These cartoons are all sketchings of ideas for the final tail chaser cartoon. The dog won out.

Recently the Pottstown council went in circles about how to give out grant money after a previous donation to the Hometown Holiday Celebration stirred up a hornet's nest.

Pennsylvania stands out from the surrounding states for many reasons, some good, some bad. Most notable is the lack of a ban on cell phone use while driving. In March, the problems of distracted driving surfaced again as state Sen. Andrew Dinniman planned to introduce a bill on distracted driving in another attempt to curb chatty drivers and the accidents they can cause.

The area received more than its welcomed share of snow this past winter. And while children might of been happy with days off from school, everyone else was looking forward to spring.

Area school districts are suffering because of property tax reassessments and state requirements, and this means trouble for budgets and taxpayers. This cartoon ran in the Jan. 23 3 edition of The Mercury with the editorial "School budget gaps paint grim picture for parents, taxpayers."

Every year The Mercury's readers dig deep and give freely to Operation Holiday, which assists local families in need. In 2010, the effort raised $58,000. Click here to read the editorial on the fundraiser. This cartoon ran the day after Christmas, 2010.