If you haven’t had a chance, I invite you to take a moment to check out our new website at www.fct.wpengine.com.

We have made a few upgrades and now have a more streamlined look. Our special sections are now found to the lower right on the home page, where you can also find links to our latest edition of Franklin Living – of course, you can also browse through all of our past editions, too.

We also have a poll question on the lower right of each page. Managing editor Alison James is asking a timely question each week that we would appreciate each of you participating in.

Those are just a few of the improvements you will notice.

If you need to submit a news tip, a photo or an announcement, or place a classified ad, simply click on Services in the upper left hand corner of the home page. If you need to subscribe, that is also in the upper left hand corner of the home page.

The new website might take some getting used to for those who are used to using our old website. No one likes change, right? I don’t either – except when it is a change for the better, such as is the case in this instance. I hope you will find the new website easy to navigate as well as useful.

Personally, I love print. I always have and always will. I spend a good portion of my day on a computer, but when I get ready to read something, such as a newspaper or magazine for pleasure, I want to hold it; I want to feel the pages in my hands; I want to have the experience of reading, not working on the computer. Studies have now found that print isn’t dead or dying – people just assumed it was. Newspapers are still the most trusted way to build a relationship between businesses and their customers.

However, I realize there are a lot of people who do prefer to read online. That much is obvious, since on average our website is read by more than 17,000 unique visitors each month. We try to reach all of our audiences in whatever form they prefer, be it print, web, Facebook or Twitter. We can now do that even better with our new website; I hope you’ll check it out.