Hats off to the Monroe Journal

Truthfully, during the 12 years I lived in south Alabama I didn't read the Monroe Journal very often. That is not to say that I didn't have the opportunity. As a military recruiter during the first 4 of those 12 years, I was in Monroeville every Thursday to bring in applicants for Military Entrance Processing tests at George B. "Buster" Singleton's National Guard Armory. I say it belonged to Buster because he ruled the place with an iron hand. I enjoyed listening to Buster's observations on local history,particularly his authoritative knowledge of William Weatherford, so I didn't have too much time to read the Journal. However given that George is a contributing writer to the Monroe Journal, I suppose I had more exposure than I realized.

Even though I grew up in Tennessee and currently live in Virginia near Washington D.C., my heart adopted Alabama long ago. I keep up with what is going on in the state by reading online editions of papers such as the Montgomery Advertiser, Mobile Register, Brewton Standard, Atmore Advance, and for the last year, The Monroe Journal.

I would include the Tri-City Ledger in Flomaton/Century, but unfortunately outstanding journalist and publisher Joe Thomas does not have a web presence.

With the Monroe Journal I have been particularly impressed by the courageous stand they have taken in their reporting on the proposed Conecuh Woods Landfill. I say courageous because landfill interests have a lot of money to either buy out or stifle opposition. In some communities in America it's literally citizens against the mob.

I became interested in the Monroe Journal because of their landfill stories, but I have become hooked on their other stories as well and their objective "letters to the editor" section i.e. they are confident enough in their own skin to subject themselves to reader criticism. This paper, folks, packs as much wallop in it's once a week paper as some of the surrounding papers manage to get out in six weeks.

Hats off to a fine paper and a great tradition of unbiased reporting!