| The Story | A huge apartment complex under
construction across from the high school in Decatur, estimated to be
worth $6.3 million once completed, becomes dormant as subcontractors
walk off the job. |
| News worthiness (on a scale of 0 to 5) | *** |
| The Spin | City officials consider
designating the area a "police free zone." "Hey, that area is gonna be
one huge eye sore. If we can limit all the big crimes; you know, drug
use, family violence, and a couple of murders, to just that area then
the rest of Decatur would be a better place to live," said one
ficticious Decatur leader. |
| The Story | Of the 742 voters who cast early
ballots (yep, only 742), only eight ask for paper ballots while the
remainder used the county's new electronic voting system. |
| News worthiness | ** |
| The Spin | Unfortunately, of those 742,
all but ten walked away saying, "I don't know how to work the dang
thing." |
| The Spin | The City of Decatur has taken
over restaurant health inspections of restaurants and the Messenger vows to publish the
results of those inspections under the Open Records Act. |
| News worthiness | ** |
| The Spin | We beg of you, don't do it!
We like eating out in Decatur. You'll ruin it for us! |
| The Spin | County Commissioners vote to
display the Confederate Flag in the courthouse. "After the meeting,
[County Judge Dick] Chase said the county did not need the negative
publicity that could come with flying the Confederate flag over the
courthouse." |
| News worthiness | **** |
| The Spin | He was dead on right about
that, as the Star Telegram
called the county on the carpet two days later for even displaying the
flag within the courthouse. Can we please stop this
back-woods-redneck attitude? |
| The Spin | Kevin Riedle is arrested at 4:30
in the morning at his home in Runaway Bay on allegations that he
downloaded "kiddie porn" over something called "the Internet". |
| News worthiness | *** |
| The Spin | His initial response to
deputies as they showed up at the front door was "Could you wait a
second, the chat room is really heating up," according to one
ficticious police report. |