Editor’s note: this is the first of two installments from Moscow’s David Barber and his work with the Moscow Sister City Association.

Dear Dr. Universe,

“Think about it this way,” the elected official said on television news broadcast worldwide. “What have you got to lose?”

These are “interesting times we live in” is the understatement of the month, year or who knows how long. I’m glad I have access to news, especially local news.

Dear Dr. Universe,

Even an introvert like moi was getting stir-crazy at home, where my husband, Lee, and I are taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously. People who can choose to follow the CDC’s preventative gu…

We are being asked to “hunker down” for about 15 days and hopefully flatten the steepness of the infection curve for COVID-19.

Chance Haskins, left, and Jeff Anderson, from Pioneer Waterproofing, inspect a pre-cast concrete finial they installed on the University of Idaho Administration Building on Thursday in Moscow.…

Dear Dr. Universe,

NEW YORK — You’re washing your hands countless times a day to try to ward off the coronavirus.

Our homes are filled with hazardous chemicals that some love and that, in sufficient quantities, can kill pets and people. Here are two you may want to reconsider using.

Neill Public Library is a thriving gathering space for community members to explore, discover and connect in meaningful ways. Pull out your calendars folks, there’s a lot for you to do at the …

Sue Ripley, president of League of Women Voters of Idaho, center, speaks while Idaho City Council member Sandra Kelly, left, and Latah County Clerk Henrianne Westberg listen during a rally to …

When Washington State University quarterback Tyler Hilinski died by suicide in January 2018, the importance of mental-health awareness at the university and in the community came to the forefront.

I’ve been trying to rush the season by working on a few garden projects, even before the beds have fully thawed. Ever optimistic that my Maine coon cat can change his stripes, I expected some …

Dear Dr. Universe,

How are seashells formed? And why are they different colors? Can seashells live or die?

— Caroline, 9, Crestwood, Ky.

Two weeks ago, a dog in Hong Kong was reported to have tested “weakly positive,” for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

If a recipe calls for allspice and you don’t have any, what three spices can use as a substitute?

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — For more than a quarter-century, the old bus abandoned in Alaska’s punishing wilderness has drawn adventurers seeking to retrace the steps of a young idealist who met a tra…

The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that would eliminate ownership of nine reptile species, including the popular iguana.

The Potlatch library recently hosted an event organized by the city of Moscow called Coffee with a Cop. It’s designed to be an opportunity for the community to get to know our local law enforc…

Dear Dr. Universe,

Mars may look dry and dusty from the outside, but it has a surprisingly vibrant inner life, according to new findings from NASA’s quake-hunting InSight mission.

March is National Frozen Food Month, a good time to discuss the commercial freezing of food and the safe handling of these foods.

Hunger, homelessness and food insecurity are just a handful of needs the Moscow Women’s Giving Circle raises funds for in support of local nonprofits and their efforts.

In these weeks between winter and springtime, I miss my flowers. Without the joy and peace I find in their finger-paint colors and bouquets of petals, I can get too caught up in the daily dram…

Dear Dr. Universe,

Entrepreneurs are planning to open Spokane’s first “half cafe/half cat sanctuary” this April.

The Whitman County Library system is much like the rainforest tree you’ll find in Hayden’s Corner, a popular gathering spot at the Colfax Library.