Earlier this month, the Crisfield-Somerset County Times vacated its physical office on Main Street, and the building itself has been sold.

The newspaper, of course, will continue to publish weekly on Wednesdays with distribution throughout Crisfield and the rest of Somerset County.

The telephone number for the paper will also remain the same, 410-968-1188 for editorial or 410-968-1189 for advertising — but the mailing address has been changed to Post Office Box 310, Crisfield, MD 21817.

Whenever possible, news items and other correspondence should be emailed to CrisfieldNews@newszap.com. Visitors to the newspaper’s website, at csctimes.com, can submit letters to the editor, place classified ads, or manage newspaper subscriptions online.

“With today’s digital technology, it is easier than ever to connect with our readers and advertising clients through email and by use of interactive forms on our website,” Publisher Darel La Prade said.

“This means we no longer have to bear the expense of an office, separate telephone system, insurance and other maintenance costs that go along with those items.

“Instead of paying these costs, we can redirect resources to better content and reporting in the newspaper, enhancing our digital services and improving our website design,” La Prade added.

According to a recent study, the U.S. has lost one in four of its newspapers in the last 15 years. The majority of papers that have folded were weeklies or other non-dailies.

“About 200 counties in America are without a newspaper altogether,” La Prade said. “To make certain that doesn’t happen in Somerset, we need to do things more efficiently and effectively. We are here to stay, and there’s no question we will continue to provide the best newspaper the community can afford.”

Richard Crumbacker and Karen Riggin will continue in their local positions as editor and marketing consultant respectively. You can contact Richard Crumbacker at rcrumbacker@newszap.com or Karen Riggin at kriggin@newszap.com or 410-968-1189.

“The business model for weekly newspapers is ever-evolving, and we have found that in Salisbury and Dorchester County, where we also have weekly newspapers, a two-person mobile staff, working from home or on-the-go, is a successful emerging model,” La Prade said. “We have every reason to believe this same set up will work here, too. Our only interest is to make certain we establish a sustainable future for the County Times.”

The County Times is published by Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA and printed at the company’s plant in Dover.