JournalRecord

Just the mere mention of the “McDonald’s coffee lawsuit,” and even the most casual follower of legal news can recite the basic details:

Actors in the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on tour recently came to Oklahoma City to do plays for local schools. They arrived on the night of Jan. 6, only to find that the city schools had been closed down for Thursday and Friday because of sub-zero temperatures. Some of the private schools did not close, fortunately.

Arizona’s Medicaid program has become both a budget headache and a political football, with its costly burgeoning enrollment and the possibility that national health care legislation will add even more red ink on the deficit-plagued state’s bottom line.

‘With a new executive director and two new board members, City Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., is giving its annual fundraiser, Café City Art, a new life and a new attitude. British-born Mary Ann Prior, recently named to the director position, has brought new ideas to the staff and the artistic goals.

As the nation’s thoughts turned to eggnog and gift giving on Christmas Eve, the news hit: “Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac executive compensation significantly reduced.”

Jan. 1 is always a big deal. It’s a celebration of the new and of being grateful for, thankful for, or washing out the old. It’s a day of celebration, a day of football, a day of hangover recovery, a day of New Year’s resolutions, and a day of your strongest intentions to do more, do less, and do better.

Two Oklahoma City nonprofit organizations have scheduled fundraising events to support important causes. The Community Literacy Centers Inc. will host its event on Jan. 27 and the American Lung Association’s events will be on Feb. 1 and 2.

Several decades ago, Oklahoma passed a law mandating that all vehicles operated in the state carry liability insurance. At the time, approximately 25 to 30 percent of vehicles were not insured. After years and years of mandatory insurance, Oklahoma has not seen a significant reduction of uninsured vehicles in spite of various legislative strategies to decrease them.

Recycling is no new concept, especially to the environmentally conscious. Many cities and communities have curbside recycling programs to encourage residents to dispose of their paper, plastics, and metal responsibly. Schools and offices send thousands of tons of paper waste to recycling plants annually, reducing the need to farm trees for paper products.

Nominations for induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame are due no later than 5 p.m. March 5 at the Oklahoma Heritage Association and Gaylord-Pickens Museum, 1400 Classen Dr.