Welcome to Baraboo, Wisconsin, otherwise known as "Circus City"!  Although I'm sure there are a number of interesting things about the town (including a chicken coop renovated into a house), everything else pales in comparison to it's status as "Circus City."  Ringling Brothers Circus was established in Baraboo in 1884.  Several other circuses followed suit and also called the town home over the years.  Circus World Museum opened its doors in the town in 1959 on land originally owned by Ringling.  We hope you enjoy us clowning around is this cool little town!  

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Welcome to West Lebanon, New Hampshire, an unincorporated area of Lebanon, NH.  West Lebanon was the original settlement site for Lebanon in 1761.  The area is home to the Valley News, the Lebanon Municipal Airport, and several small tech companies.   The area is also home to a couple of shysters we will discuss briefly, but they are completely uninteresting when compared to Phineas Gage.  Gage survived having a  3.5 foot long metal rod driven through his brain during a railroad construction accident.  Enjoy this story and number of other weird twists and turns in our visit to this cool little town.

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Welcome to Sweetwater, Tennessee, home of the Lost Sea!  The town was established in the 1850s and was presumably named after the natural springs in the area (not the weird stuff some guy made up).  The town is located in the Great Smoky Mountains in Southeastern Tennessee.  Sweetwater is home to the Craighead Caverns, an extensive cave system which contains the largest underground lake in the United States.  The Lost Sea is the name of the underground lake contained within the caverns.  The lake was discovered in 1905 and has become a tourist attraction.  Join us for a lively jaunt through this cool little town!

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Did you know Big Bird was originally supposed to be on the doomed Challenger Sapce Shuttle mission?  Have you ever wondered which Muppet we would want to travel hang out with in space?  We didn't think so.  Unfortunately Dr. Jess is gone and we've been left unsupervised.  Take a listen as we revisit some of our favorite places using articles that were not used in the original episodes.  

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Welcome to Beatrice, Nebraska, where you can "Stake Your Claim"!  The town was founded in 1857 and is the seat of Gage County.  Beatrice is home to the Homestead National Historic Park.  When the Homestead Act was passed by Congress in 1862, it allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of government land for a small fee.  The Act had an incredible impact on the speed of settlement in the West.  Join us as we settle down on our 160 acres and take a look around this interesting little town.

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov