The Jefferson Bee Moves!!

Rick Morain, editor and publisher of the Jefferson Bee and Herald, announced last week that the Jefferson Bee would be published in Iowa Falls, effectively immediately. He added that the paper would be reduced to a more manageable and recognizable size, and the printing technology available in Iowa Falls would add the option of color photos, and better graphics, in general.

So, the question is, why is the Jefferson paper finally moving? Is Rick admitting that the paper was an inconvenient size? Is he admitting that the photos previously published were of poor quality? Is this the first step in the local paper's demise?

The presses at the Bee and Herald were obsolete 30 years ago. Nobody was going to pay for upgrades. In many ways, this was a long time coming. Perhaps we can now look forward to a Jefferson Bee and Herald web site??

Ray Dillard

Recently on the Jefferson Iowa News facebook page, I posted a photo of an old junior high literature teacher, Ray Dillard. The response caught us totally off guard. There were nearly 60 posts, from all over the United States and Canada, almost unanimously praising him as one of the best teachers they had ever had. What we found interesting, however, was that absolutely none of the posts explained what made him so good.

Many posters recalled interesting anecdotes involving Ray. Some talked about his quirky behavior or his relentless pursuit of dress cose violations. Not one recalled anything at all that they learned from Mr. Dillard.

Let's address this head-on. WHY exactly is Ray Dillard so fondly remembered? Be detailed. Don't give me more anecdotes. Focus on what he taught you. What exactly did you LEARN from Mr. Dillard? And why hasn't Rich posted his photo as a blog follower?