| The Story | Vandals strike Chico High School. |
| News worthiness (on a scale of 0 to 5) | **** |
| The Spin | "The addition of the letter 'P' in front of Principal Greg Enis's surname [on a sign] is reportedly the only obscene message left by the vandals." - Bridgeport Index, Page 1, March 22, 2001 edition. |
| The Story | One week ago, Johnny Darrell Gee died in an auto accident as he was fleeing Wise County Sheriff's deputies. |
| News worthiness | *** |
| The Spin | We are sure this is an isolated incident. |
| The Story | Four days ago, Robert Weston Davila, 20, of Bridgeport was flown to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth with serious injuries following a wreck after he had been pursued by Wise County Sheriff's deputies. |
| News worthiness | *** |
| The Spin | Er, never mind. |
| The Story | Three Decatur lawyers buy the old First National Bank building on the southeast corner of the courthouse square and the Bowery Building with the intent to renovate them. The latter, "[a]ccording to local legend, . . . once housed a speakeasy in its basement during prohibition . . . . " |
| News worthiness | ** |
| The Spin | To make the building more contemporary, they may wish to consider installing a Nazi Drug Lab. |
| The Story | The Runaway Bay City Council continues to agonize over whether to build a city pool. They recently learned it would cost $70,000 a year to maintain the pool. |
| News worthiness | * |
| The Spin | Councilman Herb Todisco said "I don't believe for a minute it costs $70,000 a year to run a pool." We don't either. |
| The Story | Jeannie Nichols writes a letter to the editor to the Messenger encouraging residents to report malfunctioning railroad crossings "when you observe the lights flashing and gates come down and no train is in the vicinity". |
| News worthiness | * |
| The Spin | It is the opposite scenario that The Spin fears. |