"From Ruins to Renaissance: The Architecture of Downtown Tacoma" tells the story of the city's architecture from its founding 125 years ago to today.

In a small space at the Tacoma Historical Society's Exhibit Center, the exhibit walks visitors through the early days of boom and bust, the post-war decline, the mixed effects of Urban Renewal and the more-recent investments of public and private money.

It also displays several artifacts from buildings that have been lost.

The exhibit was designed by Mary Bowlby and curated by Heather Straub. Bowlby describes Straub as a newcomer to the city "who wanted to learn more about her new home and fell in love with its history in the process."

"From Ruins to Renaissance" was developed in partnership with GeoEngineers, Inc. The Exhibit Center is at 747 Broadway and is open between noon and 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas directed today that American flags on city buildings remain at half mast through next Tuesday to honor a local soldier who died last week in Afghanistan.

He also encouraged city residents to do that same thing.

Governor Chris Gregoire directed flags on public buildings throughout the state be lower Wednesday to honor 1LT Brian Bradshaw, 24, who died June 25 in in Kheyl, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when an improved explosive devise was detonated near him.

Bradshaw grew up in Steilacoom and graduated from Bellarmine Preparatory School and Pacific Lutheran University.

Bradshaw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska. His unit deployed in stages to Afghanistan beginning in February and Bradshaw arrived in March.

Bradshaw is the first Pierce County service member to die in Afghanistan in more than a year.

Funeral services will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Lakewood. He will be buried later that afternoon at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent.

We didn't run a picture of the actual roadside sign advertising "Nearly Naked Fireworks" in the story we ran on the business today. The sign, not the scantily-clad women inside the tent, is what's got neighbors really ticked off, said one resident, Annie Starwich Claeys.

What do you think? Take a look.

Claeys posed the following question this morning: "Is this something you want in your neighborhood?"