents of the city of Iquitos. Representatives of the school have made the trip annually for the past 11 years.