Small Town News

Comedy EN ↓ 495 episodes

Welcome to Small Town News, located at the intersection of hardcore journalism and jelly-filled comedy. Each episode we read articles from small town newspapers from around the United States and use them to inspire improv stories. We've got fireworks filled with rattlesnakes. We've got a parade of painfully bad accents. We've got no idea what states border Michigan. But no matter where the story ends, it's all 100% true. Promise. Check our sources. Seriously.

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Small Town News

Episodes

Booneville, MS - This Crime Scene Lacks Artistic Integrity 06.03.2021 49:50

Welcome to Booneville, MS, the City of Hospitality! Located in Northeastern Mississippi, the land was originally purchased from the Chickasaw Tribe and was named after settler Colonel Reuben Holman Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone. The town was incorporated in 1861 and the railroad serving it was completed shortly before the Civil War began that same year. In 1862 several battles were fought i...

Niles, MI - Porch Chat - You Are the Jar Jar Binks of Harry Potter 03.03.2021 4:26

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

Niles, MI - Van Gogh Flock Yourself 27.02.2021 59:54

Welcome to Niles, MI, the City of Four Flags, where history and nature live! Nestled on the banks of the St. Joseph River, the town was originally the site of the French Fort St. Joseph, which was built in 1697. Over its history the fort was held by France, Great Britian, Spain, and the United States, earning the town the nickname, City of Four Flags. The town itself was founded in 1827 and wa...

Russellville, KY - Porch Chat - George and Craig Shared the Smallest Hotel Room Ever 24.02.2021 3:54

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

Russellville, KY - The Moon is Beautiful But the Sun Is More Beautiful 20.02.2021 53:38

Welcome to Russellville, Ky, county seat of Logan County. The town had several names in its early existence including Big Boiling Spring, Gasper Butcher's Spring, and Butcher's Station. The town was ultimately named after Revolutionary War hero, General William Russell in 1798. The town was home to a number of interesting people including Philip Alston, an 18th century counterfeiter. ...

Greensburg, IN - Porch Chat - Neil, Craig and George Join Cobra Kai 17.02.2021 9:25

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

Greensburg, IN - World Record Breaking Graffiti Art Is Difficult While Sitting on a Balance Ball 13.02.2021 52:13

Welcome to Greensburg, IN, know for a tree which grows from the top of the courthouse tower, giving the town its nickname, "Tree City". There have been trees growing continually since the first tree was noticed in the 1870s. The town was laid out in 1822 and the post office was opened in 1823. Greensburg had the unfortunate distinction of being a "sundown town" for decades...

North Tonawanda, NY - Porch Chat - Free Hotel Coffee 10.02.2021 3:38

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

North Tonawanda, NY - Wash Down that Asbestos Sandwich with an Ice Cold Pepsi 06.02.2021 50:48

Welcome to North Tonawanda, NY, the "Home of the Carousel!" At one time, five carousel manufacturers operated in the town, and it is currently home to the Herschell Carousel Factory Museum. Located on the Erie Canal, Tonawanda was also known as "Lumber City", when it served as a lumber transportation and forwarding center. Tonawanda is home to the historic Riviera Theatre and...

Homer, AK - Porch Chat - Behind the Scenes with Dr. Jess and the Newsboys 03.02.2021 19:28

How does Dr. Jess do it, and, more importantly, why?! Find out in this porch chat where we sit down with Dr. Jess to discuss how she finds our subject towns and what she thinks of our adventures. Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Homer, AK - I Am Fish and I Will Leave the Light on for You 30.01.2021 1:02:45

Welcome to Homer, Alaska, the "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World"! Located on the shore of Kachemak Bay, the area was first settled when coal was discovered in the area in the 1890s. Homer is the southernmost town on the contiguous Alaska highway system and erected its first traffic light in 2005. The most recognizable feature of the town is the Homer Spit. It is a narrow gravel b...

Gloucester, MA - Porch Chat - Greek and Italian Food Can Be Confusing 27.01.2021 8:11

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

Gloucester , MA - Morty Reynolds is a One Man Hungry Hippo Machine 23.01.2021 43:17

Welcome to Gloucester, MA, "The Place to Be in the Summer." Originally founded in 1623, the settlement was abandoned in 1626 when the inhabitants moved to Salem where more fertile soil was found. The area was slowly resettled and was formally incorporated in 1642. The town grew into an important shipbuilding center and fishing port. The city was home to the original Gorton's of...

Logan, WV - Porch Chat - McDonalds Anger and the Line of Censorship 20.01.2021 6:47

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

Logan,WV - The Hatfield and the McCoys Have Movie Night 16.01.2021 55:58

Welcome to Logan, WV, formerly named Islands of Guyandot, Lawsonsville, Lawnsville, and Aracoma. Originally explored in the 1780s, the city didn't decide on the current final version of its name until 1907. Logan was a hub of the regional coal industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but the population began to decline after World War II with the increase of mechanized mining tec...

Orland, CA - Porch Chat - The College Textbook Swindle 13.01.2021 3:25

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

Orland, CA - Sleeping Like a Canary in a Coal Mine 09.01.2021 55:30

Welcome to Orland, CA, the Queen Bee Capital of North America! Future home of the National Honeybee Discovery Center, queen bee production is a major portion of the areas agribusiness. The city is also home to the annual Queen Bee Festival in June and OktoBEEfest in October. Orland was incorporated in 1909, and oddly was named after the Orland Project, an irrigation project completed by the the...

Florida Man - Porch Chat - Things That Shouldn't Be on the Radio 06.01.2021 2:45

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

The Newsboys vs. Florida Man 02.01.2021 55:50

Welcome to 2021 and the second season of Small Town News! We couldn't think of a better way to start the year than with stories that can't really be improved upon, although we try. Join us for a reading of some of the most outlandish "Florida Man" stories Dr. Jess could find with a little improv thrown in on the side. Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTow...

Christmas, USA - Porch Chat - Unsubscribing is Too Much Work 30.12.2020 4:17

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

Christmas, USA - All I Want for Christmas is the Still Beating Hearts of my Enemies 26.12.2020 1:04:07

Join us for a very special holiday episode! We revisit several towns from this year's episodes and discover their Christmas quirks. Thanks for joining us for the wild ride 2020 has been, and we hope you enjoy whatever holidays you choose to celebrate during this most wonderful time of the year! Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov

Cloquet, MN - Porch Chat - Don't Touch Craig's Eyes 23.12.2020 6:53

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

Cloquet, MN - Russian Pen Pals Squash Optimism About Death Row 19.12.2020 57:45

Welcome to Cloquet, MN! Cloquet was incorporated in 1884 and was originally made up of several small settlements around three sawmills. It is located in Northeastern Minnesota and is partially situated in the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. While the origins of the name of the town are unknown, one possibility is that the town was named after two brothers, Hippolyte and Jules Cloquet, who were...

Lewiston, ID - Curly's Grandson Has a YouTube Channel 16.12.2020 6:25

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

Lewiston, Idaho – I Like My Santa’s Fat and Cute 12.12.2020 40:38

Let’s explore Idaho’s first capital, Lewiston! Founded in 1862 and named after Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame, Lewiston became the capital of Idaho Territory. The capital was moved to Boise in 1864 by the legislature along North/South voting lines. Not to be hindered by such a slight, the town leveraged its distinction as the only seaport in Idaho. Located 465 miles inland from the Pa...