I found out something rather sobering in the last couple of days. I may have a drug in my house and I didn’t even know it. Thank goodness for the Food and Drug Administration for alerting me. Heaven only knows what might have become of me and my family otherwise.

Jack and Floy Thorington, this year’s Grand Marshals of the Toppenish Fourth of July parade, like to joke that they met when they both turned out for a college play, “Abe Lincoln of Illinois,” and got acquainted during the third act.

You’ve probably heard me express concerns about what might happen to General Motors after the government takeover, which has now, unfortunately, come to pass. Regardless of whether or not what’s left of GM begins to do business again, the Proud General is dead as a car company.

TOPPENISH — Three Yakima Valley graduating high school seniors each received a $1,000 scholarship, presented at the Toppenish Aerie on June 5.

Four Toppenish elementary schools have become the first in the state to be named Gold Award Winners in the Healthier US School Challenge.

Pioneer Park was the scene of a variety of activities on Mural-In-A-Day weekend. Above entries in the First Annual Iron Angels car show gleam at the east side of the park. About 80 cars were entered. Center and lower, artists paint this year’s mural on the back side of the Toppenish Visitors Center, while on the front side, local musicians entertain visitors. This year’s MIAD was a two-day event, June 5 and 6. 

During the last presidential election cycle, I heard a lot about the effectiveness of using technology, specifically the Internet and email, to communicate with constituencies. It seems to me that anyone with any critical thinking skills would see that contention as nonsense. I say that because communication is a two-way street, and what the political class is doing with technology is about as one-way as you can get.

Ever heard of Ray LaHood? I had not until I read about his comments to the National Press Club recently. He’s the Transportation secretary in the new president’s cabinet, and he has an interesting perspective on what his department should be doing with our tax money.

Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority has apparently decided to start playing hardball with municipalities inside the Yakama Nation Reservation who have decided not to pay annual authority assessments.

What would it take to “save” the U.S. auto industry? What I really mean, of course, is saving General Motors and Chrysler Corporation, or whatever the president wants it to be called, now that it’s been acquired by Fiat. Really, I feel kind of sorry for Chrysler. First it was the Germans and now the Italians. It’s kind of hard to think of Chrysler as an American company any more.