MONROE - It's easy to become jaded in the news business. Sometimes, after yet another budget story or difficult court case or parking ramp story, it can begin to feel like deja vu all over again.
But then we get a story that touches us or inspires us. They make us laugh or cry or ponder the big picture. These are the stories we cannot wait to share with our readers.
Here's a few of those stories:
Reconnecting in Vietnam
In March, we shared the story of Orson "Junior" Robertson, a Vietnam veteran from Monroe. He shared how on a recent trip to Vietnam, he ran into a priest at a Catholic monastery. This priest immediately recognized Robertson: He was the young American soldier who had saved his life almost 47 years ago when Robertson and a company of about 45 men stormed the monastery where North Vietnamese had entered, killed one priest and put a gun to another's head.
The surviving priest thanked and hugged Robertson as soon as he saw him.
The story made our heads spin imagining the odds of such a chance meeting. We can only imagine the tremendous fellowship the two must have felt, and the sense of closure it must have brought both parties.
Fifty years later
Last spring, we brought you two in-depth looks at key events from 1965.
The first was when the Cheesemakers won the state boys basketball title. The Monroe boys were kings - flat out, the best in the state, in an era before divisions based on school size. It was great fun to interview and share the stories of the players, coaches and team, and how the community rallied behind the boys as they proved themselves to be worthy of the title.
The second was the Palm Sunday tornado. The twister flattened a good portion of Monroe's west side, but despite the damage, that event, like the boys basketball title just weeks before, also served to unify the community.
Numerous survivors we spoke with talked about how everyone turned out - neighbors helping neighbors dig out and clean up. The photos shared by the Green County Historical Society were fascinating, as were the first-hand accounts of those who lived through the terrifying event.
A writer's life
John Evangelist Walsh of Monroe died this year, leaving behind an impressive body of work. Among his accomplishments, he was the lead author on the Reader's Digest version of the Bible.
Walsh was well-known in publishing circles, standing out for his penchant for exhaustive research into subject matters that took him and his family on numerous extended adventures. He wrote passionately on subjects including the Shroud of Turin and figures such as Emily Dickson and Abraham Lincoln.
But perhaps his greatest accomplishment was that he lived his life on his own terms - he wrote what he wanted when he wanted, his son told us. He was a true inspiration for us all.
And proof once again that we, even in a small city like Monroe, are surrounded by truly amazing, talented and fascinating people, right here in our own backyard.
From tragedy to happy tale
Our hearts broke in September when we wrote about Buddy, the 18-pound bichon frise-shih tzu mix who was killed by two 90-pound pit bulls. Buddy was out for walk in his neighborhood with his owners, Donna Buehler and her daughter Abby, when the dogs came tearing out from their yard and attacked. To witness such an attack was surely any dog owner's worst nightmare.
But, as we knew would happen, the community responded. Condolences and well-wishes poured in for the Buehlers - the silver lining, perhaps, on an otherwise very dark storm cloud.
And then, a burst of sunshine: We couldn't help but fall in love when we saw Max, the Buehlers' 4-month-old Yorkshire terrier-shih tzu mix. (Seriously - how could anyone look at Max and not feel a swell of puppy love?) The Buehlers selected Max to help fill the hole in their hearts left by Buddy, taking up the Green County Nationals' offer to pay for the cost of a dog whenever the family was ready.
We're suckers for stories with happy endings, and based on their reaction, our readers are too.
Moments in Time
In keeping with the theme that everyone has an interesting story to tell, last spring we began a new series called Moments in Time. We've been speaking with a variety of local residents about their lives and recollections for the stories, which appear each Monday.
It's been great fun and the reaction from you, our readers, has been immensely gratifying. No other addition in recent memory has spurred the positive comments and reaction as Moments in Time has. The stories have struck a chord with our readers, and we're delighted the series will be continuing in 2016.
What else will 2016 bring? We wish only the best for you and yours.
But then we get a story that touches us or inspires us. They make us laugh or cry or ponder the big picture. These are the stories we cannot wait to share with our readers.
Here's a few of those stories:
Reconnecting in Vietnam
In March, we shared the story of Orson "Junior" Robertson, a Vietnam veteran from Monroe. He shared how on a recent trip to Vietnam, he ran into a priest at a Catholic monastery. This priest immediately recognized Robertson: He was the young American soldier who had saved his life almost 47 years ago when Robertson and a company of about 45 men stormed the monastery where North Vietnamese had entered, killed one priest and put a gun to another's head.
The surviving priest thanked and hugged Robertson as soon as he saw him.
The story made our heads spin imagining the odds of such a chance meeting. We can only imagine the tremendous fellowship the two must have felt, and the sense of closure it must have brought both parties.
Fifty years later
Last spring, we brought you two in-depth looks at key events from 1965.
The first was when the Cheesemakers won the state boys basketball title. The Monroe boys were kings - flat out, the best in the state, in an era before divisions based on school size. It was great fun to interview and share the stories of the players, coaches and team, and how the community rallied behind the boys as they proved themselves to be worthy of the title.
The second was the Palm Sunday tornado. The twister flattened a good portion of Monroe's west side, but despite the damage, that event, like the boys basketball title just weeks before, also served to unify the community.
Numerous survivors we spoke with talked about how everyone turned out - neighbors helping neighbors dig out and clean up. The photos shared by the Green County Historical Society were fascinating, as were the first-hand accounts of those who lived through the terrifying event.
A writer's life
John Evangelist Walsh of Monroe died this year, leaving behind an impressive body of work. Among his accomplishments, he was the lead author on the Reader's Digest version of the Bible.
Walsh was well-known in publishing circles, standing out for his penchant for exhaustive research into subject matters that took him and his family on numerous extended adventures. He wrote passionately on subjects including the Shroud of Turin and figures such as Emily Dickson and Abraham Lincoln.
But perhaps his greatest accomplishment was that he lived his life on his own terms - he wrote what he wanted when he wanted, his son told us. He was a true inspiration for us all.
And proof once again that we, even in a small city like Monroe, are surrounded by truly amazing, talented and fascinating people, right here in our own backyard.
From tragedy to happy tale
Our hearts broke in September when we wrote about Buddy, the 18-pound bichon frise-shih tzu mix who was killed by two 90-pound pit bulls. Buddy was out for walk in his neighborhood with his owners, Donna Buehler and her daughter Abby, when the dogs came tearing out from their yard and attacked. To witness such an attack was surely any dog owner's worst nightmare.
But, as we knew would happen, the community responded. Condolences and well-wishes poured in for the Buehlers - the silver lining, perhaps, on an otherwise very dark storm cloud.
And then, a burst of sunshine: We couldn't help but fall in love when we saw Max, the Buehlers' 4-month-old Yorkshire terrier-shih tzu mix. (Seriously - how could anyone look at Max and not feel a swell of puppy love?) The Buehlers selected Max to help fill the hole in their hearts left by Buddy, taking up the Green County Nationals' offer to pay for the cost of a dog whenever the family was ready.
We're suckers for stories with happy endings, and based on their reaction, our readers are too.
Moments in Time
In keeping with the theme that everyone has an interesting story to tell, last spring we began a new series called Moments in Time. We've been speaking with a variety of local residents about their lives and recollections for the stories, which appear each Monday.
It's been great fun and the reaction from you, our readers, has been immensely gratifying. No other addition in recent memory has spurred the positive comments and reaction as Moments in Time has. The stories have struck a chord with our readers, and we're delighted the series will be continuing in 2016.
What else will 2016 bring? We wish only the best for you and yours.