On Monday, the Express-News returned to Karnes County.

Gone for less than a month, many of us who enjoy reading quality daily newspapers are very happy about its return to our area.

Readers can now find it at two local gas stations: The Texaco in Falls City and the Chevron (The Tote) in Karnes City. Soon they will be able to find it at theValero gas station on Hwy. 181 in Kenedy.

Today I received a phone call congratulating me on my efforts to bring it back to Karnes County, but I really can’t take the credit for this.

All I did was write a small column in a small weekly newspaper, but others in this community really took the charge and their efforts paid off in a big way.

County, city, chamber officials and private citizens were not about to take the Express-News’ decision to abandon Karnes County lying down.

Oh no.

Specifically, Karnes City Mayor Don Tymrak, Karnes City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Maggie Hunt, County Judge Alger Kendall, Jr., Truett Hunt, Herman Gawlik and I’m sure many others began heating up the phone lines with calls to the Express-News offices letting those folks up there know that we weren’t happy with their choice to write us off just because we live in a rural area.

The complaints didn’t stop at the offices of the Express-News, either.

And that’s the real key to the whole deal.

Karnes City’s city council passed a resolution and also presented one to the Alamo Area Council of Governments stating the importance of keeping the Express-News in Karnes County.

Someone – brilliantly – contacted a media competitor of the Express-News – KSAT Channel 12.

Channel 12 aired a story about the metro newspaper high-tailing it out of Karnes County and the tagline at the end was priceless…

"No comment," was the word handed down from the publisher of the Express-News.

No comment?

What kind of thing is that to say from someone in the news business?

Unbelievable.

It didn’t take long after that story aired that word reached our office letting us know that the Express-News would bring back three vendor locations.

The Express-News may be short-sighted, but they are not hard-headed.

They were big enough to acknowledge their mistake they wisely took corrective action in reinstating the delivery of their newspapers to three Karnes County locations.

Three is not what it once was, but it is certainly a lot better than zero.