Shoulder Season, Twit-rape, Morgan's Raid

1. Welcome to the shoulder season - that time of year with fewer tourists and better weather, in most years. This year, as we wave farewell to the tourists, we should expect a 20 percent chance of a shower this afternoon, with a high temperature of 77 and a breeze off the sound.

2. Word of the day - twit-rape. A neologism meaning to hijack someone’s Twitter account.

3. John Hunt Morgan died this day in 1864. His story illustrates a nearly forgotten aspect of the American Civil War. Most of the war was fought in the southern states of the Confederacy. But, Kentucky remained neutral. Indiana and Ohio to the north had many southern sympathizers. One town in Indiana, Boggstown, seceded from the Union. Indiana Gov. Oliver Morton forced the Democrat-majority, Confederacy-allied state legislature to sit out the war.

Morgan served in the Mexican War under Zachary Taylor. After the war he produced hemp in Kentucky. When Kentucky refused to secede he moved to Alabama and received the rank of Colonel in the Confederate cavalry. In july of 1862, he made the first of four raids into northern territory. His light force travelled quickly to disrupt Union supply lines, railroads and telegraphs. He became a major target of the Union Army which dedicated 20,000 troops to defend against his raids and attempt to capture him.

In June of 1863, Brigadier General Morgan rode into Kentucky on orders to enlist recruits. He disobeyed orders and began his most infamous raid into Indiana and Ohio. Southern sympathizers hoped the raid would cause rebellion in the two states. It didn’t. Union militia in Ohio blocked his retreat south. He continued into northeast Ohio toward Youngstown. Union cavalry captured him near the village of Salinville. The Union imprisoned him in the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. In November, he and six others said “Goodbye Columbus,” tunneling out of the prison. He returned to duty. While preparing a new northern raid, a Union cavalry unit attacked his headquarters in rural Tennessee and shot him.

4. "After Story" with Carolyn Larson begins a new school year in the Marstons Mills Public Library. The "drop in class for all ages" begins at 11am.

5. First Citizens Federal Credit Union begins its second annual Model citizen Search now through October 31.

The Model Citizen Award Program will recognize individuals in surrounding communities for their acts of kindness, volunteer work and efforts to make their community a better place.  An individual or organization can nominate each “model citizen” by becoming a First Citizens’ Facebook fan and submitting a short summary about who they are nominating.

One winner will be selected by a First Citizens’ committee and will receive the Model Citizen Award and a trip for two to New York City. The winner’s nominator will also receive a $150 Visa Deluxe Gift Card. The program will also feature radio commercials and online advertising with the program’s media partner, 95.5 WBRU.