2026

ºÚÁÏÉç (ºÚÁÏÉç) will hold its 90th annual commencement ceremony in person at the Kelso High School stadium on Thursday, June 18. The ceremony, which will also be live-streamed, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Eagle | Jun 12, 2026


he ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted Monday to extend interim President Kristen Finnel's contract through the end of June 2028.

The Daily News | Jun 11, 2026


Lower Columbia baseball beat Lane 12-2 in the NWAC championship game on Monday at David Story Field in Longview to take home their first NWAC title since 2023.

The Daily News | May 27, 2026


he ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted during its regular meeting Wednesday to postpone the search for a new president to July 2027.

The Daily News | May 26, 2026


The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which creates grants to help students overcome financial humps that might otherwise force them to drop out of school.

The Daily News | May 08, 2026


With a 4-3 win over Clark in the second game of a doubleheader on April 25, they claimed the NWAC West championship for the second straight year and for the third time in the last four seasons.

The Daily News | May 07, 2026


Starting in August, ºÚÁÏÉç plans to offer a home-based Head Start option to 10 children aged 3-5.

The Daily News | May 05, 2026


Children with disabilities can receive discounted one-on-one swimming lessons at the YMCA of Southwest Washington thanks to a new program developed by ºÚÁÏÉç students.

The Daily News | May 04, 2026


ºÚÁÏÉç's speech and debate team finished the season with two national championships and placed third out of 53 community colleges in another.

The Daily News | Apr 17, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees discusses joining another school's search firm contract as part of its search for a new president during a Wednesday, April 15 meeting. (ºÚÁÏÉç, contributed)

The Daily News | Apr 17, 2026


To save money on its search for a new president, the ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees is considering a hybrid model where ºÚÁÏÉç's human resources department takes on some of the work that would normally be completed by a search firm.

The Daily News | Apr 17, 2026


Thirty years ago, Castle Rock resident Dember Martin left ºÚÁÏÉç with failing grades and an incomplete degree.

The Daily News | Mar 14, 2026


ºÚÁÏÉç still has not yet begun a search for a new president since firing Matt Seimears on January 26.

Lower Columbia Currents | Mar 13, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to extend interim President Kristen Finnel's contract through Aug. 31.

The Daily News | Mar 13, 2026


The funding would go towards improvements at ºÚÁÏÉç, upgrades to emergency response systems, affordable housing preservation, veterans housing support, and other critical local infrastructure across the rural communities in the district.

Aberdeen Today | Mar 05, 2026


ºÚÁÏÉç's speech and debate team held a home tournament earlier this month, in which the Fighting Smelt was named the Division III Northwest Forensics Conference champions.

The Daily News | Feb 26, 2026


From hands-on demonstrations with state-of-the-art equipment to expert guidance on topographic maps, ºÚÁÏÉç engineering students got a glimpse into the lives of land surveyors and the ways civil engineers rely on their work.

The Daily News | Feb 08, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted unanimously to end President Matt Seimears' contract for convenience during a special meeting Monday evening.

The Reflector | Jan 28, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Fighting Smelt Speech and Debate Team finished third of 21 schools at the Fred Scheller Invitational online tournament hosted by Pacific University.

The Daily News | Jan 27, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted unanimously to fire President Matt Seimears for convenience during a special meeting Monday evening.

The Daily News | Jan 27, 2026


Alongtime donor threatened to pull a planned $2 million donation, and an alumnus who recruits donors fears additional withdraws, following the ºÚÁÏÉç board's decision to place its president on administrative leave earlier this month.

The Daily News | Jan 23, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted last week to officially appoint Vice President of Instruction Kristen Finnel as interim president.

The Columbian | Jan 18, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Foundation named Richard Nau as its 2025-2026 Benefactor of the Year.

The Daily News | Jan 16, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees has voted to officially appoint Vice President of Instruction Kristen Finnel as interim president.

The Daily News | Jan 16, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to place President Matt Seimears on administrative leave.

The Reflector | Jan 09, 2026


The ºÚÁÏÉç Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to place President Matt Seimears on administrative leave.

The Daily News | Jan 07, 2026


2025

ºÚÁÏÉç Fighting Smelt Speech & Debate Team

The Daily News | Nov 24, 2025


Several lanes on 15th Avenue between Washington Way near Papa Pete's Pizza and Mark Morris Court near the school will close starting Monday while ºÚÁÏÉç contractors work to install a new water main.

The Daily News | Nov 23, 2025


The ºÚÁÏÉç Fighting Smelt Speech & Debate Team has placed above top four-year colleges and universities after winning second place last month at the McPherson Classic tournament at Whitworth College in Spokane.

The Daily News | Nov 03, 2025


The ºÚÁÏÉç Fighting Smelt Speech & Debate Team opened the Northwest Forensics Conference season from Oct. 10-12 with a historic result, according to the college.

The Daily News | Oct 21, 2025


ºÚÁÏÉç and the ºÚÁÏÉç Foundation named Max Anderson as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year.

The Daily News | Oct 10, 2025


he welding lab of ºÚÁÏÉç’s new vocational center is set to be named after one of the college’s longtime welding instructors who passed away in 2016.

