As a newspaper lands on your porch each day, or you grab it from a local vendor, the complex manufacturing process that goes into producing it is probably the furthest thing from your mind. But the making of a daily newspaper truly is an amazing thing.
We’ve been thinking a lot about that lately at the Tribune-Star as we’ve worked feverishly to create new processes that allow us to take on a more significant role within CNHI, our parent company, as a printing hub.
Our production plant on Margaret Avenue near Indiana 46 has been running on steroids the last two months. It’s always been a busy place, but recent developments have made it even more so.
In addition to publishing the Tribune-Star each day, our production staff is now responsible for printing two other daily CNHI newspapers — the Washington Times-Herald and the Danville, Ill., Commercial-News. That’s on top of other print jobs we do — the Indiana Statesman (ISU’s student newspaper) three times a week, the Hendricks County Flyer twice a week, the Westside (Indy) Flyer once a week, and the Jasonville Independent once a week. We’ve also just begun printing the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College student publication.
It’s good to be busy, even though it has its challenges. Printing Danville and Washington has been particularly bruising on our system. It has, at times, stressed resources and forced us to alter processes and adjust our production approach.
It remains a work in progress. But we’re getting there.
The work being done by our production teams has been phenomenal. They keep pushing to hone processes so that all of our customers get their papers on time.
As some of the Tribune-Star’s customers know, we’ve had a few problems along the way. As a result, delivery of newspapers has been late at times. Meanwhile, our paper carriers are doing everything they can to keep you satisfied while we resolve issues.
These pressures have also required us to make some changes to the T-S format and sectioning. It’s an evolution, but we think we’re getting real close to having it all worked out.
Some of the changes we’ve had to make to accommodate increasing production demands will become evident this week as we move some feature sections and content to different days of the week.
Here’s what to expect:
• When Wednesday’s newspaper arrives this week, it will no longer contain the School Zone section, which is being moved to Thursday.
• When Thursday’s newspaper arrives, it will be in four sections. The first three sections will be news, School Zone and Sports. The fourth section will be ’Bash (our entertainment and activity section), which formerly published on Friday.
I understand that changes such as these can sometimes irritate and upset loyal readers. I assure you we don’t want that, and apologize in advance for any inconvenience. We would not do it if it wasn’t important for production processes, our employees and the long-term interests of this newspaper.
Being a printing hub for our parent company is a big deal for the Tribune-Star and Terre Haute. It boosts our business and stabilizes our workforce. We see this as an opportunity to make this company stronger and your newspaper better. As we resolve our service issues, we hope you will see it the same way.
Your feedback is always welcome.
Max Jones can be reached at (812) 231-4336, or by email at max.jones@tribstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TribStarMax.
Editorials
MAX JONES: More changes and challenges, but we’re getting there
- Editorials
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EDITORIAL: Independent running mates
Almost certainly, running mates will not influence voters choosing Indiana’s next governor.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
• Cream of the crop
• Keep the ideas flowing
• Remembering fallen officers
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EDITORIAL: Hazards of the spring abundant now on I-70
A major holiday weekend is approaching. The weather has been consistently inviting for travel and outdoor activity. Gas prices are even inching downward.
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EDITORIAL: Embrace the Sycamores
Terre Haute should understand the rarity of an opportunity to celebrate a championship.
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EDITORIAL: Good choice for stability
For the first time in 25 years, Indiana will have a new chief justice for its Supreme Court. For those who value stability on the state’s highest court — and we count ourselves among those who do — the appointment Tuesday of longtime Justice Brent Dickson is good news.
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EDITORIAL: Correcting the prison imbalance
Terre Haute will no longer count federal prisoners when the city slices its population into six equal City Council districts. That decision by the City Council last week to remove the inmates at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex from the council district mathematical formula may not make waves, but it makes sense.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the News
• Sometimes bureaucracies do listen
• April hours bring May flowers
• Getting our airport off the ground
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EDITORIAL: When it’s IU vs. UK, there’s got to be a way
If the annual Indiana-Kentucky basketball game was not significant, would the coaches of the two universities be talking like this?
