From the UMR

One thing I've learned in almost 40 years in the newspaper business is that you often need a cover story to get things done. People may say they want A done for a specific reason, but the real reason is B, C, D or more, or any combination.

This week's online version of the Waterways Journal has an interesting story about how the uppermost lock on the Upper Mississippi River, in the Twin Cities area, is scheduled for closure. It's a story of how some groups say they want something done for one reason, but other reasons may lurk in the background.

I don't know what's going on in the Twin Cities. I've never been there, and I could probably count on the fingers of one hand the people I know who have been. But the way the story is written, there are all sorts of things going on that bear watching by the people up there.