Welcome to the Online Edition of
The Observer!

 Welcome to The Observer's website! If you haven't yet become a subscriber to The Observer's online edition, now's the time! What better way to keep in touch with West Central Iowa than by browsing through The Observer, one of the best small-town newspapers in the state!

    While you can't read the pages word for word without a subscription, you can browse the website and take advantage of the other things we have to offer and then decide if you would like to subscribe. Use the menu on the left side of the home page to skip to the features that you want to find quickly.

If you purchase a subscription, you will be able to click on the Observer front page and it will be enlarged so you can read it. You can search by any keyword with the box at left, and a list of the stories containing that word will appear. For instance, you can enter your last name to see if you are “in the news” this week.

The E-edition will be available on Wednesday afternoon each week, but all week long you can use this site for local weather, all the movie listings within a 70-mile radius, nationwide news, crossword puzzles, and features on a variety of topics (click on “Online Features”). There will be different “quick polls” added periodically, and you can visit the “Photo Gallery” link to see photos from The Observer files or ones submitted by readers. (Of course, there are always hundreds of photos available for viewing on The Observer's Facebook page.)

If breaking news occurs – something like a fire or a robbery after the week’s paper is published, or even the score from Friday night’s football game – we can add that news to the site. And, you can enter your e-mail address at the lower left to receive breaking news alerts. The subscribers receive an e-mail each week when the new pages from the week are ready to read.

All issues, beginning with the September 10, 2009, edition, are saved under the “Archives” button.

There is even the capability for our website visitors to add comments, photos and even videos to the site. Click on “Public Forum,” “Videos” or “Photo Gallery” on the left-side menu to find out how.

Our advertisers can also be found on our website. Check out the ads on the right side of the page. They will be rotating, and you can click on any one of them to enlarge the ad and bring up links to the advertiser’s website (if they have one), e-mail, or a Yahoo map of their location. We will be adding business card ads to the area at the top right, side ads on the left, and banner ads across the top of this page as time goes on.

Enjoy this venture, and don’t be afraid to contact us with questions you may have! Make this page your internet homepage or, at the very least, add it to your favorites for easy accessibility!

             Thanks, and don't be afraid to contact us with questions!