Inflation! We all know the increased costs of everything in recent years. Gasoline, food, insurance, etc. Everything costs everyone more.
It’s the same for companies like ours.
Most recently, there was another postage increase, the fourth in two years, and another is scheduled for January. Earlier this year, the newspaper printing plant we had previously used in Hutchinson abruptly closed. Although we were able to switch to a printing plant further away with comparable prices, the distance resulted in higher delivery costs.
And we are faced with rising insurance costs, ever-increasing tax burdens, providing competitive wages to our employees, and general inflation across the board.
It is time for us to make some fundamental adjustments so that we can continue to provide you with your newspaper service.
Effective September 1, subscription prices will increase as follows:
• Print subscription (including online access) within Minnesota: $69/year
• Print subscription outside Minnesota: $109/year. Please note: Long-distance deliveries are particularly infrequent, so we strongly recommend you upgrade to a digital-only subscription.
• digital only, regardless of location: $67/year
If it is more cost-effective for you to pay smaller amounts more frequently, a monthly option is also available.
Some advertising prices will also be adjusted.
We believe the future of news lies in purely digital formats, if only because of the cost of a printed and delivered product, but we also recognise that many people may not be ready for that step. Nevertheless, we need to move in that direction and this is the start of that process.
Next week’s issue, August 30, will be available in digital format only.
We know some of you don’t prefer that, or may not even have digital access, but that’s what we have to do. All of our subscriptions include digital access, and we encourage those of you who haven’t used this feature to get familiar with it so you don’t miss out.
Online-only editions not only reduce costs, but also allow us to publish more pages with more photos, more color and an even better product. Your subscription includes access to both the digital version of the newspaper and the regular news updates on our website.
ONLINE ACCOUNT INSTRUCTIONS
If you have not activated the online feature included in your subscription, please go to
From there, enter your name and address EXACTLY as it appears on your newspaper mailing label so it will be associated with your subscription. Fill out the other required information and click “Request Upgrade.”
The August 30th digital-only edition will be available online from 6pm on Thursday, August 29th, and the weekly email newsletters will be sent out as usual on Friday morning.
Please also note that our offices will be closed on Friday, August 30th as we begin Labor Day weekend. If you need assistance setting up your online account, we encourage you to do so in advance and call us at 320-485-2535 for assistance.
We are planning another purely digital edition for November 29th, so on five more Fridays in the same month.
Thank you for being one of our readers and for understanding the financial constraints we are all facing. We are pleased to be able to provide you with a newspaper and look forward to continuing to do so.
