@kraziebill : Bloomington and Champaign are printed there as well

News flash! My parents have a new carrier and has already missed two papers. Things aren't trending well.

The delivery people are not direct employees... they are 1099 contractors.They deliver all the papers... Tribune, WSJ, NYTimes too.

At one point, probably between 30 and 35 years ago, I worked my butt off delivering the paper as an independent contractor. It was a great gig for a single parent who needed some extra money. My daughter was asleep when I left the house and still asleep when I got back home. There were times that I had more than one route and took the job seriously. Having that paper to the customer by 6 AM was important to me, just as having it put where the customer wanted it was. Mine were "walking" routes, not drive by, slow down and toss the paper wherever it lands routes. Tips at Christmas time allowed me to give my kids things they wanted, instead of only things they needed. I met some very nice people along the routes. Times change and not always for the better.

I had a M-F afternoon route, and a Sat.- Sun. morning route. I don't ever remember missing anyone or not being on time. I rode my bicycle. It was hard to learn how to balance with the big shoulder bag on. But once you learned it, it got easier. I did make a little extra in tips. I bought a new baseball glove, a bat, and a few baseball card packs, and clothes that were considered unnecessary. (Bell bottom jeans)
With all of that being said, I don't have my paper today that I paid for already. I still miss the daily breakfast / newspaper routine. I think I am just going to cancel though. I really don't like to pay for things that I can't have.

Hey, what do you know!! My paper just showed up at the end of my driveway.

Rehashed stories I have already known about. Sports stories from Friday,..a couple Saturday scores. Hardly any high school sports coverage. That is what it has become. I need to decide if it is worth it. Disappointed every time I read it, so I should probably cancel my subscription.

@Mahkno : Even with all of those papers my parent's previous "really good" carrier quit because she had a large route with few customers. She told my mom with the continual increase in gas prices, it wasn't worth it.

@CCubs : I read most of the articles of local importance a day or two before they are published by reading them on their FB page. Seldom bother with the electronic version, but worth the price of that subscription so I can read the articles.

I haven't purchased a paper in many years. Some news is important agreed. The choice to pay for news, Paper, Screen or watching has a cost. Internet has a lock on it big time at the moment.

@Rambleon @Ccubs I also had routes: from 5th grade through high school. I started with an evening route, then had both morning and evening. Delivered via bicycle.....two baskets on the back, one in the front, and the bag over the shoulder. Dad would feel sorry for me on cold, snowy Sunday mornings and would drive me. I gave up the afternoon route mid way through my junior year to be involved in tennis and band after school. That is when my parents started delivering. By the time they "retired" (mother said she was NOT going to deliver on Christmas Day when they started that and quit) they had amassed three morning routes and two afternoon routes until PJStar discontinued evening services. They were actually fired by the PJStar in 2000. They repeatedly told their district manager that they were going to Germany for three weeks to visit relatives and couldn't find a sub for the last week. He told them too bad. They went, got fired, but their customers revolted, a good number quit, and bombarded the PJStar they wanted my parents back. They even had three people start a petition who got almost all of their customers to sign. They finally gave in....the district manager must have been tired of delivering close to 150 papers every morning, and more on the weekends. LOL