Random thoughts on small-town news

[MountainLaurel]

A little ramblings on this archetypical Monday:

I was reading a friend's hometown newspaper, and it got me thinking of the usefulness of such materials and how thought they're often dismissed though they really do have stories to tell. The weekly in question is from a small, relatively rural WV county and has a circulation of about 10,000, if that.

My ponderings began about a month ago, when I remarked to my friend about the high number of murders reported in his childhood home. His reply was that most of the murders were actually related to the drug trade. Because the main employers in the county had closed (a state hospital and a manufacturing facility or two), the economic situation was pretty dire. Some outside interests saw the economic vacuum and began recruiting locals to grow marijuana in the more remote areas. Now, it's the main industry (right behind Wal-Mart). You'd never know from the national media that there was that much going on up in the hills.

Likewise, in tonight's edition, there was a LTTE from a WWII vet ashamed of the current administration, various briefs about medical clinics' and employers' closing, federal help to clean up a public water system ruined by chemicals (most likely from a local industry), friendly notes on a state program that fills the gap of the federal school lunch program during the summer months while also offering tutoring and enrichment activities. In my own hometown paper, you might have read that a local office of a international "analysis" company with shady homeland security dealings was to be expanding its services.

How often do we dismiss these sources as minor and not worthy of attention, when in fact they might -- particularly when considered in aggregate -- provide a more complete picture of the world? Stories about plant closings, disputes between neighboring school boards, child neglect charges, Christmas dinners for the hungry, or seemingly random violence might tell us (and our elected representives, via our letters and calls) more about the economic state of the United States than the federal unemployment statistics.

Anyway, consider this next time you're passing through Po-Dunk. Pick up a paper at the gas station/convenience store/snack bar/tanning bed/live bait place, and learn a little.


:think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think: :think:

[davidinalameda]

1. Lewis County or Roane County?

Pot growing is nothing new in West Virginia. If it was legal, WV would be among the top 5 producers in the world! Could you imagine what that could do for the economy?

I grew up in Tyler County and our county newspaper was a Republican rag. It was nothing more than gossip columns, recipies and press releases.

It did have good local sports though. My mother keeps threatening to send me a subscription to it.

[MountainLaurel]

2. Roane

n/t

[davidinalameda]

3. I had friends in college

from Spencer who supplemented their income with agricultural items.

[MountainLaurel]

4. Good idea

I thought of it from time to time, particularly when car repairs in the triple digits were involved, but realized I have an unfortunate tendency to kill plants and thus wouldn't be too profitable at agricultural concerns. That and I hate selling crap.

Incidentally, are you the same D. Wickham mentioned in the alumni magazine for some sort of donation or another?

[davidinalameda]

5. WVU's?

if so, yes

I'm famous!

:bounce:

[MountainLaurel]

6. Yep.

Think it was in the last issue.

[davidinalameda]

7. I'm leaving WVU my life insurance policy

It's no big deal.

I'm not a big donor by any stretch of the imagination. I like to give back when I can.

The money will be used for the library for the WV history collection. I think it's so important for this stuff to be preserved and the library doesn't always have the money to obtain these items.

This will set up a permanent fund which will suppliment the library's budget. Gods know that the state doesn't give them enough!