This past weekend, the remnants of hurricane Helene caused major flooding and damage in southwest Virginia. Two people died as a result of the storm.

But you wouldn’t know this if you just depended on the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Not a word in the digital or print editions, except for a brief mention in the wire service stories in section B. However, there were lots of stories and headlines about sports and food.

It is at times like these when I wonder why I even bother with the RTD.  The paper will cover state political news and some happenings in Richmond city hall. But that’s about it. Very little coverage of state government; Henrico and Chesterfield counties and the rest of the state may as well be foreign countries.

If one wants to know what is happening in Southside and Southwest Virginia, the best source is the non-profit Cardinal News. It is running several stories today on the storm.

The irony is that we are in an era when we have more information than ever at our fingertips, yet our sources of news have become so fragmented.

rwh