A (sometimes) tongue in cheek
review of the news published this week regarding Wise County.
Normally posted every Sunday
around 6:00 p.m.
For the week ending 4/14/00:
A (sometimes) tongue in cheek
review of the news published this week regarding Wise County.
Normally posted every Sunday
around 6:00 p.m.
For the week ending 4/14/00:
| The Story | The Decatur School Board will vote on geographical boundaries this week determining which students will go to Carson Elementary and which will go to Rann Elementary. |
| News worthiness (on a scale of 0 to 5) | **** |
| The Spin | Forget about the boundaries, the previous decision made with little fanfare (to have two Pre-K through fourth grade schools) will forever change the landscape of Decatur education as well as local socio-economic attitudes. Does anyone believe that five years from now the public will perceive the two schools as "equal"? Las Vegas wouldn't even put odds on a bet like that. |
| The Story | Front Page Messenger story features a local dachshund named "Rocket" who will compete in a twenty yard dog race named the "Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals" to be held at Billy Bob's honky tonk on April 19th. |
| News worthiness | * |
| The Spin | The Spin first thought that the dog must have won a few preliminary events to qualify for the "Nationals". But low and behold, the story reveals that Rocket is receiving all of this attention because "They faxed us [the owners] an entry form and we signed up for it . . . . She's never raced before." Huh? |
| The Story | A letter to the editor urges donations to local fire departments for "proper equipment and training for killer bee rescue. It's just a matter of time before they are called to rescue a person, pet or farm animal". |
| News worthiness | * |
| The Spin | The Spin is all for supporting the local fire departments, but we don't think the Killer Bee factor is going to be a big selling point. |
| The Story | Decatur Masonic Lodge #447 presented "25 year service awards" to six individuals including Sheriff Phil Ryan and Constable Dennis Hudson. |
| News worthiness | ** |
| The Spin | The Spin (1) did not realize those folks were Masons, and (2) has never understood exactly what the Masons do. |
| The Story | Former County Auditor Mikel Richardson defeats incumbent Farley Bridges for the Republican nomination for Precinct 3 County Commissioner. |
| News worthiness | **** |
| The Spin | Wow. |
| The Story | County Commissioners hear from the public regarding regulation of mobile home parks. Speaker Mike Sibila said that the 250 mobile homes in Chisholm Hills generated $219,000 in taxes this year, but that those homeowners still owe $102,000 of that amount. Taxpayers in the rest of the county, meanwhile, have paid in excess of 90 percent of their taxes. "There’s going to be a (tax) revolt,” he warned. |
| News worthiness | *** |
| The Spin | Considering taxing entities have the power of foreclosure, which they exercise quite frequently, The Spin doubts that unpaid taxes will ever be a problem. (Additionally, we wanted to note that the weekly streak of mobile home disparagement in the public forum lives on). |
| The Story | Decatur's Read's Jewelers is going out of business. (There really was no story, we just saw the full page ad). |
| News worthiness | *** |
| The Spin | Someday, perhaps not too long from now, the small business owner will be nothing more than a memory in this country. At least until we come to the realization that cheapest price is not worth the accompanying shopping chaos and non-existent service. |