Paul Scott Comment: My Favorite Local News Story of 2014

On Friday we will post a new story listing our picks as the Top Ten News Stories of 2014 in Decorah.

But before then, I get a chance to pick my favorite news story of 2014--the one that might not have been all that important in the grand scheme of things, but kept me talking about it for days and days.

My pick is the August 24th news story about a complaint filed against a former Decorah woman for alleged improprieties involving her chocheting business.  As our story stated, "WOWT Television in Omaha is reporting that Marie Tillman of Omaha ordered a $50 crocheted blanket from a website operated by (former Decorah resident) Cheryl Albrecht-Zweibohmer.  The blanket didn't arrive--but Tillman's credit card got charged $550 by Albrecht's company, "Snuggle Buggle Crochet Creations."

Yes, this was a serious story and I can't blame the Omaha woman for being upset that she allegedly got ripped off.

But my earliest memories as a child were the crocheted blankets my grandmother knitted for me.  Yes, they were warm, but they were also--there's no other way to say this--ugly!

I know I'll get angry e-mail from crocheting enthusiasts now, pointing out that crocheted blankets don't have to be ugly.  But the crochet business scamming charges were my favorite local news story of 2014 because my first reaction when I found out about this story was, "Wait--there are people who PAY MONEY for crocheted items???"