After spending quite a bit of time getting to know Ray County residents there are a few things I have learned about Richmond and surrounding towns as a journalist. A lot of people care deeply about where they live, where their children go to school and what is happening with small businesses. Local residents tend to care and especially those whose families have lived here for generations – they can smell an outsider from a mile away. Of course, I have a feeling all small, rural towns are similar in that way. The farmers know everyone and they all went to school together. You see, I’m basically Hannah Montana. I’ve had the best of both worlds. From growing up in Kansas City, Kan., and moving to a small town in Missouri, I’ve tasted the freshness of the humid summer air and heard the crunch of the crops under my feet in the fall. Small-town living has changed my life and writing in a small county has been quite the experience. I’ve received my fair share of letters, both critiquing…