Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'town'

Is Out Of Town News On Its Way Out...

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

A Harvard Square landmark may soon fall victim to the decline of the newspaper business. For more than 50 years, Out of Town News in Cambridge, Mass., has offered newspapers from all over the world.

Anti-Smoking Ad Ignites Debate In Iowa

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

A billboard ad sponsored by an anti-smoking group compares daily deaths from tobacco-related illnesses to the populations of small Iowa towns, including Lake View. Lake View Mayor John Westergaard weighs in on the ads.

Cory Chisel: Life In A Northern Town

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:31:00 EST

Appleton, Wis., provides a lot of material for Cory Chisel: It's the childhood home of Harry Houdini, and it's surrounded by small towns, bigger lakes, paper mills and vast stretches of rural landscape. The singer-songwriter plays music inspired by the seemingly normal town, and talks about a music scene that takes a lot of pride in itself.

'Twilight' Fans Destination: Forks, Wash.

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The teen vampire movie "Twilight" opens in theaters on Friday. The movie follows the best-selling series of romance-thriller novels, set in the small and rainy hamlet of Forks on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Despite its remoteness, the town has become a pilgrimage destination for readers from around the world.

Wall Street Woes Felt In Small N.Y. Town

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

The loss of tax revenue from Wall Street is triggering a wave of government cuts in New York state. In Malone, N.Y., those government jobs and services fuel the local economy.

Like U.S. Firms, French Automaker Stalls

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:33:00 EST

The slowing economy is hitting Renault and other European automakers, forcing them to slash production. In the French car racing town of Le Mans, the temporary shutdown at the Renault factory has many worried about the future.

Digging Out Of A Real Estate Hole In Charlotte

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Charlotte, North Carolina is the nation's number two banking town. It's also consistently known for home value appreciation. But not all Charlotte residents benefit. Former bank executive Bellverie Ross just got herself out of foreclosure and now she's helping others undertake do-it-yourself rescues. Simone Orendain from member station WFAE in Charlotte, reports.

Miami Book Fair Celebrates 25 Years

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

The Miami International Book Fair is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Co-founder Mitchell Kaplan owns the Miami bookstore Books and Books and is past president of the American Booksellers Association. He tells Ari Shapiro that he helped start the fair to combat the idea that Miami wasn't a literary town.

Same-Sex Connecticut Couples Begin Tying Knot

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:10:00 EST

Across Connecticut, town clerks began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Wednesday — just a week after voters in California passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage there. Connecticut and Massachusetts are the only states that allow same-sex marriages.

Mass. Town Spars Over Rocky Marciano Statue

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

In Brockton, Mass., size does matter. Host Jacki Lyden talks us through the controversy surrounding the size of a proposed Rocky Marciano statue to commemorate the hometown prize fighter.

A New Boom... Mining Town Doesn't Its Hold Breath

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:26:00 EST

Jeffrey, Wyo., is a modern-day ghost town. Once home to a booming uranium mining industry, the town crumbled after uranium prices plummeted in the 1980s. Its 50 remaining residents react to the possibility of a new uranium boom.

Municipalities Squeezed In Bond Market

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:29:00 EST

When the normally quiet bond market went haywire, cities and towns across America found themselves stuck with rising payments and projects in jeopardy. But, why?

For The Unemployed In Dayton, Help In One Stop

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:52:00 EST

At the Job Center in Dayton, Ohio, the largest center of its kind in the country, the out-of-work ponder their next possibilities. With the GM plant in town laying off workers and soon closing for good, many residents face a rough transition into a new career after decades on the job.

In Kenya, Obama Win Sparks Celebration

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

In the western Kenyan town of Kisumu, there have been all-night parties to watch the results of the U.S. election. The town is the provincial capital of the region that is home to Barack Obama's Kenyan relatives.

Obama Wins Dixville Notch, Hart's Location, N.H.

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Voting polls weren't even open when Dixville Notch and Hart's Location announced their results. For 60 years, the two small villages in New Hampshire have been observing a tradition of having the first Election Day ballots. In Dixville Notch, Obama defeated John McCain by a count of 15 to 6. Hart's Location reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in candidate Ron Paul. Independent Ralph Nader was on both towns' ballots but got no votes.

Obama, Japan, Suggests A Presidential Visit

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

If Barack Obama wins the White House, he already has an invitation for a foreign tour. Residents of a town in Japan have been wearing "I Love Obama" T-shirts. It's not known if the Democrat would actually visit the town of Obama, Japan. As far is a we know, there's no McCain, Japan. But it's a fair guess that the Republican is getting votes from customers of the McCain Mall. It's in North Little Rock, Arkansas, a state that McCain is favored to win.

Refugees In Congo Desperately Need Aid

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:29:00 EST

Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. U.N. peacekeepers are protecting an aid convoy that's heading to a town in the rebel-held zone of east Congo. The town was captured last week by rebels loyal to renegade Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda, who is participating in the fragile cease-fire.

Lack Of Players Fails To Slow Football In One Town

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:08:00 EST

High school football is a rite of passage for many young athletes. But what does a school do if there aren't enough players to field a team? At Meeteetse High School in rural Wyoming, the answer was to cut by nearly half the traditional 11-member squad.

McCain Courts Small Towns

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:23:00 EDT

His two-day bus tour through Ohio was a red, white and blue salute to small-town America. But a big-city mayor also pitched in.

Palin Supporters Rally In Limbaugh's Hometown

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:48:00 EDT

Sarah Palin came to Cape Girardeau, Mo., a conservative town in a swing state, to energize the conservative base. Polls show the presidential race to be neck and neck in Missouri.

Halloween Returns To Oil City, Pa.

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

This year, Oil City, Pa., will allow nighttime trick-or-treating for the first time in 16 years. The town banned the practice in 1992 after an 11-year-old was abducted and killed just days before Halloween. Trick-or-treating is now allowed again after 10-year-old Elizabeth Roess (race) collected petitions and presented her case to the City Council. She and her mother, Lisa Roess, talks about their efforts.

Taking Baby Steps In Stilettos

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:04:00 EDT

Women are stalking around town in stiletto heels this season — and it's not easy. But in cities like LA and New York, there are classes to teach ladies how to walk in very high heels without hurting themselves.

Darren Smith: 'Dogtown Mines'

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:19:00 EDT

Though he now lives in Seattle, folk musician Darren Smith grew up across Washington's eastern border in the small college town of Moscow, ID. With a secluded population of only 22,000, Moscow bills itself as the "Heart of the Arts." It might sound like an unlikely title, but Moscow, ID is also the home of singer-songwriter Josh Ritter. "Maybe it's the cold winters and isolation that brings out the artistic drive in people," Smith says.

Updike's 'Witches' Return To Eastwick As 'Widows'

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EDT

John Updike's once unstoppable magic sisters return to their former haunts in the sequel to his 1984 novel The Witches of Eastwick. Thirty years have passed, and The Widows of Eastwick are back in their seaside Rhode Island town coming to terms with their declining power and sexuality.

Joplin May Be Reddest Corner In Missouri

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:22:00 EDT

In the last two presidential elections, Missouri has voted Republican. In the southwest corner of the state, there's a town near the Oklahoma-Kansas border that's been mostly Republican since Democrat Woodrow Wilson was president. The town's barber says he was surprised to hear people speaking favorably about the Democratic ticket.