To help you figure things out, there is a Scoop Admin Guide which can hopefully answer most of your questions.
Some tips:
Most of the layout is changed in "Blocks", found in the admin tools menu
Features can be turned on and off, and configured, in "Site Controls" in the admin tools menu
Stories have an "edit" link right beside the "Full Story" link on an index page, and right beside the "Post a Comment" link on the full story page. They can also be edited by clicking the story title in the "Story List" admin tool
Boxes are what allow you to write new features for Scoop; they require a knowledge of the perl programming language to work with effectively, although you can often make small changes without knowing much perl. If you would like a feature added but cannot program it yourself, ScoopHost does custom Scoop programming as one of its services.
If you aren't sure where to look for a particular feature or piece of display, try the "Search Admin Tools" link in the admin tools menu.
The influence the Detroit Metropolitan Area has over our government is tremendous. It can only really be appreciated with numbers: the Detroit Metropolitan area controls 51 of the 110 seats in the State House, 17 of the 38 seats in the State Senate, and 5-6 of Michigan's 15 seats in the US Congress.
The DMA has lost numerous citizens because of its poor leadership. Despite this, Democrats - if they retain the majority of their power next year - will probably attempt to retain their stronghold in Detroit through redistricting after the 2010 census. This makes a Republican majority imperative for next year, to ensure fair redistricting.
