Welcome to HNet, Jeff.
I'm sure the answers to a lot of your questions have already been posted here if you have the time to look. We can point you in the right direction if you're stuck. You could also try to get hold of a copy of "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Unofficial Companion" by David Hofstede. Used copies can be had on Amazon for under $5 (it's currently $15.75 new).
The death knell for the Dukes on TV and the flag on the car was the Charleston church shootings by Dylann Roof, although Warner Bros had been actively changing the packaging of Dukes related merchandize for years to hide the Confederate flag. Following the events in Charlottesville, VA last week, I can't see Dukes returning to US TV screens anytime soon, because the flag and General Lee (the man, not the car) are still very emotive issues at the moment. As I said above, the subject has been covered in the threads here in some depth.