As we at Vicksburg Newsmedia — The Vicksburg Post, Vicksburg Living magazine, Signs First and Speediprint — sit down today to our Thanksgiving meals, you will be in our prayers of Thanksgiving.

You are our reason for being, and we thank you for allowing us to do this job we love so much.

Those of us who have worked in the newspaper industry for many years are poignantly aware of the changing times. Nonetheless, in many ways, newspapering is a calling. We are thankful that ours is a segment of the industry that continues to thrive because we can focus on and serve only Vicksburg and Warren County.

We try our best to tell the stories — good and bad — of this community we live in and love, while being its biggest cheerleader. The success of the Vicksburg community is important to us at your newspaper because it is our home, too.

We are thankful to our faithful employees — many who have worked to serve this community for 20 or more years — like David Girard, Ernest Bowker, Shandale Goodman, Sheila Mantz, Ronnie Aldridge, Steve Wilson and Kim Alexander.

Others who are Vicksburg natives but haven’t been with us quite that long but are just as dedicated to doing our best to serve you include Terri Cowart Frazier and Mary Manard.

John Surratt, a reporter for more than 40 years, moved his family to Vicksburg and has been diligently working to tell the Vicksburg story since 2011. Other talented newcomers include photographer Courtland Wells, marketing consultant Beth Hennington, sales manager Joe Coates and Signs First manager LaRue Cook.

We are thankful for our faithful, dedicated force of independent contract carriers, who get up in the wee hours of the morning — rain or shine, hot or cold — and deliver our newspapers to you. They include Jean Sibley, Regina Holdiness Smith, Hannah Smith, Judy Hall, Kathy Hooper, Daniel Williams, Julie James, Frank DeRossette, Daniel Marble, Lawrence Muirhead, Sharon Ward, Kayla Judge, Jessica Stewart, Randi Holmes, Latasha Harris and Markassa Reece.

Their stories are often a family affair. Regina Smith has been delivering Vicksburg Posts for more than 20 years, as have several other of our carrier force. Her daughter, Hannah Smith, grew up in the back seat of the vehicle, watching her mama deliver The Vicksburg Post.

Today, Hannah is one of our best carriers, and her children often accompany her as she goes about her work of bringing you your newspaper.

The newspaper industry has changed in recent years, and we certainly have been forced to make changes, too. But we continue to be a company of hard-working, talented, skilled, tax-paying Vicksburg and Warren County residents who care about this community as much as you do.

We’re in this together, and we’re thankful you allow us to serve you.

Happy Thanksgiving.