"And" is a good way to chain observations together if you want it to sound like you've got a ton of impressions you want to let out all together (because perhaps they hit you all at once). In Keillor's profession (and I'm more familiar with his radio stuff than his written fiction) he could easily abuse this, and for the most part he doesn't, not even at Minute 17 when "Tales from Lake Wobegon" is getting as thoughtful and poignant as can be, and just before the funny callback with which he sometimes tops it off.
LAN3, see what Gary (Garrison) Keillor thinks of radio, writing AND the internet in this 1997 AM interview http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/factfict/gkint.htm ..... Rennie