One of the greatest things about the Internet, in addition to its convenience, speed, and interactivity, is its open nature. Wheras the "little guy" is often barred from traditional media like printing and broadcasting because of the high costs and deeply-entrenched competition, the Internet offers an inexpensive way for all kinds of people to easily publish their ideas around the globe. While this lack of barriers has allowed for a lot of amateur and low-quality material on the web, it has also provided for the creation of many first-rate publications, some of which might never have existed otherwise. Some of the neatest sites have come from small towns and local neighborhoods where residents have made use of the Internet to strengthen their communities and offer immediate perspectives that can't be rivaled by the bigger, corporate media. Lately I've been finding a lot of websites dedicated to the news, culture, and history of small towns in the region around my home in southwest Wisconsin. I thought I'd share three of my favorites here today:

• The Kickapoo Free Press is an independent monthly magazine from Viroqua, Wisconsin, with a print and online edition. It features in-depth news and thoughtful opinions from the Kickapoo Valley region, and I love its emphasis on cultural and humanistic reporting. The writers for the Kickapoo Free Press do a marvelous job of depicting rural and small-town life in western Wisconsin, and the issues they discuss make this magazine a must-read for anyone with a stake in the region.
• PDC Today is a relatively new website dedicated to covering the latest news from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and its neighboring communities. The website features daily updates, along with streaming audio and video of recent news stories in the area. There are also Twitter updates for breaking news and a "Life" section about area events and culture. Overall, PDC Today makes for a great way to stay up to date on what's happening in that part of the state.
• Focus on PDC is another blog from Prairie du Chien, but this one puts more emphasis on yesterday—it's author has been hard at work digging up information on some of the city's lesser known historic sites. Prairie du Chien is well known for its long and eventful history, but some stories tend to crowd out the others. The Focus on PDC blog brings many of these forgotten curiosities into the spotlight with new research on historic people and places.

Be sure to check out these sites if you're a fellow Western-Wisconsinite, and as always, check the Links Page for a complete list of my favorite websites. Also, if you know of any other sites dedicated to the news and culture of small towns in Southwest Wisconsin, leave a comment and let me know.