The Daily News | Oct 10, 2025


ºÚÁÏÉç will host a writing workshop with Yuknavitch from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Rose Center Mezzanine, room 201, then she will host a reading at 5:30 p.m. at the Longview Public Library.

The Daily News | Oct 05, 2025


Changing the name of the street would change ºÚÁÏÉç's address, which Vice President of Administration Nolan Wheeler said would cost the school a minimum of $50,000 to reprint materials and update its records with various vendors, state agencies and grant funders.

The Daily News | Sep 26, 2025


The Sept. 17 letter from ºÚÁÏÉç's Vice President of Administration Nolan K. Wheeler to the city focused solely on the logistical elements the college would face from the name change, and requested that their impact be "carefully considered in the planning process."

The Chronicle | Sep 22, 2025


To be named on the president’s list, students must be enrolled in 12 or more credits and earn between a 3.8 and 4.0 grade-point average for the quarter. To be named on the dean’s list, students must be enrolled in 12 or more credits and earn between a 3.25 and 3.79 grade point average for the quarter.

The Daily News | Sep 08, 2025


This classroom at ºÚÁÏÉç is plenty busy...as they manage the whims of their young students, educators at this program in Cowlitz County are also navigating the increasingly murky waters of trying to secure federal funding.

Seattle Times | Sep 02, 2025


Lower Columbia women’s soccer holds uncertainty heading into the 2025 season.

The Daily News | Aug 14, 2025


The Red Devils are not just adjusting to a new coach after the departure of Joe Chicks, but sorting through a roster overhaul with just two players returning.

The Daily News | Aug 14, 2025


To offset state funding cuts, ºÚÁÏÉç had to reduce its operating budget for the 2026 fiscal year by about $1.8 million, leading to several staffing reductions.

The Daily News | Aug 06, 2025


Starting in the fall, ºÚÁÏÉç will offer an associate's degree in automation, integration and robotics.

The Daily News | Jul 30, 2025


ºÚÁÏÉç recently released the names of students who received top honors over the winter quarter.

The Daily News | Jul 15, 2025


The Daily News Students in Need drive has reached $61,553. The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which helps students with emergency financial needs.

The Daily News | Jul 02, 2025


Expanding Opportunity through innovation: ºÚÁÏÉç's partnership with Texas A&M and Pitsco Animation (Page 6)

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce | Jun 30, 2025


The college’s 89th commencement will take place 6:30 p.m. Friday at Schroeder Field in Kelso.

The Daily News | Jun 18, 2025


The Daily News Students in Need drive has reached $56,661. The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which helps students with emergency financial needs.

The Daily News | Jun 12, 2025


ºÚÁÏÉç's commencement will take place 6:30 p.m. June 20 at Schroeder Field in Kelso. The event will also be livestreamed.

The Daily News | Jun 04, 2025


The Daily News Students in Need drive has reached $30,486. The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which helps students with emergency financial needs.

The Daily News | May 30, 2025


The Red Devils had just one more test on their plate at Delta Park in their quest for an NWAC softball championship.

The Daily News | May 18, 2025


The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which creates grants to help students overcome financial obstacles that might otherwise force them to drop out of school.

The Daily News | May 16, 2025


Starting this fall, ºÚÁÏÉç will offer its first four-year degree, a bachelor of science in computer science.

Government Technology - The Daily News | May 15, 2025


Although ºÚÁÏÉç Head Start was not directly affected by the federal funding freeze earlier this year, the loss of regional staff and confusing orders from the Trump administration have left the program in an uncertain spot.

The Daily News | May 15, 2025


Lower Columbia Softball capped its record regular season on Friday with a pair of 7-1 wins over Centralia. The second game win pushed the Devils season record to 43-0, matching the 2006 team's previously best ever 43 wins in a season.

ºÚÁÏÉç Athletics | May 15, 2025


With two 7-1 wins over Centralia on Friday, the Red Devils’ softball team finished the regular season undefeated for the first time in program history.

The Daily News | May 14, 2025


Starting this fall, ºÚÁÏÉç will offer its first four-year degree, a bachelor of science in computer science.

The Daily News | May 12, 2025


ºÚÁÏÉç will hold a ground breaking ceremony on its new Center for Vocational and Transitional Studies 12:30 p.m. May 30.

The Daily News | May 12, 2025


The Daily News Students in Need drive has reached $22,701. The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which creates grants to help students overcome financial obstacles that might otherwise force them to drop out of school.

The Daily News | May 07, 2025


ºÚÁÏÉç plans to break ground in November on its planned 46,669-square-foot vocational center thanks to funds OK'd in the state's capital budget.

The Daily News | Apr 30, 2025


Stephen Hammergren was a senior at Mark Morris when he witnessed Lower Columbia baseball win the NWAC championship in 2023.

The Daily News | Apr 26, 2025


The drive raises money for the ºÚÁÏÉç Student Success Fund, which creates grants to help students overcome financial obstacles that might otherwise force them to drop out of school.

The Daily News | Apr 25, 2025



News and Media Contact:

 Wendy Hall, Vice President, Effectiveness & College Relations, ºÚÁÏÉç

  (360) 442-2491
  whall@lowercolumbia.edu