Amid all my media doom-and-gloom today, it's worth noting that the cash-strapped Star Tribune deployed ten journalists (reporters, photographers, videographers) this weekend to chronicle Fargo's possible drowning.

I could be cynical and say that in these tight times, they should've saved their money for better day-to-day coverage closer to home — but I honestly don't feel this way. This is a huge, gripping story, threatening to become truly catastrophic.

It's the sort of event that the state's largest newsroom once threw bodies at. As with the 35W bridge-collapse aftermath, newsroom management deserves praise for suspending balance-sheet disbelief to cover it.

And of course the Strib's journalists (and all the local flood reporters) deserve praise for throwing themselves at the story; not to minimize the situation's tragedy, but the adrenaline had to feel good, especially right now.

By the way, penny-pinchers should note most of the Strib's extra troops came home once the worst danger passed.