Federal holiday may slow next weekʼs newspapers

Until reminded we suspect most of our customers have forgotten that the newest federal holiday will be observed on Wednesday, June 19,

While we expect it will be business as usual for most folks, the holiday is upsetting many delivery schedules for the printed version of this newspaper.

The paper will be printed as usual but we will not be able to enter it into the U.S. Mail system until Thursday.

Depending upon how the mail is moved and where we are permitted to enter the papers into the mail system will impact when it is delivered.

But there is no need to wait until Friday or later to read the paper.

We expect to post the e-edition of this newspaper on the internet on Wednesday. Subscribers with e-edition authorization and access to the internet will be able to read each individual page on their computer screen.

Unlike many area newspapers, this paper does not charge extra for access to the e-edition as it is included as a bonus with a mail subscription.

Three web addresses will reach the e-editions of The Superior Express, Jewell County Record and Nuckolls County Locomotive-Gazette. They are superiorne.com for The Express, jewellcountynewspapers.com for the Jewell County Record and nuckollscountynewspapers.com for the Nuckolls County Locomotive-Gazette.

The home page gives access unlimited access to selected stories. To reach the reproductions of the printed pages, subscribers need to select the pdf icon which will take them to not only the most current issues but many back issues. As an added bonus, most of the pictures from the printed editions are shown in color on the internet.

While we do not currently have a plan to discontinue the printed editions, as the mail service continues to decline and postage rates go up, it is becoming more likely that that the printed editions will be discontinued.

Currently the internet is the only option for subscribers to many of the city dailies. For example, the daily Kansas City Star was once available on publication day to Superior residents along with the Omaha and Lincoln daily newspapers. Now only a few copies of the Omaha World-Herald are available for purchase at the convenience stores. Most daily readers rely on the internet.

Not only is the post office delaying delivery of the newspapers, the delivery rates continue to soar. Rates were raised in January and another rate increase is planned for July.

And the post office is among big business relying on the internet for communication. This newspaper has a post office box up for renewal and the renewal notices are being delivered by email. Since January the reports we must file before the newspaper can be accepted for mailing must be submitted via the internet.

Like it or not, we are increasingly becoming a digital world.

In addition to the post office most other government offices and financial institutions will be closed on Wednesday.

The offiical name for the holiday is Juneteenth. It is a holida to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It was first observed in Texas where on that date in 1865 enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.