So if you read the blog on Tuesday, you know that we planned to host a live webcast and chat during election returns.

Thanks to the dutiful, ambitious work of OANow.com site coordinator John Walker, I co-hosted the event with Opelika-Auburn News editorial page editor Joe McAdory. The event was simulcast on OANow.com and WRBL.com. It was a group effort—WRBL reporter Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield joined us, and News publisher Jim Rainey even hung out and pitched in with results of local and state races from around the area.

In addition to watching the numbers come in, we were able to host live interviews with U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who won re-election to his seat in the Third Congressional District, and his challenger, Josh Segall. Rogers gave us a window into his plans for working with the expanded Democratic majority in the House (more on that here later).

Overall, we had a great time during the chat, and I hope you were there. We hope to be doing similar events from time to time in the future, so stay tuned. If you have suggestions for topics you’d like covered in that format, please let me know.

While we were hosting the webcast, the News had reporters stationed all over the area to cover the impact of the election. Of particular note is the work reporters Donathan Prater and Brittany Whitley produced on those assignments.

Don spent time with an 80-year-old Opelika resident, a veteran of the segregated U.S. Army, who shared his reflections on Barack Obama’s historic win. The story is a great read. I can’t say enough for Don’s thoughtful treatment of the moment. The entire piece—but especially the last sentence of the story—is worth your time.

Brittany was dispatched to Auburn University to cover the participation and reaction of young people who came to vote. A recent college graduate herself, Brittany provides a great look at how young people finally lived up to their promise at the polls.

Both are excellent pieces. Read Don’s story here; read Brittany’s story here.

And if you appreciate their commentaries as much as I did, e-mail them and let them know how well they did on Tuesday night. You can reach Don at dprater (AT) oanow.com and Brittany and bwhitley (AT) oanow.com.