The poverty rate in Johnson County is about 15 percent, but it's almost 20 percent among Pope County's 4, 400 residents.

NPR: Scenic, Struggling S. Illinois Braces For Oil Rush

"It could be a real good thing, " says 23-year-old Frank Johnson, who lives in the Pope County seat of Golconda, a shrinking Ohio River town of 670.

NPR: Scenic, Struggling S. Illinois Braces For Oil Rush

That same fall, Chris Heagarty, a Democratic lawyer, ran for a legislative seat in Wake County, which includes Raleigh, where Pope lives.

NEWYORKER: State for Sale

On Saturday, the Pope accepted the resignation of Dr Brendan Comiskey, the Bishop of Ferns in County Wexford.

BBC: Church to study sex abuse claims

Last weekend, the Pope accepted the resignation of Dr Brendan Comiskey, the Bishop of Ferns in County Wexford, following criticism of how he handled the case of Father Fortune.

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Last year, Pope garnered national attention when North Carolina Democrats accused Pope of engineering, in 2009, the re-segregation of public schools in Wake County, which includes Raleigh.

NEWYORKER: State for Sale