Still committed to our readers

You may notice something a little different about next week's newspaper. As of July 1, the Tri-City Tribune and the Trumann Democrat will merge together to form the Poinsett County Democrat Tribune.

I've talked to many of you in the community about this upcoming change, and like with most change, the news was met with mixed results. Some of you were thrilled at the thought of having a bigger newspaper with more news stories. Others were a little sad about the change and fearful for what it might mean for your hometown's identity.

I understand those fears, and I'd like to take this opportunity to assure you that if news is important to you and your city, then it will be important to us. When you open the pages of the Democrat Tribune, you will find county-wide news coverage and sports stories, but you will also find the pictures of your children and grandchildren that have always made your hometown paper so special.

And just as I promise you I will do the best to represent your hometown, I ask a favor of you. If you see news happening, or if you have a great story idea, please give us a call. If we don't know about an event, then we can't report about it. And if you want us to know about that huge fish your grandson caught, then please send us a picture. We'd be glad to print it.

Let's continue to partner together to make the newspaper the best it can be, not only for us but for the future generations who will one day look through its pages to find out about the history of their hometowns.