Carriers Take War to Streets

According to Mike Masterson’s column in the Feb. 17 issue of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, at least one carrier has decided to take the area’s newspaper war to the streets.

Masterson wrote that Shayla Carter, 22, a carrier for The Morning News, had been stealing D-Gs and Benton County Daily Records along her route near Bella Vista. Apparently, it was her attempt to get back at the Daily Record’s district manager, who had recently fired her.

She was arrested for theft of property for stealing $17.50 worth of newspapers.

Masterson quoted Hector Cueva, the D-G’s circulation director, saying its not the first time papers have been stolen along a route. The D-G and Daily Record are bundled together for delivery in Benton County.

“This is a problem both circulation directors have previously handled internally,” said Lewis Floyd, circulation director for The Morning News. “Independent carriers on both sides have done things like this before. Normally, [Cueva] and I handled it internally and worked together to see that it stopped. And neither party condones it.”

“I’m not going to say none of our carriers have done that,” Cueva said. “I’m not going to say [Floyd] is encouraging that, but it’s been a recurring theme.”

Floyd said the carrier has been reprimanded and is still working for The Morning News.