Why We and Warren Buffet Love Small Town Newspapers

It's Wednesday, Nugget day, the day that The Dahlonega Nugget hits the stands and our mailbox.  

We love The Nugget and read it cover-to-cover to catch up on police reports, read Wayne Knuckles' editorials, see what questions Dr. John (the County Commission Chairman) is answering in his column, and check to see if any Lamar Photography photos are published.

The Nugget is our home town newspaper - a photo-rich, information packed paper that keeps us informed on upcoming social events, festivals, sport scores, and so much more. The Nugget is more than just pictures and words on a page. It's a printed forum for local Lumpkin residents, politicians, school leaders and community organizers.

One of our do-not-miss sections is the Letters to Editor page and/or pages. Thee written commentaries and personal missives record the pulse of the county. (And yes, D&B has had at least one "Got to get this off my chest" letter published.)

Perhaps one of the main reason for my Nugget Love is that a small town newspaper is where I got my first job and where I became a news junkie. 

Based on investment reports, looks like I am not the only one who loves the hometown newspaper.  Seems that savvy investment guru Warren Buffet  has invested lots of millions in small town newspapers. Why, you ask? Because, according to The Street, "Local small town papers.... focus on providing the news that everyone wants like sports and other local affairs." And that's just the role that Dahlonega's Nugget does.

Liquor Referendum Makes the Ballot - At Last

Clarence Stowers casts deciding vote.

The Sunday beer and wine sales referendum will be on the ballot in November! The decision came Tuesday morning at the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners' meeting, with Commission Chairman John Raber breaking a 2 - 2 tie by voting YES to the referendum.

Commissioner Clarence Stowers, who had voted twice against the referendum, switched his vote to YES, joining Commissioner Bill Lewis on the YEAH side. Commissioners Tim Bowden and Clarence Grindle voted NO, as they had done previously when the issue was before the Board.

The pressure has been on the commissioners for months as Lumpkinites (including D&B) argued that the commissioners had denied voters the right to vote.

That public pressure seemed to be what changed Stowers' vote. When asked by The Dahlonega Nugget why he switched his vote, Stowers said he had not changed his mind on Sunday sales, but that he had changed his vote because "of the attacks," including attacks on his wife and mother. Some county employees had trouble doing their jobs because of all the calls on the Sunday sales issue, he said.

No matter what his reasons may have, Dahlonega and Beyond says, "Thank you, Mr. Stowers, for joining Mr. Lewis and Mr. Raber in giving the vote back to the people."