Welcome to Small Town News in a Nutshell. Featured here are news stories from small towns around the country.
Hi, my name is Beth Baugh. I live on the outskirts of LaMotte, Iowa (population 266) and love small town life. I’m the one who finds the stories for Small Town News in a Nutshell. I dig through hometown newspapers and online news services looking for unique stories. When I find a good one, I retell it on this site, throwing in a bit of commentary and an odd fact or two along the way.
When I started this blog, I reported only stories that told of the ways small towns are finding to survive. Towns like Greensburg, Kansas, which was nearly wiped off the map by an EF5 tornado in 2007 but has been putting itself back together again, better and greener than before. Or Baldwin, Iowa, which had a big need but small budget for a firetruck. Neighboring Preston, Iowa found out and sold Baldwin its old firetruck for a buck. I like these stories. They make me feel good. But I also come across stories that make me chuckle. Stories like the topless coffee shop in Vassalboro, Maine, or the vote to uphold a 29-year-old ban on video arcade games in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Stories that are too good to pass up. And so Small Town News in a Nutshell has evolved—presenting both stories that inspire and stories that amuse.
Thanks for checking out Small Town News in a Nutshell. I post new stories most every day, Monday through Friday. If you have a few moments, I hope you’ll join me for a quick break to see what your small town neighbors are up to. If you'd like to keep it simple, you can receive the stories in your e-mail in-box or subscribe to an RSS feed. Just check out the details on the right-hand side of this page and click on the option you prefer. Happy reading!
