We have proudly been a voice for the community, keeping you informed and fighting for the issues that concern you.

Like all communities, Young has an insatiable need to know about things as soon as they happen.

It's one of the reasons our Facebook page, with 6,000 followers, is so popular and we recently hit more than 1.8 million page views on our website this year.

This changing world is also forcing us to adapt the way we deliver news.

Today you will notice some changes to the Witness.

We feel these changes are necessary if we are to be at the forefront of local news provision.

In practical terms it means we'll be increasing the volume of news we deliver live and online.

But to make that happen, something had to give and the time spent tied to a desk was the logical starting point.

Our new system, with greater automated layout, will free our team to tell more stories as they happen rather than wait for the newspaper to hit your front lawns.

It also delivers a new look for the newspaper.

We are introducing a larger typeface size for stories and ample spacing to make the words easier to read.

The people who are delivering that content are Young residents who care passionately about our community.

They either grew up in Young or now proudly call it home.

I am new to Young and have been very impressed by the sense of community in this great town.

We all want to see the Witness continue to tell your local stories and fight for your community and preserve our fantastic lifestyle.

So I would urge you to ride the wave of change with us even if that means letting go of the "look" of a paper you have understandably grown familiar with.

At the end of the day the Witness’ value isn't really about its design.

It's value lies in the stories, campaigns, letter writers, artists, sports people and community groups of Young, and that will never change.