YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Vindicator has been a part of Sam and Rochelle Miller’s lives for as long as they can remember.

Both were born and raised in the Youngstown area, and both of their families subscribed to the newspaper, which on Saturday will publish its final edition.

The newspaper’s owners, citing long-running financial challenges, announced June 28 that they would shut down the paper on Aug. 31. The Vindicator has been owned by the Maag-Brown family for 132 of the paper’s 150 years.

“My whole life, we had it,” said Rochelle, seated next to her husband in their home in a suburb on the city’s North Side. A copy of that day’s paper lay on the kitchen table in front of her.

Sam pulled out a photograph, circa 1960. There, in black and white, a young Sam is pictured leaning against his father, who sits smiling in a chair with a copy of what was then called the Youngstown Vindicator spread out in front of him.

Sam Miller and his father read the Youngstown Vindicator in this family photo, circa 1960. (Courtesy of Sam Miller)

Sam and Rochelle, now in their 60s, still read the paper religiously. Sam flips through every page, paying attention to the news stories that interest him, the sports page and the obituaries. He follows the paper’s frequent coverage of public corruption, an issue that has plagued the Mahoning Valley for decades. When he’s out of town on business, he reads The Vindicator’s website.

“It’s just sort of a part of our life,” he said. Its closure, he said, is “like removing the heart from the city.”

Sam and Rochelle Miller, longtime readers of The Vindicator, flip through the day's paper as they lament the loss of their local paper. (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer

Some are cautiously optimistic about the recently announced deal between The Vindicator and the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, which gives The Vindicator’s name, subscriber list and website domain to the Warren newspaper. The Tribune Chronicle, which is part of the small Ogden Newspapers chain and focuses primarily on coverage of Trumbull County, has announced it will launch a Mahoning County edition under The Vindicator’s name. And, in another attempt to fill the news void, newspaper publishing company McClatchy is partnering with Google to bring a digital news site to Youngstown.

Several community members The Plain Dealer spoke to said they plan to subscribe to the Tribune Chronicle’s Vindicator edition, for which the Tribune has hired a handful of Vindicator staff members. But many acknowledge it is not a replacement for The Vindicator, which has an editorial staff of about 35.

“It’s just impossible for it to be inclusive,” said Amy Spencer, owner of Plaza Donuts, a popular Mahoning Valley donut shop where customers often read and discuss the day’s news. “It’s impossible they’ll cover everything.”

There is uncertainty — and sadness — among The Vindicator’s staff, too. The closure of the paper will affect about 140 full-time employees, some of whom will leave for jobs in other states, some of whom have found jobs in the area, and some who don’t know what their next step will be.

Police reporter Joe Gorman has another job in local journalism lined up, which is a relief to the single father of three. But the end of The Vindicator brings the end of his dream job.

“Ever since I was old enough to know I wanted to do this for a living, this is where I wanted to work,” he said, walking quickly down the downtown street where the Youngstown Police Department is located. It’s just a block from The Vindicator’s fortress-like building, and Gorman makes the trip at least twice a day.

Joe Gorman, Vindicator police reporter, flips through local police reports as he makes his afternoon rounds in downtown Youngstown last week. (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer

Along the way, he greets security guards, police officers and clerks. Gorman grew up on the city’s West Side, and after 27 years in the business, much of it covering this beat, he knows just about everyone.

“I just can’t imagine this place without [The Vindicator],” he says.

Then, he checks the day’s police reports. He stops by the YPD detectives’ bureau. And from there, he walks over to the courthouse. He still has a job to do — for a few more days, at least.

Read Sunday’s Plain Dealer for additional coverage of The Vindicator’s closure.