Are you a resident in a Norwalk zip code here in Connecticut and are wondering where to turn to for relevant news? You certainly can't rely on the big television stations anymore. You may be able to access information on just how busy bankruptcy attorneys in Southern California are these days, but how does that apply to the average Norwalk resident? How can you find news that applies to your local area, news which will tell you about your regional economy, current events, and city entertainments?

Well, the answer is by consulting the Hour. The Hour is the only newspaper which brings you news devoted to the city of Norwalk as well as the surrounding smaller towns. It has had this title now for five years, proudly serving the residents of the local area.

There was a time when the ability of the Hour to bring Norwalk residents news on local assaults with hand garden tools and other pertinent stores was in doubt. In 2003, the newspaper received some severe competition from the Advocate, a paper run out of nearby Stanfield.

This paper was not strictly local, but the corporate owners were trying desperately to increase their market base. They did so by publishing a small rag every few days which contained what the editors felt was the most important information to Norwalk readers. The paper cost less than the Hour, and the Advocate also beefed up its local coverage. Some staff at the Hour worried that they would have to pack up and find jobs with an Toronto caterer.

However, thanks to some great editorials and the long history of the Hour within Norwalk, it was the traditional paper which came out on top. The Advocate was bought out by an even bigger corporation, and turned back to big city clients and funding through advertisements for things like a New York spa package. The staff of the Hour were assured that they would once again be the ones residents turned to for the news which was important to them.

Like many traditional newspapers, the Hour faces some severe challenges from the Internet. People like the idea of less paper, less waste, less work for a strapping machine at both the printers and at the recycling factory.

In order to fit with the new atmosphere in the news, the Hour offers an online edition to its readers. All the benefits of an online information source are here. Tabs work as sections, and the weather and major stories are updated throughout the day. What's more, you can keep easy track of past issues in the archives, so following stories from day to day and even year to year has never been easier.