What the Abilene Reporter-News liked and disliked: Celebrating our Judy

LIKES

1. Short break. With the wind coming from the north for a few days, Abilene was able to snap its 17-day streak of 100 degrees or more. The low Monday was a refreshing 65 degrees. However, it hit 101 Thursday, ending the month with our 35th triple-digit day.

2. Nothing like a little rain. With our three-day break from the 100s was some rain, mostly in west Abilene or in the Abilene area. Some gauges caught more than a half-inch. In those areas, some green in the grass was seen the next day. Joe Canon remarked Tuesday that Abilene would look a lot better with some rain, and he's right.

3. Speaking of Joe ... Nice turnout for the naming of Texas Tech's School of Population and Public Health in Abilene for the late Judy Matthews. Her interest in Abilene helped revitalize the downtown area in the 1980s and 1990s, an effort that others today have championed. But her last wish was to land a Tech campus here, and that came true.

4. Ride 'em, cowgirl. Congrats to Angela Ganter for her induction into the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame. Ganter and her daughter, Jackie, are two barrel racers to beat in competition.

5. Let's not forget. A lawn display in the 1500 block of Grape Street in north Abilene honors those who lost their lives at Uvalde's Robb Elementary School. It's just there to remind people of the tragedy in our state. The presentation, while sad, shows our empathy.

6. Rangers hanging in there. The Texas Rangers have had trouble hitting the .500 mark but they have won 36 games this season. Last year, the Rangers won 60 games the entire season. Texas stands second to Houston, which has been playing well recently. The two teams meet again Aug. 9-11 in Houston.

7. Gas price drops. The price at most pumps has fallen recently, now down to $3.99 at some places. That still is way high but the price is moving in the right direction for consumers.

DISLIKES

1. Family feud. McMurry has sued crosstown rival Hardin-Simmons for $1 million and other relief concerning operation of the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing. Some consider the situation comical, while others are embarrassed by the disagreement going public. After decades of our universities working together, this is an unexpected setback.

HMMMM

1. Amarillo, Abilene ... It's hard, we know. Both are Texas cities that begin with A. Each has at least seven letters. Heck, our teams compete in sports. Country singer Rick Trevino once said "It's good to be back in Amarillo!" from the stage here. On Tuesday, Texas Tech's Lorie Rice-Spearman mentioned what's ahead for Amarillo while talking about Abilene. Understandable. Tech has a veterinary school there. Just don't mix us up with Abilene, Kansas. We're still the prettiest town you've ever seen. When it rains.

2. Show us your buns. We had reports during the week that packs of hot dog buns were missing from grocery store shelves. On the eve of the Fourth of July! Maybe Abilene's Sophia DeVita ate them all, preparing for another go of it at the Nathan's national contest. And we still are wondering why buns are sold eight to a bag, while wieners come 10 to a packet. Blame the bun lobby.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: What the Abilene Reporter-News liked, disliked: Celebrating our Judy