Five Wapato High School seniors will compete for the annual title of Miss Wapato on Saturday, Sept. 4.

A tradition to honor family members in education is helping students at Camas Elementary School in Wapato.

Pay it forward – the polite, catch-term came to life a few years back in Hollywood. It involves taking a gesture or kind deed you receive from someone and giving (paying it forward) it to someone else.

More than 300 people took part in the annual Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic health fair on Saturday in Toppenish. More than 20 booths offered a variety of health care services and information. The clinic also offered low cost Back to School physicals for students and updated immunizations for children. Several booths provided fun games and activities for children. Pictured: Toppenish Police officer Derek Perez explains his patrol car’s lap top system to brothers Jesus Ochoa, 5 and Angel Ochoa, 3 from Wapato.

Local students are returning to classes this week. Students in Granger and White Swan started the new school year today, while students in Toppenish and Zillah go back to school on Thursday, Aug. 26. Students in Wapato return to class on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Pictured: Zillah Middle School ASB vice president Tom Stephens places Back to School information on the school’s reader board while ASB president Diego Hernandez checks the information.

Toppenish physical therapist Dale Funk believes in the importance of staying fit – especially as people get older. So, the 53-year-old Funk is leading by example.

Five candidates are seeking the title of 2010 Miss Wapato. The annual pageant will be Saturday, Sept. 4 at Wapato High School. The winner and her court will represent the Wapato community on the community float and serve as Wapato ambassadors for the coming year. Pictured front row (left to right): Liset Vaca and Victoria Garza; Back row: Megan Lopez, Lizette Melendez and Alina Gutierrez.

Hot summer nights in the Yakima Valley can lead to crazy and amazing sights. Last week, I experienced two pretty bizarre sights.

Kids beat the summer heat on a slip-and-slide setup during Buena’s National Night Event on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

Zillah councilman Chad Crossley resigned at the start of the city council meeting on Monday, Aug. 2. Crossley – who ran unopposed for the council seat in the November 2009 – told his fellow council members he has moved outside of the city’s boundaries.