Preps writer/editor in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Be afraid. Be very very afraid.... Maybe not right now, but give Oggie Doggie time...

 

What is that supposed to mean?

 

Which part? The suckitude of Fort Wayne, or the fact that Dye was likely suggesting it's not really a two-paper town.

 

I'm not sure what was unclear before. But to clarify:

Yes, there are two newspapers. But I doubt there is knock-down competition for stories.

There are a lot of bumpkins. There is zero for culture. I think the radio stations in and around the city are pretty good, but take a look at a map. You're pretty much in a cultural desert.

You're not three hours from Chicago, unless you are driving at 2 a.m. and hit all green lights on U.S. 30, which is one of the many highways Indiana has handed over to sprawl because the state, unlike Michigan, was too dumb to create limited access freeways.

 

Wow. Now DyePack's a transportation planner now, too.
It's 161 miles from Fort Wayne to the Loop, according to Mapquest. If you've ever driven it, you know you've got the road to yourself until you hit NWI. Three hours isn't out of the question.
As for the "not really a two paper town" argument, how the hell do you know? It's been a few years since I've seen much of them, but when I worked nearby the J-G was better than most papers its size, and I know some real sharp people in news and sports who've come from the News-Sentinel. So I figure two papers are better than one.
And "bumpkins," Dye? Really? Aren't you from central Illinois?

 

You may have the road to yourself, but when you hit NWI, it's either sprawl, sprawl, sprawl along 30 or a convoy of semis on the Toll Road.

You're not going to see much different in the way of content between the two papers. A real two-newspaper town is a head-to-head battle on at least a weekly basis. That's not going to happen in Fort Wayne.

And a bumpkin's a bumpkin.

 

No way in hell is it only 3 hours on that road unless it's really late at night/early in the morning. No way in hell. And Indiana is scared of limited access highways for some weird-ass reason. Bit annoying really.

Not sure I'd call the folks there bumpkins, but it doesn't have the "culture" of some other cities in Chicago.

And Fort Wayne is no where near as cool as Terre Haute.

 

Indiana may have overcome its fear of the interstate highway, though. Now the state has sold the Toll Road to a private company, and it plans to use its newly acquired cash to build many limited access highways.

Of course, the old roads will continue to exist, require maintenance, etc. What a state.

 

Hate to ruin things and chime in with some actual experience in this area, but you sure as hell can get from Fort Wayne to downtown Chicago in three hours. I must have done it 20 times in the last couple of years. In fact, it normally took me three and a half hours to get from Fort Wayne to the NW side of Chicago, and that included 20 minutes in traffic once I hit downtown.

As for the town itself, If you're as cosmopolitan and cultured as our boy DP, then ya, you'll probably be upset about the lack of w(h)ine and cheese available. The city feels a lot smaller than it is, but some people like that.

Now, it's not a two-paper town in the traditional sense because the N-S is a p.m. paper. They have to do things differently. If you're looking to be innovative and try new things, while at the same time continuing a tradition of being the best paper in the area for prep coverage, this ain't a bad gig.

And Terre Haute? Puhleeeeeze!

 

30 West to 49 to the Toll Road. It's that simple.

 

Shockingly I've been to Fort Wayne and driven that road, no way during the day you can make it in 3 hours, and my friends there can confirm it.

And Terre Haute fucking rocks, dude. The stench just keeps the riff-raff like you out.

 

I just said I've done it about 20 times before I left there 10 months ago. Not making it up. It's an easy ride until you get near the Skyway. Again, I, a person who has made that drive a whole bunch at various times of the day, am confirming it — again.

You were unaware of the Olive Garden in Terre Haute. Whadda you know?