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EDITORIAL: Sen. Lugar’s compelling message
Richard Lugar, no stranger to reading political tea leaves, undoubtedly knew for weeks that defeat was coming Tuesday night in his primary fight for re-election against a more-conservative-than-thou opponent. A statement Lugar released just hours after his loss of titantic proportions indicates that the six-term incumbent saw the reality even before he knew Richard Mourdock was to be his opponent this May.
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EDITORIAL: Reviewing the landscape
The compelling story line surrounding the race between Richard Lugar and Richard Mourdock dominated most of the local primary election chatter. With those stunning results now in the books and Mourdock heading toward a showdown with Democratic Party nominee Joe Donnelly of South Bend (the current U.S. House rep from the 2nd District), it’s time to survey the landscape for other general election races that will be worthy of attention.
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EDITORIAL: GOP changed; Lugar didn’t
Six terms. Overwhelming popularity. A statesman and a gentleman. A visionary. An icon in the annals of U.S. Senate leadership, even world leadership. So dominating on the political landscape that the opposing party did not even produce a candidate in the last election.
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EDITORIAL: An exercise in democracy
Primary elections rarely draw the same levels of participation as general elections.
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EDITORIAL: Fight against child abuse demands ongoing attention
As with many of our nation’s most maddening and perplexing social problems, one hardly knows how to fathom the egregious wrongs that occur when a child is abused.
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EDITORIAL: A ‘giant’ for his hometown
Home is where the heart is. That’s true for all of us. In addition, your heart can take you home.
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EDITORIAL: Curbing corruption a worthwhile crusade
If you are cynical about government, down to its most local levels, you may think it is overrun — or even controlled — by corruption.
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EDITORIAL: The politics of Primary 2012
In less than a week, voting Hoosiers get a chance to make a statement about the future of politics in their state and beyond. But whatever that statement turns out to be, the final punctuation marks won’t be added until November. It’s possible that nothing will be settled by the end of the night May 8.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
• Their footsteps can lead us
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• Feeding a genuine need
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EDITORIAL: Hoosier Republicans should stick with Richard Lugar
Until late 2008, most Hoosiers were quite pleased — and in many cases, darn right proud — to call Richard Lugar their senior U.S. senator.
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EDITORIAL: Matt Branam: 1954-2012
The sudden death of 57-year-old Matt Branam on Friday morning continues to leave an air of sadness hanging over the community.
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EDITORIAL: A transplant from St. Ann’s
It would be understandable, for most of us, if we were madder than the opposite of heaven if a beloved, historic, personal part of our lives was to be taken away against our will.
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EDITORIAL: Pragmatic approach to downtown development benefits community
Terre Haute has known for some time now that Indiana State University’s master plan includes creation of student residential centers off-campus in the nearby downtown area.
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TRIBUNE-STAR EDITORIAL: A salute to pride of ’55
Terre Haute gets the chance to witness and appreciate the extent of its rich baseball legacy this Saturday. Its past and present will merge at Bob Warn Field.
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EDITORIAL: A match of Mitt and Mitch?
Not every Indiana governor’s endorsement of a presidential candidate has made instant national news as did Mitch Daniels’ support for Mitt Romney on Wednesday.
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EDITORIAL: Drilling for fairness
Consistency and fairness were on trial Monday as the Vigo County commissioners grappled with a controversial rezoning request from a property owner who wants to drill for oil on his land near Hawthorn Park northeast of Terre Haute.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
Cheers, jeers and tears
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EDITORIAL: Be fair, consistent, but keep smokefree ordinance on track
The steps toward a healthier, more vibrant community should continue moving forward.
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EDITORIAL: Inspired by tradition, celebration
With the observance of Orthodox Easter on Sunday, the spring holy holidays for Christians and Jews will have passed for another year.
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EDITORIAL: No need to sing the blues
The words from Terre Haute Board of Works President Bob Murray on Monday afternoon were as sweet to the ear as a blues riff from an electric guitar: “The bottom line is, [Blues at the Crossroads] should be able to operate just as it has before. It will get worked out.”
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EDITORIAL: Traps abound in online world
For parents, guardians, civil authorities and those who supervise and nurture children of all ages, there is nothing new in the notion that the online world of digital communications is fraught with danger.
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EDITORIAL: Primary reaches critical junction
This is a key week in the highly competitive Republican U.S. Senate primary race between six-term incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar and state Treasurer Richard Mourdock.
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EDITORIAL: Independent running mates
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