Where have I seen that guy before?

Thanks to the Very Short List newsletter, I discovered Newseum.org, a site that shows, in real time, front pages of newspapers from 600 newspapers from around the country and the world. It can be fascinating, not only to see how different stories are covered in different places, but for the charm of seeing small-town news on the front page of the local papers.

On December 14, the Lewiston Tribune, daily paper of Lewiston, Idaho, featured above the fold a charming photo of a husky man in a blue-checked shirt decorating a store window for the holiday season. Just below, a news story reported that video cameras clearly captured a crime in progress at a local convenience store, as a man swiped a woman's wallet from where it lay unattended on the counter. The story was accompanied by a crisp photo from the video, in which the "unknown man" can clearly be seen -- a husky fellow in a blue-checked shirt.

Although the newspaper editors clearly lacked the CSI instinct, local authorities didn't miss the subtle clue, and arrested the window-decorator for second-degree theft.

See the archived front page here. (application/pdf Object)