My local paper has a feature called "What's up with that?" that answers questions like "why can't you turn left on that one road?" and "what did that funny-shaped McDonald's used to be?" and stuff like that. I think every newspaper should have that kind of feature.
The paper I used to work had a column like that called "Just Ask." Readers would ask questions, and reporters would track down experts to answer them. Other reporters saw it as a chore, but I loved tracking down a good Just Ask question.
A reader would ask how many balls are used in a MLB game, and I'd call the commissioner's office. A reader would ask why the US flags are backward on Army uniforms, and I'd call the Pentagon. It was great fun.
This was pre-2008 recession, back when there was an actual staff. Of course
Much better than the local fb group
www.wvxu.org/oki our local npr station does little snippets like that, it's great
Minnesota star tribune has a feature like this called “Curious Minnesota” where questions have ranged from some what serious to “how much flour needed to turn Lake Superior into bread?”
I just noticed it recently and had the same thought! Mine was “why is mound street called mound”
I liked that one! Been here over 30 years and I never knew it.
What’s a “local newspaper”?