There will be no Fayette Advertiser delivered next week. The publication date would have been January 1, 2025.

Many former publishers would always combine editions for the end of the year to allow the newspaper staff a break during the holidays. For the six-and-a-half years I have been publishing the Advertiser, we have always printed a New Year’s edition. However, this year has been particularly difficult, emotionally and physically, and with only two full-time employees, myself and Linda Vroman, I have decided it is important for us to step away from the office for the final week of the year.

This year, we gladly accepted some much-needed part-time additions to the newspaper staff. Brian Spielbauer has been helping primarily with sports coverage. He has been a very welcomed addition to the staff. We also hired Charles Fields of rural Howard County to make the weekly trip to our print facility in Jefferson City on Tuesdays. Both have been hugely beneficial to the operation of this 185-year-old newspaper.

While the newspaper will not print next week, we will still cover any breaking news over the holiday break. Any news of note will be published on our website: FayetteNewspapers.com.

In the meantime, the staff of the Advertiser wishes all of our readers and advertisers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, we still hope this is a joyous time for you and yours.

The Advertiser will resume publication on January 8, 2025. By then, all filings for school boards and city councils will have been completed, businesses and schools will have resumed, and the historic and always excellent New Franklin Basketball Tournament will be in full swing (see brackets on Page 7).

The continued publication of a locally-owned newspaper is no small task. While most small, and even large, towns no longer have a source of local news, the Advertiser has been printing the history of Fayette and Howard County since 1840. This would not be possible without our faithful advertisers.

While subscriptions tend to cover the postage for delivery each week, advertising is what keeps the lights on and presses running. This edition, in particular, is a highlight of our local businesses and organizations that care about Fayette, Howard County, and local news. Take notice of all our local businesses that printed special holiday messages this week. These are the businesses, organizations, and individuals who care about the longevity of Fayette and Howard County. They are special and deserve your support.

Take care of yourselves, your friends and family, and those in your communities. We look forward to reporting the news of 2025!

Justin Addison

Editor/Publisher