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Monday, July 27, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor News closes after printing for 174 years
AnnArbor.com to industry" and the consequential executive vice president. doing research on computers than
economic impact that forced pub- According to Champion, 274 any other Southeastern Michigan
replace local paper lishers to decide to close The Ann Ann Arbor News employees were city," he said.
Arbor News in March. laid off due to the paper's closing, Hurlbutt, a subscriber to The
By LARA ZADE "I' hope you will remember us and about 25 have been hired by Ann Arbor News for 25 years, was
ManagingNewsEditor for the contributions and impact AnnArbor.com. reading his copy of the last edi-
that we have made over the last 174 "We've had a very open employ- tion as he sat outside Starbucks
After 174 years, The Ann Arbor years," Champion also wrote. ment process at AnnArbor.com," on South Main Street. He said he
News - Ann Arbor's local, long- In honor of the final paper, The Champion said. "Everyone's had a would read the paper every day
standing, daily print newspaper Ann Arbor News printed an addi- chance to apply." and added that he'll miss the daily
- published its final print edition tional 12,000 copies. The demise of print newspapers ritual he created around perusing
Thursday. The print version of The Ann in many cities across the country the print edition.
Rather than featuring breaking Arbor News was replaced by raises the question of whether com- "I would come home from work,
local news, such as City Council AnnArbor.com - a free website munities will adapt to an online do my exercises, eat dinner, and
meeting plans or the latest crime launched Friday that will offer local medium for daily news. after dinner I'd sit down and read
reports, Thursday's main headline news and distribute a print edition But according to Kraner, the the newspaper," he said.
read "Farewell, Ann Arbor." The on Sundays and Thursdays. The internet-savvy Ann Arbor commu- Hurlbutt added that he plans to
final paper showcased a timeline of Web site is managed by Matthew nity is ready to adjust to the new use AnnArbor.com to stay current
the publication's history and a clos- Kraner, AnnArbor.com president Web site. As published in a March with city political events and other
ing column from publisher Laurel and chief executive officer, and 23 Ann Arbor News article, AnnAr- local information.
Champion. Tony Dearing, AnnArbor.com chief bor.com representatives found in a Ann Arbor resident Allen Hizer,
"It's been a great run," Champion content leader and a former Ann survey ofthe Ann Arbor region that also an avid reader of The Ann
wrote in the column. Arbor News managing editor as 92 percent of the community "has Arbor News, was enjoying his copy
Champion cited the "devastating well as a former editor of the Flint the skills and technology set-up to of the final edition of the paper
transformation of the newspaper Journal. Champion is the Web site's get online news." while eating lunch at Cloverleaf
Guy Hurlbutt, an Ann Arbor Restaurant on East Liberty Street.
resident and former University Hizer said he's not yet used to
Fam iyowned, international awa~rdl-winningemployee, said he thinks the new reading news content on the Inter-
Web site will do well in Ann Arbor net, but that he, along with the rest
because the city is home to intel- of the community, will adapt to the
p lectual citizens who keep up with change for news coverage.
technology. "Ithinkit'sjustgoingto be alearn-
"Because of the educational ing curve for everyone to accept the
level in town and with the Univer- new medium," Hizer said.
sity here, I think that people are - The Associated Press contrib-
more used to using computers and uted to this report.
LAWSUIT
From Page 3
stated that the University did not
have "actual or constructive notice
of a defect of a public building" and
therefore could not "take action to
protect the public against the con-
dition."
Smith's death was one of three
fatal construction accidents on
campus in the last 16 months.
University Spokeswoman Kelly
Cunningham wrote in an e-mail
interview that Smith's death was
an unfortunate event that has
been difficult for the many parties
involved to cope with and that the
University is still dealing with the
legal process regarding the law-
suit.
"This is a difficult situation for
everyone, and the University is
working through the court process
on the legal matters," she wrote.
Representatives from the Mich-
igan Occupational Safety and
Health Administration investi-
gated Smith's death and concluded
that Schindler Elevator Company
failed to make employees aware of
an accident prevention program,
adequately inspect the construc-
tion site for hazardous conditions
and enforce that all employeeswear
protective helmets while entering
and leaving the work site. MIOSHA
issued three fines to the company
totaling $9,400 on Dec. 12.
ghJtMIchiaan Daitu P R E S E N T S
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