Good morning, Bellingham.

Two Bellingham breweries won national awards at the Great American Beer Festival over the past weekend in Denver.

Beach Cat Brewing earned a gold medal for its Catashrophe Red Lager while Kulshan Brewing received bronze for its Cuppa Joe, available at local taprooms.

Whatcom County enjoyed a relatively smoke‑free summer compared to eastern Washington, where wildfire smoke reached record levels over the past two decades — the state ecology report showed air quality here was better from May through September as the Northwest Clean Air Agency issued three alerts.

Flood Preparedness Week runs Oct.

12-18 across Whatcom County to help residents prepare for flooding risks. County agencies will host an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Nooksack Valley Middle School from 5 to 7 p.m. with a brief presentation at 5:30.

Local high school teams played over the weekend (Sehome beat Bellingham 46-7, Mount Baker gave Nooksack its first loss, and Lynden defeated Anacortes) in competitive prep games that energized the local sporting scene.