MONROE - Beginning with Monday's edition, the U.S. Postal Service will provide same-day delivery of the daily Monroe Times newspaper. The paper no longer will be delivered by carriers.
To ensure newspapers arrive at area post offices in time for same-day delivery, the Times is changing its production schedule. The newspaper now will be completed and printed at 1 a.m., instead of at 9:30 a.m.
Area post offices have indicated mail carriers complete nearly all of their routes before 5 p.m. six days a week. In addition, the Times will be available in vending boxes and at stores at the start of each day, usually by 7 a.m., General Manager Carl Hearing said.
Hearing said there are economic reasons for the change.
"In these economically challenging times, we cannot continue to incur the increasing expense of maintaining an independent contractor carrier force, so converting to a morning print cycle will allow us to utilize the U.S. Postal Service to maintain same-day delivery to our readers and provide them with the best possible and most reliable delivery service available."
To ensure newspapers arrive at area post offices in time for same-day delivery, the Times is changing its production schedule. The newspaper now will be completed and printed at 1 a.m., instead of at 9:30 a.m.
Area post offices have indicated mail carriers complete nearly all of their routes before 5 p.m. six days a week. In addition, the Times will be available in vending boxes and at stores at the start of each day, usually by 7 a.m., General Manager Carl Hearing said.
Hearing said there are economic reasons for the change.
"In these economically challenging times, we cannot continue to incur the increasing expense of maintaining an independent contractor carrier force, so converting to a morning print cycle will allow us to utilize the U.S. Postal Service to maintain same-day delivery to our readers and provide them with the best possible and most reliable delivery service available."