One of the driest spells in Texas history has left most of the state in extreme drought, and wildfires in various parts of the state have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land in the past week.

Rescue crews continue to dig toward trapped miner, Larry Marek, at the Lucky Friday Mine in Mullan, Idaho. Marek was trapped more than a mile underground after the roof of a tunnel where the Idaho miner was extracting silver-bearing ore collapsed.

The 2011 Pulitzer Prizes for photography were announced Monday, April 18, 2011. Los Angeles Times photographer Barbara Davidson wins the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and Washington Post photographers Carol Guzy, Nikki Kahn and Ricky Carioti, win the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.

Weekend storms ripped through North Carolina, killing at least 45 and leaving more than 130 serious injuries, 65 homes destroyed and another 600 significantly damaged by Sunday evening.

Toya Chiba, a reporter with the Iwate Tokai newspaper, is swept by a surging tsunami at the port city of Kamaishi, northeastern Japan, as the region was struck by a massive earthquake that spawned the tsunami.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011, will mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. More than 600,000 soldiers and sailors died during the conflict. View a gallery of historical photos made available by the Library of Congress.

Singer Elton John rocked the sold-out Spokane Arena Friday, April 8, 2011

Several hundred people participate in the NAACP’s “Demand Justice and Promote Peace March” on Sunday, April 3, 2011.

Post-tsunami Japan turns to the enormous task of putting towns like this back together.

Wild turkeys moved into the pine trees behind Nils and Mary Rosdahl’s house about 10 years ago. They liked the location so much that 80 to 100 now congregate on the couple’s property.

The people of Japan are not the only ones suffering because of the disaster. Many pets have been separated from their families and forced to fend for themselves. The lucky ones are in shelters.

Three days after a massive earthquake and the ensuing tsunami hit Japan’s east coast, the sufferers are faced with the challenge of survival.

The 33 Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade turned downtown Spokane, Wash., green for the day.

Under threat of a nuclear reactor disaster on Japan’s devastated coast Sunday, March 13, 2011, the country begins to dig through the debris left from the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.

Japan was struck by a magnitude-8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast Friday, March 11, 2011, triggering a 23-foot (seven-meter) tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter.

Audio Slideshow: Outdoors editor Rich Landers takes you on a nine-day Kayaks adventure in the Sea of Cortez.

A devastating earthquake killed dozens of people and left another 100 missing in Christchurch, New Zealand on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011.

From (Bryan) Adams to ZZ Top, view a collection of top musical talents who have performed in the Northwest throughout the years.

The 135th Westminster Dog Show kicks off Monday, Feb. 14, 2011. Six new breeds are being welcomed this year.

Fish in the ponds of St. Petersburg, Russia are becoming increasingly desperate for oxygen, as winter continues.