Need something to read while you're shuttling your kids to hockey camps all winter? Then why not read something that's actually relevant to your upcoming move to Hampton, Virginia? Pre-reading before you even go to the city for your house hunting trip can help make the city seem like home when you finally do get there and cut down on the amount of time you need to spend asking questions about what's going on. If you want to get a head start on your move, the Hampton Chronicle is what you want to read.

Unlike most local newspapers, the Hampton Chronicle is less of an independent daily newspaper and more of a blog connected with the city government designed to keep citizens informed. Therefore if you're planning to be a citizen running a commercial mortgage company in Hampton, then you'll want to read the Hampton Chronicle. It's updated every few days with stories that promote Hampton and its government or that people who live in Hampton would find interesting or useful as they go about their daily lives. It is not intended to replace your daily newspaper.

Some of the stories you might find in the Hampton Chronicle include the installation of a new central heating boiler at a Hampton area school, an update on the city's annual holiday parade preparations, live internet chats regarding local community issues like gang violence and parenting, as well as guest columns profiling prominent local leaders and special events, such as church anniversaries or heroic local personalities. All of the stories have a strictly Hampton bent. You won't find any updates on state, national, international, entertainment, sports, or business news unless it pertains in some way to Hampton.

Because it's a blog, there is no cost associated with using the Hampton Chronicle and you can log on to read it from anywhere in the world where there's an internet connection. Just visit www.hamptoncommons.com. There are also no ads for woodworking machinery or diet pills like there normally would be on a blog that doesn't host paid content. This is because it's taxpayer funded. Since the Hampton Chronicle is only updated sporadically, you may want to sign up for their RSS feed or for email updates instead of visiting the site to check for updates every day.

Any story you see on the Hampton Chronicle can be easily sent to a friend using their email, Facebook, Stumble Upon, My Space, Twitter, Digg, Del.icio.us, and Google Reader interfaces. However, that is the limit of your ability to interact with the blog. If you see an article on installing a modern bathroom vanity and you want to add your observations, you can't because the Hampton Chronicle doesn't support comments.