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A flower to the Internet's growing role in higher education.

The Star's Eric Swedlund reported Friday that the growth of online classes is giving members of our community — from regular students and working adults to rural residents — more options when it comes to earning college degrees.

College and university officials say the new technology is serving students who might otherwise be shut out of higher education. Swedlund reported that AZUN, the Arizona Universities Network, offers 59 degree programs entirely online. Pima Community College and the University of Phoenix also have many online offerings.

Education is a key factor in personal fulfillment and financial success — and improves society as a whole. Online programs that make education more accessible are worth celebrating.

A flower to the reduction in deaths along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Through Sept. 21, the Border Patrol recorded 161 deaths in the fiscal year that ends today. That's a 20 percent decline compared with the previous year, the Star's Brady McCombs reported Friday.

Several factors could have played a role in the dropoff: more border agents, the arrival of National Guard troops, TV ads in Mexico that warned against crossing, maybe even the cooler weather due to a wetter-than-usual monsoon.

Whatever the reason, we're glad to see that the desert, at least for one year, was less deadly.

A thorn to Arizona for failing to adequately help low-income families pay for child care.

The Associated Press reported in Friday's Star that Arizona ranked among the worst states for child-care assistance in a report by the National Women's Law Center, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit group

One example of the state's stinginess, the report said, was the fact that Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and Oregon base child-care payouts on costs from 2000 or earlier.

State leaders should do more to help poor youngsters gain access to early childhood education that many American families take for granted.

A flower to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tucson Sidewinders for renewing their affiliation for another two seasons, a fact being reported today by the Star's Patrick Finley.

The renewal was probably never in doubt. However, it would be strange if the Sidewinders weren't the Diamondbacks' top farm team.