happy labor day

I had the opportunity to disappear to small town America last week. (Hope this explains the lack of posts as of late!) Brown County has the lowest unemployment rate in Missouri and Illinois. The reporter and I went there knowing that Dot Foods, the prison and Timewell Tile were the three largest employers in town. That's about all we knew. Separately, we walked the town and got to know the small, rural community. We swapped tips, names and phone numbers at Renee's Place, one of a few restaurants in town. From my bedroom window, I could see the lights of the prison across a corn field.

I started at the Post back in July 2006. In January the paper sent me to the inauguration in D.C., but until now, that was my only overnight stay for the paper. In college I dreamt of parachuting into small communities to document their stories. I feel fortunate that I finally got this opportunity.

When I arrive in towns I've never visited, I like to find a local expert to give me the lowdown. And who knows more than the school secretary? Many thanks to Debbie Bordenkircher who pointed me in several great directions to make this story possible. Being in a neighborly community reminded me of my days in Carrington, North Dakota - a town about the same size as Mt. Sterling. It's where I grew up. The Tastee Treat reminded me of the Hiway Drive In. The golf course expansion was reminiscent of similar growth that Carrington experienced. And some of the characters from my youth were there in Mt. Sterling, operating with different names.

After a summer full of traveling, late nights and long to-do lists, it felt good to be somewhere that forced me to slow down the pace of life. For however much I love the city, places like Mt. Sterling will always feel more like home.

See the project here.