The Luther Register is on the brink of extinction. The rent for the host site is due, and there’s been a rate increase! If I renew, the site stays live. If I don’t, lutherregister.news will join other websites in the 404 abyss.
For about a year now, I’ve been teetering on this edge. The alerts come in like clockwork: 12 days until your website expires. Six days. Three days. I always pay to buy a little more time because I can’t bear the thought of years of content—and my business—disappearing. It’s the classic “kick the can down the road” scenario. Meanwhile, I’ve been a tad busy with other projects, like organizing the Luther Pecan Festival. Thanks to so many of YOU for making the 2024 Luther Pecan Festival a success! Looks like Nov. 15, 2025, will be our next fest.
In the early years of the Luther Register, from 2016 to 2021, there was no hesitation. I gladly paid hosting fees while the articles piled up. Some of those pieces I’m proud of; others make me cringe for lack of an editor to challenge my angles or clean up typos. Despite that, I kept going, believing this town needed a local news source—and that it would support one.
Yet here I am, at a crossroads. Some days, I’m ready to throw the Luther Register on the figurative burn pile. Other days, I’m hopeful, imagining a version of this site with compelling content, a healthy number of readers, and enough paid subscribers and advertisers to make it sustainable, if not profitable.
From my first day running this site, I jumped in, not knowing anyone but knowing how to ask questions, attend meetings, and write news. Over time, I built invaluable contacts, made precious friends, and wrote hundreds of stories. But reporting takes time, energy, and resources—and I don’t always have all three. Truthfully, it’s hard to keep going without feedback, encouragement, or financial support.
To those of you loyally give your support—thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are the reason the Register has made it this far, and your belief in this project means so much to me. I have a few readers who have given me $5 a month since day one. Others have given other one-time or monthly donations. Thank you.
This is where YOU come in. Do you want Luther Register News to exist? Take a spin through the archives. Has the news been helpful to you? Do you want more?
What breaks my heart the most about this site disappearing is not the scoops, issues, elections, crimes, features and new business announcements, it’s the obituaries. There are close to 150 obituaries on this site, 150 of our family members, friends, and mentors of this community. We have always provided those free of charge.
This isn’t totally a “give me money” plea. We are all stretched with funds and demands. This is a call for your direction and engagement. Your feedback—whether it’s a comment, an email (dawnshelton@lutherregister.news), or a donation (see below or click here for more options)—will guide me. I need to know if you value this work, whether enough to support it financially or simply to let me know you’re reading.
The truth is, a lot is coming up in 2025 that you need to know about. Four of the five Luther Town Trustee positions will be up for election. School bond projects and Route 66 grants are in motion. New businesses have opened (yay). In addition to Pecan Fest, a couple of BIG events are in the works, including something big for Christmas! Plus, that Route 66 Centennial we’ve heard so much about is next year.
So tell me: Should the Luther Register continue in 2025?
Your input will decide its fate. Comment below, email me at dawnshelton@lutherregister.news, or, if you can, make a financial contribution to help cover hosting fees and other costs.
If the Luther Register continues, I have a lot of work to do. This website desperately needs an update. There are always more stories to tell. If you know me, you know of my struggle, burnout, and whining (sorry)! I hope to regain readership, all because I know this site can be a better tool for our community, which always has been the goal.
Thank you for reading and for being part of this journey. Let’s figure out what’s next—together.
— Dawn Shelton
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