| By Bob Weaver
The Hur Herald, until May 31, 2016, had a history of reporting daily news, using sources, for nearly 20 years. The Herald covered most everything.
The Herald reported the nuts and bolts that are generally reported in every rural community, obituaries, magistrate reports, court cases, arrests, property crimes, real estate transfers, marriages, divorces, etc.
But often heard was, "I use to get my news from the Hur Herald, but now I get it from Facebook," indicating a lack of discernment about accessing thousands of quickly available media sources, a world of conspicuous consumption.
The last two incidents within the year involving Calhoun men being charged with murder were not reported, to the best of my knowledge, by any source, including state media, other than the Hur Herald.
Despite the fact we discontinued the daily news, we got news tips from individuals related to Facebook posts about a violent family murder on Pine Creek.
One account said a man murdered his wife and family.
Considering the recording of murders is important public information and eventually historical in nature, at least in a small rural county, we embarked and investigated.
The bottom line, there was no family murder, except in a Calhoun County in another state.
It would seem that social media is often an extension of street gossip from years gone by, with the teller of the information imbued with a sense of power to pass the information along, the more exciting the better.
Since the Herald quit doing daily news, there have been a number of accidents, a multi-county responder search for a missing man, court cases heard and decided, domestic violence incidents and a police chase.
The Herald continues to do magazine-type and history stories and once in a while we'll do a news story.
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