10 underreported stories

We think we cover a lot of local stories here at The Herald-Dispatch, but there are many that we have not written much about. I could probably do a long post on each of these, but let's not. I won't be here next week -- I need to spend some more money at hardware stores; and if I have hardwood flooring installed in my living room, I have to decide if it will be light or dark -- so let's not start anything long-term yet.

Here are my nominations for 10 most underreported stories in the Tri-State. Some may have more of a regional or even national angle, but they affect us all.

Notice I have only six. I need your help to come up with the other four. No one likes Top 6 lists or Top 29 lists, so it has to be 10.

In no particular order except in which I thought of them:

1. Decline in the traditional, mainline churches and rise of nondenominational megachurches. A city of 50,000 people cannot support as many houses of worship as a city of 86,000. And when many of those 50,000 are flocking to the newer churches that offer a sense of community, the older churches are hurting for members and the financial means to keep themselves going.

2. The changing nature of public schools. What we see in schools today is not what we saw 30 or 20 years ago. This trend has been accelerated by No Child Left Behind (or more accurately, the forces that led to it) and, in part, by USA Today and ESPN.

3. When it comes to retirement, you're on your own. Unless you work for government. We're moving toward John Edwards' two Americas, all right, but this time in employee benefits. Sooner or later, people who work in the private sector will rebel at the pay and benefits that people in the public sector receive. People who work in the public sector are unable to see this coming. When they do see it, they will take it personally.

4. We're killing ourselves, but too many of us simply don't know any better. How many of us here in Appalachia have the knowledge to plan and cook a balanced diet, to exercise regularly and to maintain good hygiene? If we knew how to do all that, do we have the time and space to do it?

5. (This one will hurt some people's pride) The Tri-State isn't as important as it used to be. Corporate headquarters of major companies (Ashland Inc., Ashland Coal) are gone. Most of the major banks (Key Centurion, One Valley) have been taken over by out-of-state interests. We have little here that other places don't have. And little that we're doing is making a difference.

6. A person coming out of high school, trade school, community college or college needs a different knowledge base than one coming out 30 years ago. By the time my kids are 18, they had better be familiar with 401(k) plans and portable health insurance.

As noted above, I'm taking nominations for the remaining four.