Former NEPA kid Lauren Weisberger has a new book coming out

Lauren Weisberger, 31, lived in the Abingtons for a few years when she was a kid but is often identified in print as a Scranton native. Her new novel, Chasing Harry Winston, arrives in stores this week.

WBRE'S Kristi Capel: America's hottest weather anchor

So says the T&A site bustedcoverage.com. Let the misogynistic comments begin!

Revisiting the Chiquita story in Cincinnati

Former Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Cameron McWhirter has an interesting piece in the latest CJR about shield laws and the infamous Chiquita story -- supervised by Larry Beaupre, who left the paper in the fallout and is now the editor of The Times-Tribune of Scranton. (Beaupre, like McWhirter and everyone else, was played by lead reporter Mike Gallagher, who lied to his colleagues and his lawyers.) An interesting read.

Stories we missed: Frank Andrews Shimkus gets married

If you want to melt your brain, read the Electric City account (click above) of the wedding of the two former WYOU newspeople united in taxpayer employment and in love.

Stories we missed: Dave Iseman gets a promotion in the Ozarks

We're just happy to have a new mug. But Dave Iseman impressed his bosses at the News-Leader of Springfield, Mo. enough that they picked him over 22 other applicants to run the paper's editorial page. Click above to read editor Don Wyatt's laudatory story announcing the move. Kudos.

Stories we missed: Times Shamrock buys Virgin Islands paper (!)

Somehow, this seems like a scheme an entirely legitimate business move to hold annual Times-Shamrock meetings in the Caribbean or get Lynett-Haggerty kids someplace nicer to work their way up in the biz than Shamokin and Hazleton. But the Daily News of the Virgin Islands won a Pulitzer Prize in the last 15 years, so it can't be all bad. (The paper won the Pulitzer under Gannett ownership in 1995.)

>> Read the E&P account
>> Read the work that won the Pulitzer, as well as the citation and associated information

Matt Kemeny, formerly of The Times-Tribune, at top position on obscurestore.com

Matthew Kemeny, now at The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, enjoys the top position on Jim Romenesko's obscurestore.com today with the story of Harrisburg police impersonating pizza delivery guys to catch robbers.

BREAKING: Chris Kelly has a concealed-carry permit

We'd been in a bit of a funk after seeing Green Ridge's own Joe Biden do so badly in the Pennsylvania primary. Or maybe we were waiting for the right bit of news to resume our solemn NEPA Media duties. This may be it: Chris Kelly has a concealed-carry permit.

Frank Andrews Shimkus sets the date

Frank Shimkus, the ex-TV newsman formerly known as Frank Andrews, had his engagement announcement run in the Times-Tribune on Sunday. He will wed former TV news subordinate Gabrielle Prutisto on May 3. For the record, the announcement says Frank lives in Throop. That man needs to get his story straight.

Former T-T reporter Josh Brodesky wins SPJ award

Former Scranton Times-Tribune reporter Josh Brodesky, now of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, was the co-winner of the Arizona SPJ's Sunshine Award, which recognizes important contributions to FOI issues. Kudos.

Times-Tribune alumni hit the Obscure Store daily double

At the end of the day Wednesday, two Scranton Times-Tribune alumni had the two top stories on Jim Romenesko's Obscure Store site. Matthew Kemeny of The Patriot-News in Harrisburg had a story about all the madness at the Susquehanna Township Chuck E. Cheese, while Lauren Roth of the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va. had a story about a schoolteacher who was running an escort service on the side. Kudos to all. (Both stories have since moved down the page a bit.)

The Times-Tribune goes inside the Scranton mayor's Clinton fundaiser

We know we're behind the curve on this, but Times-Tribune reporter Stacy Brown wrote an interesting first-person take on the high roller-only party Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty threw last week for the Clintons. Admission: $2,300 a head. The mayor invited Brown and his wife to the party, evidently the only reporter there.

Richard Connor of the TL: My friends don't know me very well

That's the obvious conclusion after Connor – who wrote about the spate of anti-Semitic vandalism in Wilkes-Barre – writes that people he knows have twice recently talked about "Jewing them down" and the like. Thing is, Connor's daughter is married to a Jewish guy. Oops! He also gets a shot in at Obama for good measure.

Shakeup at WBRE?

A tipster reports that s/he heard that Agent Andy Mehalshick is moving off the anchor desk. "Since it's better than 50-50 that Lyndall Stout won't be coming back after her baby, that means an entirely new anchor team (again!) at 28." Discuss.

Borys has a blog

Scranton Times-Tribune political writer Borys Krawczeniuk has been blogging about presidential politics for the last couple weeks, which is an excellent idea. The blog has been updated regularly (*cough*) with interesting stuff. Recommended reading. 

Kim Martucci gets an on-air proposal!

Former WBRE weather lady was proposed to recently on the air (!) down at WUSA in Washington. Wow. And wow.

• Read Martucci's crazy blog

Arsonist tries to torch new WNEP bureau

Someone tried to burn down the building housing WNEP's new Pocono bureau. Read the Pocono Record story for all the details and a picture of WNEP workers staring at a piece of lumber.

DeNaples lawyer meets with the Inky

How about this for unusual: Richard Sprague, the attorney for Louis DeNaples, had a lengthy sit-down with the Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board to talk about the DeNaples case. It's a pretty interesting story for those following the DeNaples matter closely. Will Sprague meet with the Times-Tribune staff next?

PAPME winners announced

The Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors have picked their winners for 2007. Winners from The Times-Tribune are Jessica D. Matthews, Butch Comegys, Joby Fawcett and David Falchek. Winners from the Citizens' Voice are Michael P. Buffer, James Conmy and Heidi Ruckno. Winners from The Times Leader are Aimee Dilger and Fred Adams. Kudos to all.

T-T editorial page turns up the heat on Frank Andrews

The Scranton Times-Tribune has been disappointingly meek in coverage of Rev. and Rep. Frank Andrews Shimkus and his elaborate deception regarding his living arrangements with a woman who is not his wife. Not so on the editorial page. Thursday's editorial page criticized Andrews for "playing cat and mouse games," while John Cole's cartoon rightly mocked Shimkus for his predicament. Good stuff.