We believe in supporting local business and we want to see Tyler County thrive and the people who live here and do business in its communities prosper as a result.

The Tyler Star News is just as much a part of the community as the flower shops down the street, the banks on the corner and the lady who walks every morning. We support local enterprise because we are a local enterprise.

Of late there has been talk that we do not represent the community or serve its inhabitants, but we strongly disagree.

As a staff of five, we do our best to cover Tyler County as a whole. Do we miss things?…Yes. Do we make mistakes?…Everyone does. But we are here to support, encourage and at times be the voice for the community. Our time is valuable and we try to use it wisely.

However, there is a cost associated with that level of support. One cannot expect to pump free gas in this community just because he or she lives here or pick groceries off the shelf without paying. In the same respect, the Tyler Star News cannot afford to give away free advertising to everyone who walks through our doors, though we often wish we could.

The newspaper in its original form has adapted through the years as technology has made information more readily available. More often than not people go in search of breaking news on a Web site or on a television network rather than in the columns of the local newspaper. For this reason, as sad as it may be, the print media is often supported by display and legal advertising, especially in smaller venues.

To combat the unstable, ever-changing economy, some small, weekly publications have seen a rate increase of 50 percent or more per issue. The price of your local newspaper, however, has remained the same even in the face of uncertain times.

Tyler County has a lot to be proud of and we hope the newspaper is among them.

We are here for you. Are you here for us?