New Madrid, Missouri, a southeast Missouri rural town on the Mississippi River endured devastating earthquakes in 1811 and 1812. A fictitious earthquake sets the stage for a reunion for long-time friends who grew up there in the mid-50s and 70s. This reunion brings about a renewal of friendship and telling experiences of the childhood, both humorous and serious. Conversations about the current social and political issues facing the country reveal wide divergences of opinions as to "how to deal with them now." Racism rears its ugly head near the end of their reunion weekend with surprising...

This book presents the public relations and community outreach challenges of a public relations manager at an oil refinery. These challenges are also present at any manufacturing facility that is adjacent to a neighborhood or commercial area. It features a young public relations manager's efforts to deal with a reluctant refinery manager who has little interest in having a plan that better explains the operation to those stakeholders and offers a series of plant tours and community activities with plant personnel. Due to a series of operational incidents and upsets that occur at the refinery...