Apr. 23—Home delivery for the Lewiston Tribune has been restored on all of the newspaper's routes in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.
All but four routes for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News in Moscow and Pullman have been filled. There are still 25 open routes, primarily in rural areas, said Mark Bryan, the circulation manager at TPC Holdings, the parent company of the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
Home delivery was temporarily suspended in February for 2,204 of the newspapers' almost 15,000 print subscribers in Lewiston, Clarkston, Moscow and Pullman, when a worker shortage made it impossible to fill vacancies in 30 of 105 routes.
A total of 1,358 print subscribers in rural areas had experienced a similar change in August. Efforts continue to bring back home delivery everywhere, Bryan said.
"We aren't out of the woods yet, but we're working very hard to meet the new labor challenges and to be creative in our approach," he said.
Subscribers have adjusted. Some are paying a little extra to get the newspaper by mail, Bryan said.
"Both digital access and store sales grew by large margins and those numbers are holding even as carrier delivery resumed on the affected routes," he said.
Readers have been "kind and understanding, even wanting to help," said Nathan Alford, editor and publisher of the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
"There are so many complex issues in play these days, and we're finding the path forward together as a community," Alford said.
Bryan echoed Alford's remarks.
A few individuals were understandably frustrated after decades of depending on newspaper delivery in the same way they rely on electricity to power lights when they flip switches in their homes, Bryan said.
"The labor challenges have been unprecedented and without reader patience and support, this really could have been much more difficult," he said. "There was a rally of sorts where our readers were helping us find carriers."
At the same time, Tribune employees have worked diligently to inform subscribers about the changes, answer their questions and train carriers, Bryan said.
"I wish everyone could see how hard and gracefully (our staff has) worked on these issues," Alford said.
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.