After more than 100 years of having no Fourth of July celebration in Sunnyside — the Sunnyside Lions in 1995 decided to hold a celebration in the park — just a few games and a couple of eating contests and sack races. Plus, a few speakers, from patriotic to military hometown heroes.

The City of Sunnyside faces tight budget constraints and the allocation of funds to the Parks and Recreation Department is almost non-existent — revenue sources which would result in programs for local youth can no longer be ignored and need to be established.

Sunnyside residents have an opportunity to state their objections about any council member taking part in a public hearing and should not be intimidated by anyone on the dais, or in the audience, when exercising their right.

There was not an empty seat inside the Law and Justice Center’s Municipal Court, which is also used for the City Council chambers, as concerned residents took part in the special meeting regarding the proposed Marijuana Control Ordinance on June 6.

Health insurers have proposed an average rate increase of less than 1 percent for the individual market after three years of double-digit rate increases in premiums – Good news for Washingtonians, at least for now.

Our rural transportation system is in need of repairs and modernization to support economic growth throughout the Lower Yakima Valley, which is a critical source of agriculture for national and global markets.

Memorial Day lands on Monday, May 27, and the federal day of remembrance is to proudly honor our military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country — it’s our duty as Americans to instill an obligation of country over self and that begins with the placing of U.S. flags at local veterans’ graves with residents of all ages taking part.

The Sunnyside Police Department and School District have had a long-standing partnership in strengthening a safe and learning environment for students — School Resource Officers (SROs) are an integral part of that valuable bond which must be protected at all costs — council members are presently weighing the price and benefits associated with that relationship as they decide to drastically limit or cut the campus program.

The Trump administration recently asked Congress for an additional $4.5 billion in emergency funds for the U.S.-Mexico border — Department of Homeland Security officials said they would likely run out of money without the extra funds, a humanitarian crisis that scales beyond the height of any wall has now been created for Americans and their families to shoulder.

Monday night’s City Council meeting featured the receipt of the Planning Commission’s recommendations and code amendments related to the retail sales of marijuana within the city limits — after a series of public meeting continuations and a public hearing about the issue, which did not generate much community discussion or concern, is alarming.

President Trump confirmed last Friday afternoon, in a series of tweets, the White House was considering a plan to transport detained and illegal immigrants to “sanctuary cities” and release them as a way to pressure Democrats in dealing with reforming immigration laws.

According to Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, Washington’s tax structure ranks worst in the nation in tax fairness with lower income individuals paying nearly 18 percent of their income in taxes, while wealthy Washingtonians pay three percent.

Bump stocks — like the attachment used by the killer involved in the 2017 Las Vegas, Nev. massacre to make his weapons fire rapidly like machine guns — are now illegal as of Tuesday, March 26.

Native American women throughout the state do not solely reside on the reservation or rural regions — they also live in urban areas and are victims of homicide at levels many times the national average.

From the invasion of the Persian Gulf to the war in Afghanistan, the landscape of conflict and service-related, healthcare conditions which confront our veterans have evolved as well — the largest integrated healthcare provider in the nation, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been embroiled in scandal since 2015 and has provided insufficient reform in holding those responsible or to rectify the department’s wide-spread mismanagement.

Last November, Washington State voters passed Initiative 1639 into law that approved stricter gun control measures on handguns and semiautomatic rifles.

Federal employees working without pay have recently been admonished.

The Sunnyside Sun is a community-first and independently owned newspaper, focused on making a positive difference for residents in the Lower Valley. We are your hometown news source and are committed to cultivating an innate relationship that an audience can count on to call their own.

The 2019 General Election votes from this first Tuesday in November will be counted and results made official on Wednesday.

We take the long weekend off, sort of, wishing you a happy holiday this Labor Day weekend.

The Washington Transportation Improvement Board is making an offer that municipalities across the state can’t refuse.

A couple of people who spoke at last week’s land use hearings in Granger said it was their first time doing something like that.

Washington State Senate candidate Bengie Aguilar reported to Sunnyside Police that someone is removing political signs.

If you’ve been following the news, you know that today a predicted 300 newspapers across this country will write editorials claiming there is no fake news (blame Trump) and that journalists don’t operate as an organized group.

The staff of the Daily Sun News enjoys being your community newspaper. Dedicated staff members are watchful for story and photo opportunities to promote the bounty of the Lower Valley, especially its people. Our neighbors.

If you are concerned about safe water for human consumption, there will be a public meeting tomorrow afternoon that may be of interest to you.

Before we know it, the children will be back in school.

The Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo are only a couple of days away, and we urge you to attend.

If, indeed, residents of Granger show up at Tuesday’s land use hearings to try and blunt the Yakima Housing Authority, more power to them.

The community of Sunnyside needs more trees, for shade and for oxygen. Both would help with comfort during heat waves like the one the Valley has been experiencing.

When Ryan Stonemetz of Zillah acquired the old Granger Sheep Sheds and announced he would build the Spartan Sports Complex, it must have sounded like a crazy idea to some.

The English language is a powerful tool to express our ideals and intentions through our constitutions although sometimes the words are no longer appropriate and there needs to be a change.

Most Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, but many don’t really know why. Ask any kid, and almost any adult, and the answer will be, “It’s the Fourth of July.”

It’s not uncommon to hear people say: “There’s nothing to do in this town.”

The dismissal of a little-known case in Grays Harbor County this week sends a clear message protecting the right of residents to work without being forced to join a union.

Taxpayers statewide will be on the hook financially for millions of dollars in lawsuits, at least until state officials start taking religious freedoms as seriously as they do rights for alternative lifestyles.

We hope the Supreme Court will see through the challengers’ money-grubbing ruse and give a thumbs up to charter schools.

As long as our constitutional rights are upheld, and suspects are given their due process, we don’t see any issue with authorities being able to hack an iPhone after obtaining a search warrant — they already have that ability for Android systems and personal computers.

The Full Contact Activism Tour will teach the basics of activism when it comes to the Yakima Valley on Thursday, May 17

Why force Boy Scouts to change if girls are going to be segregated? What’s the difference if girls remain in Girl Scouts?

When it comes to discussing the future of Columbia and Snake river dams, you don’t need numbers. You just need common sense. Increased spill rates, and breaching or destruction of dams is idiotic. That’s simply throwing away the investment that was made and all of the benefits that came from it.

Social media users need to make a choice — continue to have their information analyzed, catalogued and sold, or quit social media and socialize in person.

On Saturday, two special interest groups hope to draw thousands of students out to rally in favor of more stringent gun control laws.

Two Lower Yakima Valley leaders have thrown their name into the hat to be the next member of the Yakima County Commission.

With this year's open government successes in the Legislature, Sunshine Week means even more to Washingtonians

Senate Bill 6617 smacks of being a backroom deal between political parties anxious to cover up unlawful or immoral shenanigans by individuals in the House and Senate. We are asking Gov. Inslee to veto the measure and to take a stand for government transparency and support the public’s right to know what lawmakers are doing.