The McKinney Fire Department (MFD) responded to seven lightning calls during the severe weather that rolled through Collin County Saturday night. That included four structure fires. A home in the 2900 block of Sunset Ridge was completely destroyed. The family and their pets were able to get out safely.

Rural areas have higher homeownership rates than urban areas: 81.1 percent compared to 59.8 percent.

The summer is officially gasping its last breath and pumping out the remainder of its 3-digit weather days. One of the striking differences between the first day of school now and the first day 60 or 65 years ago is . . . well, smell. When I was a kid, the halls and classrooms wreaked with the smell of new fabric from our homemade dresses. It overpowered the fresh coat of paint on the floors. Yes, the floors were painted. What did you expect in 1953--marble tile with mother-of-pearl inlay?

Fannin County Parkinson's Disease Support Group meets at First United Methodist Church in Bonham on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month and Fannin County Veterans Service Officer Paul Chandler will make a presentation to the Parkinson's Support Group on Thursday, August 23 at 10:00 a.m. to provide information regarding possible VA benefits that may be owed to our veterans and especially those Vietnam-Era veterans who are currently challenged by Parkinson's.

Junk Sculpture is a great way to find use for items one might otherwise throw away. Random kitchen items can become a work of art that can be displayed in the home or in the yard. Knives, forks and spoons morph into art with fun designs.

The most potent memory I have of first grade resulted from a little costume drama that was to be performed by my class as part of a PTA program at Marquez School in 1948. My role was a jack-in-the-box dressed as a teddy bear, and Mother had outdone herself in crafting my costume, which included a genuine fur mask that fit just a bit too tightly over my face. We didn’t have a dress rehearsal until a few minutes before the performance. Crouched down in my box with a lid over my head, I had no choice but to burst out way too soon and exclaim, "Help, I can’t breathe in here!"