The Ann Arbor News will cease publication in July after 174 years and will be replaced by a Web-focused community news operation built from the ground up. The end of the News was one of several major changes announced at the eight daily Michigan newspapers owned by the Newhouse family's Advance Publications. The Flint Journal, The Bay City Times and The Saginaw News said they will cut their print editions from seven to three days a week — Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays — starting June 1. Although the changes primarily affect Advance's Michigan operations, the company will freeze pension plans at most of its 26 newspapers across the country. Advance will instead increase matching contributions to 401(k) retirement plans, an alternative that costs the company less. Employees at some of the newspapers also must take off 10 days a year without pay. Those at Michigan's Advance publications are not part of the furlough provision, said Dan Gaydou, publisher of The Grand Rapids Press.
