Thank you for your interest in reading The Astorian. Here are a few stories that you might have missed this week:

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While details remain elusive, Columbia Memorial Hospital is preparing for a significant expansion of the Exchange Street campus in Astoria.

The city will turn to a contract planner — Winterbrook Planning, of Portland — to help guide the project through the review process. The hospital will reimburse the city for the cost.

“CMH has begun the planning stages for an expansion,” Erik Thorsen, the hospital’s CEO, said in a statement. “As we move forward, it is essential to have the assistance of the city planning department. With this new agreement, the hospital will reimburse the city for the cost of a planner dedicated solely to the project.”

Read the report by Ethan Myers by clicking here.

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Astoria’s decision to designate a pit bull a level five dangerous animal after the dog killed a cat in June was upheld in court, paving the way for euthanasia.

But the city changed course and agreed to reduce the designation to level four — sparing the dog.

Layla was returned to her owner, James Mayer, who lives in Multnomah County. The decision came with conditions, including a prohibition on Layla entering or residing in Astoria except while being transported in a secure vehicle while passing through the city.

Mayer thinks public support for Layla made a difference. More than 30,000 people backed an online petition.

“The outpouring of support from people who were sympathetic to Layla’s story is amazing and we are so grateful to the police, the city manager and the City Council for being willing to change their stance,” he said. “We’re very grateful.”

See the story by Ethan Myers by clicking here.

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A year after the Flavel House Garden Society took on the task of improving the grounds of the historic mansion on Exchange Street, the improvements are noticeable.

Volunteers meet on Wednesdays at the Flavel House Museum to do the work. 

“We’ve done a lot of pruning, we’ve mulched, we’ve composted,” said Pam Holen, who founded the group. “The azaleas, the roses and the ferns are coming back. We’re just so pleased with how things are doing.”

Take a look at Lissa Brewer’s report by clicking here.

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