Last Wednesday, The Columbia Chronicle came off the press for the first time: a hometown newspaper you could hold in your hands. Tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 11, we do it again.
Edition No. 2 comes off our own press on Locust Street in the morning. It’s eight black-and-white pages, printed, folded and stacked by hand, one 11-by-17 sheet at a time. Our first run was about 250 copies. Want it in full color? Starting this week, color copies are available only by subscription.
Pick up your copy at Level Up Gaming, 438 Locust St., right next door to the Chronicle’s home at 436 Locust St. Or skip the trip and subscribe: the full-color digital edition arrives every Wednesday for $9.99 a month, and the printed paper comes to your mailbox for $19.99 a month at thecolumbiachronicle.com/subscribe.
Boots on the ground
The Chronicle isn’t written from an office in another county. We live here. When Columbia Borough Council meets, we cover it. When the votes come in, we’re watching the count.
Just in the past week, that meant:
- Covering the 41st District state House race from election night through the provisional-ballot count, as the lead changed hands.
- Reporting that the Columbia Public Library could face a shortfall of up to $100,000 after the county library tax failed.
- Following borough budget talks: the Fifth and Chestnut intersection fix, the community cat program, codes enforcement and a council resignation.
- Following the fire department’s $21,000 check-fraud loss until the money was fully reimbursed.
- Telling you about the Grinch coming to the Market House, winter sign-ups at CBAA and what’s new in Wrightsville.
That’s a lot of ground for a small team. Behind every edition are hours you never see: meetings, phone calls, fact-checking, layout, printing and folding, plus keeping the website, the Chronicle app, the Weather Center and the WPDC Sweet 16 stream running every day.
We do it because Columbia deserves a paper that answers to Columbia. Our mission is simple: report the facts, ask the hard questions, and let you decide for yourself. And we’re just getting warmed up. Your support lets us do more of it: more pages, more reporters, more of Columbia’s stories told.
Grow with us
If you’ve read a Chronicle story this month, you’ve seen what local reporting can do. Here’s how to be part of what comes next:
- Subscribe. $9.99 a month for the full-color digital edition, $19.99 a month for print by mail. Every subscription pays for ink, paper and postage. Subscribe here.
- Give. A one-time gift of any amount goes straight into reporting and printing. It takes a minute at thecolumbiachronicle.com/support, with PayPal or any major card.
- Advertise. Put your business in front of Columbia and Wrightsville readers, in print and online. Front-page ads start at $100 a month. Email editor@thecolumbiachronicle.com or text 717-366-0037.
- Partner with us. If you’d like to talk about a larger role in the Chronicle’s future, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out at the same email or number.
Your support stays private. We will never publish a subscriber’s or supporter’s name without your permission. Give quietly, read proudly.
Every subscriber, supporter and advertiser helps us cover more of Columbia, more often. Come along for the ride.
Wanted: freelance reporters
Know every shop owner on Locust Street? Can’t stop asking questions? The Chronicle is looking for freelance writers to cover:
- Business Spotlight profiles of Columbia and Wrightsville businesses
- Community events, school news and youth sports
- Local meetings and neighborhood news
No newsroom experience required, just curiosity, a good ear and respect for the facts. Send a short note about yourself, plus a writing sample if you have one, to editor@thecolumbiachronicle.com.
Pick up Edition No. 2 tomorrow. Then stick around: Edition No. 3 is already in the works.
The Columbia Chronicle: reporting the facts, asking the hard questions, serving our community.
The fine print: Gifts to The Columbia Chronicle support its reporting and operations and are not tax-deductible. They are not an investment and do not buy any ownership in the Chronicle. Payments are processed securely by PayPal; the Chronicle never sees or stores card numbers. Subscriptions renew monthly until canceled, and you can cancel anytime. Advertising is clearly labeled and never affects our news coverage.