More often than not, SW Journal staff writers Martiga Lohn, Mark Engebretson, and Anne Discher scoop their monolithic daily competition on big stories that affect not just the people who live in their circulation area (Minneapolis's Lakes district, Uptown, Linden Hills, Tangletown, and Lyn-Lake, among other neighborhoods), but the rest of the city as well. These folks were all over the controversy brewing at City Hall regarding the politically charged tussle between the City Council and outgoing planning director Paul Farmer. They've challenged the Minneapolis Community Development Agency's spending priorities, asking why so much money is going into yuppie downtown housing as opposed to struggling South Minneapolis neighborhoods. They've probed wetlands problems around the lakes. They've even tackled ticklish stories about neighborhood associations and the politicking that comes with Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds. At the same time, editor Mark Anderson seems to have the paper's community commitment firmly in mind, with monthly neighborhood-by-neighborhood reports, a police-blotter column, and even listings for events at local senior citizens' centers. If the biweekly paper doesn't get dropped on your doorstep (note to Journal circulation department: plastic bags would be nice during rainy spells), it's available free in blue boxes throughout southwest Minneapolis.