New traditions will abound next month at a fundraiser for a local institution. | Full Story

II was listening to a podcast of "This American Life," a weekly public radio show produced in Chicago. | Full Story

As the pastor of First Baptist Church of Los Banos and his wife sat eating lobster tail in Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod, Mass., they were happy they didn't choose the purse. | Full Story

Dorothea Lange and husband Paul Taylor chronicled Dust Bowl migrants in California more the 70 years ago. | Full Story

One of Los Banos' own will ship off to southern Afghanistan's Helmand province at the end of this month. | Full Story

School for the new term has begun. My granddaughter Jessica starting her first day of Junior High (egads!) is but one of thousands whose summer has ended and who is beginning a new chapter. Apprehension, anxiety, excitement, curiosity, laughter, sometimes fear (especially when it is about algebra or is that just me?), all these emotions come into play. To all the students out there, grab this experience with gusto. To all the parents, a collective, sigh. | Full Story

STEVINSON -- The 11th annual Heartland Festival was held Saturday at the Double T Ranch in Stevinson. | Full Story

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Wednesday pumped $46.6 million into a plan to boost high-speed Internet access throughout the Central Valley. | Full Story

The second of two movie nights in Los Banos this summer will be held next week at Henry Miller Plaza, at the intersection of H and Sixth streets. | Full Story

DOS PALOS -- O'Banion Park last week was home to a small town party. Attendees enjoyed several nights of food and fun at the 42nd annual Dos Palos Cotton Festival, which began Aug. 6. | Full Story

Dozens of people could be seen strolling up and down Sixth Street, wine glasses in hand, last Friday evening. | Full Story

There is something so special about friendships, and how they can interweave over our lifetime. With Ron's illness, at times it seems the past is present as friends from other years have stepped forward and reminded us of their worth. It is so easy in our busy schedules to let time fly by and not keep well connected. Some we thought were very good friends having all but disappeared, I guess a natural ebb and flow. | Full Story

The junior high held its orientation Wednesday and Thursday for its 1,430 students. | Full Story

Lily Guerrero, 10, attended a party on July 24 -- The Habitat for Humanity painting party. | Full Story

A bit of ice cream, a little root beer, a lot of competitive teamwork and many generous Save Mart customers combined Saturday to help continue a dream started in 1949. | Full Story