Methed up

Woe unto Oelwein, one Midwestern town among many that has been bedeviled by meth labs. This small town -- the self-proclaimed hub of Northeast Iowa -- is profiled in a new book, Methland, by Nick Reding. Mr. Reding did his local research between 2005 and 2008. These maps show that the number of meth labs has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. Interesting stuff.

Methland also sounds like interesting stuff, especially if you are familiar with Oelwein, Iowa. The reviewer in The Wall Street Journal wonders if the people who live there will recognize their community. I'm sure there will be a long waiting list for it at the local library.

Ten years ago, the Washington Post profiled the county-seat town where we lived and raised our kids. I will never forget one of the lines from the story. "This is a town full of lonely old women." The reason our town merited this attention was because the county's rate of people aged 65 or older who lived alone was the highest in the nation. Shortly after the Post story appeared in print, the Boston Globe sent a reporter out to do another take on the issue.

Here's looking at you, Oelwein!