The Canadian Record staff is committed to continuing to deliver the news you need in a timely manner. The coronavirus pandemic has caused great disruption in the ways we connect and in how we conduct business.

The public health crisis that has resulted presents a constantly-moving target—at once challenging to report and heartbreaking to witness. The news sometimes changes day-by-day, and more and more frequently, hour-by-hour.

Never has there been a greater need or hunger for news. Never has there been a greater need for a trusted and independent source of local news.

In an effort to keep our community and our readers informed, we have taken several steps:

•We have removed our paywall on all COVID-19 related stories posted on our website at canadianrecord.com, and as we have in the past, we routinely post links to those stories on our Facebook page.

•We are posting emergency updates, business closings or changes in service, and event cancellations and postponements on Facebook and in our print edition as a public service, free of charge.

•We are offering discounted prices to our loyal, local advertisers, in an effort to help you continue promoting your businesses and services during hard times, just as you have helped us through hard times.

A rising tide lifts all boats, and we believe that this whole community will be restored and reinvigorated if we do everything we can to take care of each other.

Since Jan. 21, when the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in this country, its disastrous domino effect has been sweeping and relentless. No one has been left untouched in some way.

In this county, as elsewhere, events have been canceled, businesses have closed, employees have lost jobs and paychecks, and too many families have been left with little means to survive a siege that has no end in sight.

The financial impact to our business in the loss of local advertising revenue may eventually be significant enough that we must temporarily cut our own expenses. Two of the largest expenses we incur each week are those for printing and mailing.

Should those become unsustainable, we may be limited to delivering the news to readers through our e-Edition, on social media via Facebook and Twitter, and on our webpage at www.canadianrecord.com.

We have not reached that watershed moment yet. So that we can ensure uninterrupted delivery of the news, we are asking all of our print subscribers who are able to send us their email addresses and phone numbers. If we are, at any point, forced to suspend printing and delivery through the mail, we will send you the e-Edition, which is an exact digital replica of the printed newspaper, at no additional cost.

We ask for your patience and understanding, should these changes be necessary. And we promise you this:

The Canadian Record has been in publication in Hemphill County since 1893. We did not reach this advanced age without experiencing our fair share of challenges and surviving our fair share of lean times. We are determined to do so again.

We ask only for your faith and confidence ... and yes, your email address, if you have one. Please send it to mary@canadianrecord.com, or call us anytime at 806.323.6461. If we are not available, leave a message with your name and phone number, and we will return your call as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your help, and please, stay home and stay safe. We will get through this together.

Laurie Ezzell Brown, Editor/Publisher

The Canadian Record