Weekly Newspaper Names Live On

Yeah, yeah, I know, print is dead and all. But I recently perused a long list of Iowa weekly newspapers the other day, and it turns out, shock, many are still printing.

What caught my eye are the names. There are some great newspaper names out there. Here are my favorites for posterity's sake.

The alliterative -- This category is led by the Elgin Echo, but the Titonka Topic is a close second. The Hudson Herald, Manning Monitor, Glidden Graphic and Calmar Courier also roll off the tongue.

The ambitious - You've got to love the brash audacity of the Ackley World Journal. It also used to have a big head of cabbage on its masthead, celebrating Sauerkraut Days. Not sure if it still does. And look at the big egos on the The Forest City Summit, and the Humeston New Era. The Solon Economist and Monroe Legacy sound oh-so serious. And the Decorah Public Opinion had better have plenty of ink.

The more relaxed -- What could be more relaxing than paging through the Lake View Resort? You probably won't find much stress or pretension at the Ruthven Zipcode, Akron Hometowner, What Cheer Paper, Fremont Village Vine or the Little Rock Free Lance.

In Motion --  The Traer Star-Clipper, Holstein Advance, Anamosa Journal-Eureka, Packwood Clarion-Plainsman and the Chariton Herald-Patriot all sound exciting, like papers John Foster Kane might have owned. Good thing we have the Northwood Anchor, before things get out of hand.

Uniquely Iowa  -- Where else can you find a Winterset Madisonian, a Woodbine Twiner, a Lenox Time Table or a Villisca Review Stanton Viking? The Stanton Viking sounds like a drink. Three Stanton Vikings, please, and hurry. We're on a time table.

Good thinking -- The Eagle Grove Eagle. (My wife's hometown is not far from Sparta, Ill. Home of the Sparta H.S. Bulldogs. Yeah, I know. So I appreciate embracing the obvious.)

What? -- The Panora Guthrie Co. Vedette. According to Wikipedia, Vedette is a French military term referring to "a mounted sentry or outpost, who has the function of bringing information, giving signals or warnings of danger, etc., to a main body of troops." Nice name. So now you know.

I adore technology, but the names are hardly stirring. I mean, iPad? How about the iPad Eureka Plainsman Viking? Much, much better.