Wise County on the Web

A tongue in cheek review of the news published this week regarding Wise County.
Normally posted every Sunday around 10:00 p.m.
(Note: To make sure you are receiving the most recent update, hold down the "Shift" key while you click on reload/refresh).
For the week ending 02/02/02:

The Story	At an "Economic Summit" in Decatur, one of the major obstacles in connection with the attraction of new business was identified as the lack of housing. "Nurses can't find a house or a place to rent that they can afford." "School officials said the housing problems exist for teachers as well."
News worthiness (on a scale of 0 to 5)	*
The Spin	Didn't the Planning and Zoning Commission in Decatur vote down a new apartment building only a couple of months ago?

The Story	In an annual report, Decatur Police reported that 150 people were arrested last year in Walmart on shoplifting charges.
News worthiness	**
The Spin	Apparently the cheapest prices in town are sometimes not cheap enough.

The Story	Four inmates from the Montague County Jail escaped last week.
News worthiness	********
The Spin	So what's the Wise County connection? One of the suspects, capital murderer convict Curtis Gambill, resided in the Wise County Jail for a few months in 2000 as a security precaution.

The Story	Otis Parker Baird, 39, of Chico was arrested for possession of stolen property. "One of the weapons recovered belonged to [Kay] Swaim, Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2."
News worthiness	**
The Spin	Gives a whole new meaning to "Texas Justice".

The Story	The Messenger runs a lengthy article on the use of Australian "sugar gliders" as pets. (They look like a cross between a rat and a squirrel). "One owner has found that her sugar glider, when looking for a warm and comfortable place to curl up, thinks her owner's bra is just the perfect place. While it might be disconcerting to those who see the sugar glider emerge, the lady sharing her bra thinks nothing of it."
News worthiness	*
The Spin	Dear Penthouse Forum: You will not believe this but I swear every word of it is true . . . .

**Special Highly Technical Research Project to be Conducted Throughout 2002:**
	New This Week	Year To Date
Total number of new births announced in the Wise County Messenger	11	56
Number of new births announced by parents with different surnames (or no father identified):	6 (55%)	19 (34%)

See something in the local papers that struck you funny? Then suggest a topic for The Spin.

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