Times-Tribune calls Scranton diocese out for being whiners

Nichole Dobo and the Times-Tribune gave the Diocese of Scranton a hard time Sunday in the wake of an embarrassing (for the diocese) story about a retired parish school janitor who had his health care benefits cut by the diocese. The diocese (unwisely) complained that it didn't have enough time to respond to a reporter's questions despite being aware of the matter since Sept. 10. Waah. And kudos for an interesting story that went after one of Scranton's sacred cows.

TL ad sales rep Kerry O'Neil gets engaged

O'Neil, a longtime sales rep for the Times Leader, will get married in May 2008. Kudos.

Kris Wernowsky moves (in May) from the TL to Florida

We're sorry to be six months late on this, but Kris Wernowsky has moved on from the Times Leader to the Pensacola News Journal down in Florida. Kudos.

Richard Connor writes about the first post-strike TL advertiser

Times Leader editor Richard Connor actually writes a decent column about the recent death of the newspaper's first post-strike advertiser, Frank Hughes of Wyoming Valley Motors.

Rare Dennis Draughon reference in the news

It was nice to see Draughon's name turn up in E&P, even for a minute. What's he been doing since he was bounced?

Kudos to Kimm Montone and The Times-Tribune

The lame-duck U.S. attorney in Scranton tried to have it both ways this week, making a huge production of some steroid-dealing arrests but refusing to reveal the names of those arrested. Huh? It was a bush-league stunt that, unfortunately, the feds usually get away with. Not this time. Kimm Montone, James Haggerty and Bob Kalinowski of the Scranton Times-Tribune dug through court records and were able to identify almost all the defendants. Nice work. P.S. The TL has been silent, despite most of the defendants living in Luzerne County -- notably Pete Sepling, who was involved in a high-profile Kingston case a few years ago.

The Washington Post checks in from Scranton

The Office begins its fourth season tonight. The Washington Post parachuted in to do the obligatory "People in Scranton were uneasy about the show at first but now they love it story, while the reader advisory board member (?) Betty Roccograndi of the Times Leader and Josh McAullife of the Times-Tribune write about the upcoming Office convention, sponsored in part by Times-Shamrock. The short version: Only B-listers have committed so far.

-- Creed is one crazy motherfucker, the Times-Tribune reports

-- Additional cast members are expected to join the convention itinerary in the coming days," Josh McAullife reports as fact. Right.

-- Betty Roccograndi and the Times Leader pegs its story to a bunch of anonymous Web posts. Great journalism.

Rich Connor sells his business "paper" in Fort Worth

It's too hard running the paper in Wilkes-Barre and the paper in Texas, the Times Leader reported Sunday, and Richard Connor has sold to... a group that owns nothing but tiny Ohio newspapers? How strange. Their biggest newspaper is in Dayton, Ohio. Be sure to read Connor's Fort Worth column, full of self-administered applause and including his bizarre recollection of an incident 30 years ago where he didn't get a public BJ that he was expecting -- no, he was entitled to.

Connor's farewell to his public in Texas, which sets a record for self-agrandizing

Roster of papers owned by Brown Publishing

It's Punctuation Day! Give an editor a hug

So reports Nichole Dobo in Monday's Scranton Times-Tribune.

Who is the CV enterprise reporter who just graduated to a major metro?

From Journalismjobs.com:

The Citizens' Voice, a growing 33,000 daily newspaper in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., has immediate openings for enterprise, bureau and features reporters.

ENTERPRISE: Our previous ENTERPRISE reporter recently graduated to a major metropolitan newspaper, and we're agressively recruiting to find a talented replacement capable of covering issues in a deep, enterprising way. The ideal candidate will be able to judggle daily news coverage with mid- and project-level enterprise. We're looking to hire a difference maker with previous daily newspaper experience is required.

That Times Leader can be hard to figure out

The newspaper runs a story about the upcoming Office convention in Scranton. Fair enough. But the art is of Tim Holmes, a bigshot executive for... Times-Shamrock. The paper couldn't get a shot of the mayor downtown or something? And the story's author is Betty Roccograndi -- a member of the paper's reader advisory committee. Only in Wilkes-Barre are reader advisory committee members given op-ed columns and newswriting assignments.

Rich Connor writes about putting his dog to sleep

Richard Connor of the Times Leader wrote a sweet column that made us a little weepy. But we love dogs.

Breaking: Dave Falchek of the Scranton Times-Tribune writes the lead blurb for the Office season 3 DVD

"The Office put Scranton on the map." With those seven words, Dave Falchek of the Scranton Times-Tribune achieved immortality -- or at least immortality on half.com and in pawn shops. His blurb is featured prominently on the season 3 Office DVD set. [Credit: The wonderful Albright Memorial Library reference desk blog]

John Erzar and Dave Konopki go live on the TL Web site

Sports Editor Dave Konopki and reporter John Erzar chat about high-school football in a video on the TL Web site. Other than the persistent spread-eagle crotch shots (?), it's actually pretty decent.

David Burger joins the AP

Former Scranton Times-Tribune reporter David Burger has left the Bakersfield Californian and joined the AP, where he most recently has been reporting on the Utah mine collapse. Kudos.

TL Sunshine Act suit against county commissioners sent back to county court

"A state appeals court has overturned a county judge’s ruling that dismissed a lawsuit The Times Leader filed against two Luzerne County commissioners, alleging they violated the state open meeting law when they voted by phone to postpone the implementation of reassessment values," Terrie Morgan-Besecker of the Times Leader reports.

Download and read the Court's ruling (.pdf file)

Seriously, this is like shooting fish in a barrel

Is this what passes for Web 2.0 in Wilkes-Barre? Will there be three Richard Connor mugs with his column next week? Tune in and see!

Just when you think it can't get any worse

This is a joke, right? The Onion is in the editor's seat! Otherwise, this video of online editor Joe Sporano showing readers a tomato that someone thought looked like a baby seal. Or a baby owl. My God.

I like your team engine

It's not the Citizens' Voice misspelling a common noun in a headline that is so painful. It's seeing that misspelled headline still online hours (and hours and hours) later. They -do- understand that Web pages can be revised, right?

Matt Kemeny says farewell to the people of Scranton

Matt Kemeny's final column for The Times-Tribune of Scranton. Kemeny will be covering cops at the Harrisburg paper.

Japanese newspaper correspondent -- and Scranton native -- to hitch his way across America

Matthew Danzico works in New York City for Tokyo Shimbun, Stacy Brown reports in The Times-Tribune. No word if he has any ambition to work at The Times-Tribune.

Ken Knelly turns up in the NYT

Former Scranton Times-Tribune metro editor Ken Knelly is in this morning's New York Times, trying to explain away how his Baptist Bible College asked student-loan lender Citizens Bank to "donate" money for a school golf-a-thon. Won't happen again, Knelly tells the paper.

Rebecca Bria of the TL, we salute you

We're back from summer vacation with a renewed dedication to serious shit, just like the Times Leader editor who made Rebecca Bria write a story about Nordic walking, whatever the fuck that is. Be sure to watch the video if you want a little part of the reporter in you to die inside.