A neighborhood in south Glendale is infested with pocket gophers. Uncoordinated trapping efforts are only getting neighbors so far. A neighborhood in south Glendale is infested with pocket gophers.

No matter the look, the gopher mascot has served the university well, evoking school pride and spirit, stated a 2013 proclamation issued by then-Gov. Mark Dayton.

The Tacoma pocket gopher, discovered in 1853, ranged from Point Defiance in Tacoma south to Steilacoom and east to Puyallup. “It’s a tragedy that the Tacoma pocket gopher went extinct waiting for ...