Fall is a season for rejoicing, because while the weather cools off in the Northern Hemisphere and birds begin their long slog south, travel to Europe is at its best. Gone are the hordes of tourists in sweat-soaked tank tops. You’re looking at sweater weather. Better yet, you’re looking at European scarf weather.

Oregon regulators enacted a six-month ban Friday on the sale of flavored nicotine and cannabis vape products in stores and online statewide amid an outbreak of illnesses that has sickened nearly 1,300 people nationwide and killed 26, including two people in Oregon.

Katie Patterson Larson sees potential where others might see trash. Case in point: On a recent tour of Art Salvage, the nonprofit she founded, she contemplated the colorful wires attached to a basement post, left behind from a former tenant’s phone system. “It’s so pretty,” she said, wondering if they could cut them out and sell them.

You are running through the woods and a bear is chasing you, when all of a sudden you wake up in your bed and realize it was just a scary dream. Our nightmares can sometimes feel super scary, even if what’s happening isn’t real.

Gypsy is a very adventurous, playful dog who is a toy fanatic, according to the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service in a news release. Refer to the pet’s ID number when contacting SCRAPS with questions about one of the adoptable pets. If you are interested in this dog or any animal there, call (509) 477-2532 or visit the shelter at 6815 E. Trent Ave. in Spokane Valley. Dog adoptions cost $120 and include spay or neuter, the first set of vaccinations (including rabies) health check, microchip and first year’s license.

Weeks before I headed to Mammoth Cave National Park for a weekend trip, and a day after I’d booked several guided cave tours, I encircled my chest with a tape measure.

Is it just me or was this the fastest gardening season ever? The late burst of wintry conditions we experienced from February to April prevented us from getting an early start. But the fact is fall is here, and it’s time to wrap things up.

I want to build a deluxe shed. I’ve just retired and have plenty of time on my hands. I want to stop paying the outrageous offsite storage fees. First and foremost, what do you think of my shed matching my house? Is this a good idea or a waste of time?

What’s scary popular this year for Halloween costumes? Some parents go over the top.

Yoga in the Cathedral is held once a month on a Sunday afternoon in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Spokane’s South Hill. The popular sessions, which began in 2015, are open to anyone in the community.

Pope Francis is decrying “the culture of comfort,” which leads to indifference in the face of a global migration and refugee crisis.

Threading the needle: Can Washington deliver legislation to curb drug costs amid an impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump?

While the U.S. scrambles to crack down on vaping, Britain has embraced electronic cigarettes as a powerful tool to help smokers kick the habit. Health officials in the U.S. have been trying to reverse a surge in teenagers using e-cigarettes. Now, they are telling people to consider quitting vaping because of a recent outbreak of serious lung illnesses. One British scientist called it “complete madness.”

“Don’t lose sight of me.” Physicist Abhigyan Dasgupta – “Riju” to his family and friends – looks over his shoulder to caution our 12-member group as we prepare to descend 300 feet beneath the French countryside into the largest machine on Earth: the $4.7 billion Large Hadron Collider.

When fall arrives, gardeners transition from outdoor gardening to indoor activities. Yet they miss the connection they had with living plants. Tending houseplants is the perfect cure to this problem and can be just as enjoyable.

I’ve noticed that even when people feel motivated to purge, they still have a tough time parting with clothes.

This will not be a usual column. I’m sitting in my man cave writing it several hours before I talk to a reader named Amanda on the phone. She lives in Oklahoma in a new home covered with artificial stone made from colored and textured concrete.

Holiday early birds, you know them. They already have most or all their Christmas gifts stashed. But with less than 100 days until Dec. 25, you might consider some steps now – especially around handmade creations or to update decorations. Here are some tips from a few early birders.