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 06/29/02:

The Story	The Decatur City Council will give its citizens the opportunity to donate $1 per month extra on their water bill. The donation will be split between the Decatur parks and the Main Street Christmas lights program.
News worthiness (on a scale of 0 to 5)	*
The Spin	Following suit, the IRS will revise its tax forms to allow for donations in order to better fund highways, the military, and national parks.

The Story	Three aggressive bee attacks in Wise County raise fears of the possible infestation of the legendary "Africanized killer bees".
News worthiness	*
The Spin	Most of the bees, considering that the threat has dated back to the 1970s, had thought to have retired in Florida by now.

The Story	A head on collision on 380 on Wednesday left one man in serious condition and the other in critical condition having had one leg amputated. A photo of the wreck carried this uncharacteristically odd caption in the Messenger: "Bumping Heads". (Sunday edition, page 5A.)
News worthiness	**
The Spin	*And to think The Spin* gets called insensitive.**

The Story	Residents of Crown Point development in Rhome object to the use of "hardiplank panels" for new construction. Rhome building codes require 80% of the first floor construction to be masonry. Hardiplank panels "look like siding but are made of concrete composite". "I don't want a less expensive home in my neighborhood; it will de-value my home," said resident Pam Peterson.
News worthiness	*
The Spin	If the statement were true, wouldn't that make her home the least expensive one in the neighborhood thereby de-valuing the other more expensive homes of her neighbors?

The Story	A Union Pacific train hit Rae Ann Morelan of Runaway Bay as she "was walking southbound along the tracks."
News worthiness	**
The Spin	Some general rules: Don't walk on highway 114, highway 380, or on a railroad track. ("These helpful hints are brought to you by Channel 8's 'Family First'")

**Special Highly Technical Research Project to be Conducted Throughout 2002:**
	New This Week	Year To Date
Number of new births announced in the Wise County Messenger	9	255
Number of new births announced by parents with different surnames (or no father identified):	5 (56%)	86 (34%)

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

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