Wichita Falls crews working 24/7 to publish three papers after Abilene fire
Deanna WatsonWICHITA FALLS — When the Times Record News' sister newspaper in Abilene suffered a fire Nov. 15, production crews here moved into high gear.
A fire in a third-floor utility room destroyed the mechanical system and damaged the second and first floors of the Abilene Reporter-News.
Since then the Reporter-News and the San Angelo Standard-Times, which had been printed in Abilene, have been printed in Wichita Falls. Some printing jobs previously handled in Abilene are being done at the El Paso Times, also a USA TODAY paper.
"It's just what we do," said Times Record News Production Manager Stevan Bull. "Our crews really stepped up to the plate, working day and night, adding extra hours and extra work days to their schedule."
The Reporter-News journalists found themselves covering their own alarming events from The Grace Museum across the street, said editor Greg Jaklewicz. The newspaper worked out of the museum for several days before moving to another downtown location.
"We're not sure this will be our final destination," the editor added, " because we're hearing this may be months instead of weeks. But we're doing best we can."
Jaklewicz interjected some humor in the retelling, adding that a recent Christmas parade included fire trucks with sirens blazing for reasons much more jolly. The memory of the Nov. 15 fire was still fresh.
The editor returned a call from the Times Record News, saying he had been interviewing someone for a daily story and putting out other fires that morning.
"Figuratively speaking," he said.
Reporters, more so than other newspaper departments, are used to finding themselves in alternative surroundings, he said.
"Journalists have worked in worse conditions. We're used to being out in the heat, the rain," Jaklewicz said. "I think we're settling in that this is life right now."
The response from the community of Abilene has been heartwarming, he said, including a show of support led by one general observation, "You guys haven't missed a beat."
"That's a compliment to the whole operation, including you guys in Wichita Falls. That's really amazed people," the editor said.
The TRN will continue to print all three newspapers, in addition to our nearly two dozen existing commercial printing clients as well as those associated with the sister newspapers to our west, into the month of December, Bull said.
The Reporter-News structure is still without power, an obvious necessity for starting a mammoth printing press.
