The Odessa Record -

Given the ongoing shutdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, like nearly all local businesses, we had to make some difficult decisions last week.

Among those was the decision to reduce staff. At the same time, we decided to continue to provide the same amount of content.

And with things changing so quickly, we’ve started updating our webpage, http://www.odessarecord.com, more frequently.

For our subscribers, access to the webpage is free. All you have to do is call our main office at 509-235-6184 and request access.

You may have to leave a message due to temporary staff reductions and a change in hours. But our circulation specialists will get you taken care of as soon as possible.

We didn’t take the decision to reduce staff, even temporarily, lightly. They, and others, were born out of necessity. We thank you in advance for your understanding.

What can you do to keep the news flowing in print? Shop local. Order local takeout. Keep other businesses in Lincoln County alive.

Newspapers are a secondary business, meaning the economic failure and successes of local businesses are reflected in the number of print pages we can produce. And print pages are based on advertising.

So, if local businesses thrive, so do we. If they struggle, so do we.

Here in Lincoln County, your grocery and convenience stores need you. Hardware, agriculture and ranch and home businesses need you. And local restaurants and other businesses need you.

It may be more convenient to shop online. But doing so is damaging to the local economy now more than every. Patronize local business.

Keeping local businesses in the green will help ensure you get the quality news and feature coverage that you expect and deserve from us. We can be there for you, but only if you are there for local businesses, and they are there for us.

— Roger Harnack is the publisher of Free Press Publishing. Email him at Roger@cheneyfreepress.com.