Not getting your Aberdeen Insider in a timely fashion?
Well, you are, unfortunately, in good company. One week, we didn’t get ours here at the office until the mail was delivered the Monday after publication. That was particularly perplexing.
It’s an ongoing and concerning problem for which we continue to seek a solution.
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, we took more than 60 calls at the office from folks who hadn’t gotten their Thursday, Sept. 18 edition. I was beside myself, and others in the building were going bonkers. Troy McQuillen, the publisher, and I aren’t drinkers, but we both thought we heard caps being twisted off of bottles from elsewhere in the building.
All of this to say the situation has been beyond aggravating.
We’re aware of it. And we’ve enlisted postal officials and members of the state’s congressional delegation to help determine what’s going on.
MORE: Rounds wants meeting with postmaster general about lagging mail service
Here’s what we know. For more than two years, mail delivery of newspapers was all but flawless. Sure, the occasional issue popped up, but nothing serious. But since June or so, delivery has become unpredictable even though we’re not doing anything differently.
The Insider is printed at Midstates Group on the east side of town as it always has been. They bundle the papers and get them ready for the post office.
Beyond that, it’s hard to know precisely what’s changed, though people in the mix had shared some information.
If you live in the Aberdeen city limits or anywhere in the 57401 ZIP code, you’ve probably not noticed any significant changes.
But if not…
Well, that’s where things get especially problematic. Newspapers used to arrive on Friday, perhaps Saturday. Recently, that hasn’t been the case. Monday, Tuesday and even, on occasion, Wednesday deliveries have become common.
That’s annoying for many readers with some having canceled their subscriptions and others considering following suit.
We’re every bit as discouraged. We want people to get their Insiders in a timely fashion so they can stay informed and attend local events. We hear you.
First, I’ll tell you what appears to be happening, then I’ll give you a workaround.
A few months back, the postal service changed how it handled much of the mail in northeastern South Dakota. Most used to go to a processing center in Huron where it was sorted and sent on its way. That worked pretty darn well.
Now, however, this seems to be the process for mail, including the Insider, that’s to be delivered outside of Aberdeen, even to nearby communities like Warner and Ipswich and Groton:
- First, it’s sent to Huron.
- Then, it heads north to a postal facility in Fargo, N.D., for sorting.
- From there, it’s back to Huron.
- And then it returns to Aberdeen where an independent contractor picks up the mail and hauls it to rural post offices for final delivery.
If that seems perplexing to you, it’s understandable.
Could there be something else going wrong in the process? Sure. Do we know it is? No. Have we inquired? Yes.
To say it’s conundrum is an understatement.
OK, now a couple of other things to know. The Aberdeen Insider is considered standard or marketing mail. In other words, it’s not the U.S. Postal Service‘s top priority. Can that be changed? Yeah, but…
But it would cost a lot more money to use first-class mail, and that would be reflected in the price of your subscription. Some folks have suggested we hire people to deliver the paper. Again, the concern is the cost. We want to keep the Insider as affordable as possible.
Now, the workaround.
If you have a print subscription, you have access to the e-edition, or electronic edition. It’s accessible from our website, aberdeeninsider.com. There’s an e-edition icon at the very top of the page and another at the bottom of the page.
By clicking on either icon, the e-edition opens. It is an exact replication of the print edition, and you can scroll through it on the screen of your laptop or phone. Read away!
One caveat — you need an email address and website password to do this. Most folks do, but not everybody.
For some, that technology might sound scary or unwarranted. But it’s really not so bad.
Still, that’s not what print edition subscribers are paying for, right? Which is why we continue working to fix the problem.
That work will continue. Unfortunately, we don’t know where the journey will lead. But we do appreciate your patience and ask that you continue to stick with us until we find a solution.
If you want to help, the best way is to contact the congressional delegation. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has prioritized the issue, requesting a meeting with Postmaster General David Steiner. Previously, after the USPS proposed changes that could slow mail delivery in South Dakota, especially in rural parts of the state, Rounds brokered a deal with former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
That seemed to work well, but DeJoy has since been replaced.
Here’s how to contact the members of our Washington delegation:
- Rounds: 844-875-5268
- Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.: 866-850-3855
- Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.: 202-225-2801
You can also email them from their respective websites.
Calling your local postmaster is an option, but this issue is most likely beyond something they can control on their own. Plus, most of them already know our concerns.
We’re flummoxed just like you. We’re unhappy just like you. We want the restoration of reliable mail service just like you.
MORE: Aberdeen Insider letters to the editor, guest column policy
Your concerns are our concerns. They have been heard.
We’re not the only ones hurting. Other newspapers are having the same problem. And Rounds said delayed delivery is affecting veterans and health care providers. He said mail is not being delivered within the postal service’s own standards.
That’s unacceptable and needs to change.
We apologize for the ongoing delivery problems. Hang with us and know we’re aware of and addressing your concerns the best we can.
Finding a solution, however, has proven to take longer than the actual delivery of the mail.
