The Ironwood Daily Globe is shifting from traditional paper carriers to the U.S. Postal Service for delivery of the newspaper. The Globe cited troubles with delays and a shortage of carriers which caused people to miss the paper sometimes as the driving force behind the decision.

I am writing about this because the only paper I ever received in the mail was the Wall Street Journal and I had not heard of smaller localized papers doing this for their immediate customers. I know you can have other major newspapers delivered through the mail, but the concept of dropping all of your local delivery struck me as interesting.

The upside to this is that the efficient post offices in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stated that they have all mail delivered by 4 pm. Some subscribers wouldn’t receive their paper until the evening before this switch was made.

Rising gas prices were making it more and more difficult for the independent contractors who use their own vehicles. The newspaper is paying the carriers a bonus if they continue their route through June 19. Part-time jobs created by the change in the paper’s production will be offered to the carriers first out of consideration for their positions being eliminated.

Now, if only my Beaners coffee and Sweetwaters donuts could be delivered in the mail every morning. Man, that would be great!