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Things were a little more hectic than usual in the Tribune Chronicle office building one year ago this week.
That's when those who worked here were spending inordinate amounts of time and energy trying to devise our plan of just how we would handle taking over production and publication of The Vindicator, more than doubling our Tribune Chronicle circulation, coverage area and distribution center.
If you've been paying attention, you've probably heard the story that after the deal was closed and finalized, it allowed us just about two weeks to implement a plan.
Most Tribune Chronicle readers knew we were making the move in an attempt to guarantee that our friends in Mahoning County would continue to have a reliable newspaper delivered both online and to their door. Trusted local news sources are critical in every community, and we knew a community the size of Youngstown and Mahoning County could not go without the service we knew we could provide.
That part was a no-brainer, especially as we had been providing reliable, trusted news coverage to you, our Trumbull County readers, without fail for more than 207 years. We had a solid corps of journalists already well trained on how to gather and cover the news. We had a fleet of delivery people, an excellent press and production crew, and all the other important departments that keep us humming along, including advertising and business operations.
We also knew that if we were successful in taking on publication of The Vindicator, it would make our entire operation stronger in both counties, thereby making our product better for those of you who read the Tribune Chronicle.
And so, we got to work.
In my department, we were fortunate to be able to bring on several very talented, strong journalists in the form of reporters, editors and page designers who previously worked in Youngstown.
Other departments in our building, too, shored up their staff by bringing on some new people in our downtown Warren offices.
We pushed through many growing pains, some of which undoubtedly affected even Tribune Chronicle readers because it meant things like clogged phone lines while we waited for the addition of new lines, or problems with delivery and billing, all due to overwhelming number of new accounts.
In the newsroom, our coverage of Mahoning County was a little more seamless because many of the journalists we added already knew the area and simply continued doing what they were already good at.
There was, of course, a learning curve as new page designers became acquainted with our programs and systems.
After a few months, we had worked out most of the kinks and we were humming along beautifully. We were focusing on community events, local government, courts and crime, high school sports and holding our elected officials accountable.
I was extremely proud of the very unique products we were turning out and the hard-working staff we had assembled.
Then, like many businesses, March came and we hit a huge speed bump -- COVID-19.
While COVID-19-related stories were plentiful, other news slowed. Events, both big and small, were canceled, leaving little opportunity for coverage and local photos. Feature stories became rare -- at least those without a health crisis angle. An abrupt end to sporting events on all levels left my sports department struggling to fill even half the daily space it previously filled.
But giving up was not an option. We have an obligation to tens of thousands of readers who rely on us every day. With more than 200 years behind us, the leaders at this newspaper knew we would persevere.
And we have.
As we work together as part of this community, we know we will emerge from this COVID-19 health crisis. We will rebound and continue to grow. We will continue to collect and present all the local news that our readers need.
Thank you for staying with us as we have transitioned and evolved this past year. It's been exciting and challenging, and now we look forward to many, many more to come.