Wednesday morning was the last time subscribers of the Keys Citizen newspaper found their papers on their front porches, driveways or sidewalks when they got up in the morning.
The oldest paper in the Keys has seen a lot of changes in its 116-year history.
The most recent is a name change, from the Key West Citizen to Keys Citizen. That happened last week, on June 22. The publisher wrote in a note to readers that is to reflect expanded coverage throughout the island chain.
Around the same time, subscribers learned they will now receive their papers from the U.S. Postal Service.
A message from the paper's publisher and circulation director says that "home delivery of the print edition has been difficult of late."
Staffing shortages affecting much of the country now are even more acute in the Keys, where the cost of housing is out of reach for many workers. Fuel and other goods are also more expensive in the Keys.
The paper's managers say the postal service promises same-day delivery to all Key West customers. And they promised some other benefits:
"No more hunting for a wet or entirely missed newspaper. Your paper will be dry and in the same spot every day, delivered by the oldest and most trusted delivery service in the USA, the U.S. Postal Service."
Newspapers throughout the country have switched to delivery by the post office, despite objections from some subscribers who like reading the news — in print — with their morning coffee.
The Citizen has been printed on the mainland for almost five years. Early in the pandemic, it switched to electronic-only editions two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It now prints three physical editions on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. All papers are available online as PDF editions.
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