Something Fishy

“I love fishing.”

Andrew Bolton, Member of the Bulldog Anglers

There’s something fishy about Belgreen High School in Russellville, Alabama (population 8,973). It’s not like other schools in the state. For one thing—and this is a big thing in Alabama—it doesn’t have a football team. Never has. It’s only one of a handful of schools in the state that doesn’t. Kids at Belgreen got tired of being singled out for what they don’t have and decided to create something no other school in their county does have: a bass fishing team. Fishing is second nature to many of the students at Belgreen—the area is sprinkled with lakes and crawling with fisherman—so after a bit of planning, the Bulldog Anglers were born. The team has fourteen students and eight coaches. Eight coaches? Sounds like the kids aren’t the only ones who are hooked on the idea of fishing.
Read the Article ® Belgreen has county’s first fishing team

Another Fish Story . . .
Four students at Dayville High School in Dayville, Oregon (population 111) are up to their eyeballs in fish. As part of an FFA project, they’ve been raising fish from eggs to fingerlings. So far the kids have had raised 25,000 fish, with a phenomenal survival rate of 98.7 percent. In the wild, only about 10 percent survive. The fish will be used to stock local ponds and lakes, and one of the students is going to try to sell his share directly to the fish counter at the local market. Besides the money the kids can earn from selling their fish, two have applied for college scholarships through the American Fisheries Society. This is one bunch of students who won’t need to fish around for career ideas.
Read the Article ® Something’s definitely FISHY in Dayville

Count Me In

“Every person is important.”

Marty Scrogham, Former Mayor of Indianola, Illinois

Small town shows surge in census

The results of the 2010 Census are in. Small towns watch these numbers closely because it takes only a few residents to bump their numbers up or down. And because part of each town’s funding is derived from Census numbers, that bump can be a budget boom or bust. Here’s a quick accounting of a few small towns in the news: 

·        According to the Census, Indianola, Illinois saw a 33.33 percent jump in population: from 207 in 2000 to 276 today. The count is accurate, says Village President Donnie Turner, but statistic is wrong: there aren’t any new residents at all. It’s just that when the Census was done in 2000, a whole lot of people were missed. After suffering the budget effects of the miscount at that time, a dedicated group of community volunteers made sure it didn’t happen again.

Read the Article ® Small town shows surge in census

·        Culloden, Georgia saw its population drop: from 223 in 2000 to 175 today. But town leaders have a plan to get those numbers back up—simply push out the boundaries of the town. It would add 50-75 people and a much needed boost to the budget. The plan is in the preliminary stage—finding out if the neighboring landowners want to become Cullodenians. Cullodeners?

Read the Article ® Tiny Culloden seeks to quadruple city’s size

·        Clayton, Alabama locked in a big population jump: from 1,475 in 2000 to 3,008 today. And it’s all thanks to one neighbor. In 2009, the town redrew its boundaries to include the nearby Ventress Correctional Facility and its 1,600 inmates. Not only do the numbers look good on paper, but the move adds up to cold, hard cash. Clayton sits in a part of Alabama where revenue from an oil lease is divvied up among towns based on population. Pretty slick.

Read the Article ® Census: Clayton's population more than doubles

·        Connell, Washington is home to the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, but unlike Clayton, Alabama, it’s doing its darndest not to include the inmates in its Census count. Connell, with its 2,700 residents, and Coyote Ridge, with its 2,371 inmates, tally up to 5,071 people. This is a problem. In the state of Washington, towns over 5,000 are no longer considered small and must compete with big cities, like Seattle, for state grants. The legislature has stepped in to help and with the governor’s approval, Connell will get to keep its small town title.

Read the Article ® Legislature OKs bill that helps Connell avoid big-city status

·        Little Plato, Missouri (population 109) has a big title. After the latest Census figures, it has been proclaimed the official center of the United States population (total: 308,745,538). Census officials say the U.S. population has been steadily moving southwest, but this has been the most extreme shift to the south: 23.4 miles to be exact. Plato will receive a plaque to display proudly, at least until the next Census in 2020.

Read the Article ® Small Missouri town becomes new center of U.S. population

Shop ’Til You Drop

“If they shop and come buy, I’d be glad to give them money.”

Jim Gates, Harper County Commissioner

Harper County official pays local shoppers

Putting His Money Where the Shoppers Are

If you’re needing groceries in Harper County, Kansas (population about 6,000), you’re in luck. They’ll pay you to shop. Jim Gates, a county commissioner, decided the county needed his commissioner’s $16,000 salary more than he did, so he’s giving it away—to shoppers. To give the local economy a boost, Gates is giving shoppers $25 for every $200 they spend at one of the four grocery stores in Harper County, and $50 for every $300. Gates says he’s doing this because he saw firsthand how devastating it can be to a community when hometowners take their shopping dollars down the road. In St. John, Kansas in the 1960s he saw the population drop from 1,832 to 1,673 as large chain stores opened in nearby towns. St. John’s population never recovered and today is 1,174. Gates says if the idea takes off he’ll expand to local restaurants and businesses. So if you find yourself near Harper County, stop and shop. Gates says he’s happy to offer the same deal to outsiders.

Read the Article ® Harper County official pays local shoppers

Lost and Found a Bargain

Now if you’re a bargain hunter, Scottsboro, Alabama (population 14,899) is the place to be. That’s where all the luggage that’s lost on airplanes and never gets reclaimed goes to find a new home. The company, Unclaimed Baggage, purchases the suitcases in bulk sight unseen. Inside the luggage employees have found everything from designer clothes to scuba gear and diamond rings to iPads. And it’s all for sale. Unclaimed Baggage draws more than a million shoppers a year from around the country. Might be worth a trip down there, but make sure you keep close tabs on your luggage.

Read the article ® The land of lost luggage