WACO, Texas (AP) - The Waco Tribune-Herald will cease printing and packaging at its Waco shop, effective July 13.

Publisher Belinda Gaudet (gaw-DAY') says the Tribune-Herald will outsource those functions to its Cox Newspapers sibling Austin American-Statesman. She says that move and the elimination of 25 full-time and 18 part-time positions are aimed at cutting costs.

Gaudet says the affected workers will be offered severance of base pay and benefits for eight to 26 weeks, depending on seniority.

The cuts will reduce the staff to 162, down 31 percent from August.

Gaudet notes the consolidation is part of an industrywide trend. The Tribune-Herald will still be written, edited and designed in Waco with finished page layouts sent electronically to Austin.

The newspaper's roots date back to 1892. Cox bought the Tribune-Herald in 1976.

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AP-NY-06-30-09 1055EDT