Relief efforts are under way to help communities across western North Carolina reeling from the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene. Unprecedented flooding from the storm swamped municipal water systems, washed away roads and downed utility lines — leaving many mountain communities cut off Sept. 27 and in critical need of emergency aid.

With a $20 million EPA grant, "we are not only addressing immediate environmental challenges but also building a sustainable, resilient future for our community," said Thayne McCulloh, president of Gonzaga University.

In a summer of firsts, mountain-climbing Benedictine monks of Mount Angel Abbey took to the heights — their locally brewed beer tucked in backpacks — ascending renowned peaks in the Pacific Northwest during the season's brief window of opportunity.