The 3rd District Democratic primary in Kentucky is a lively competition between four men, says David Hawpe with The Courier-Journal. Candidate John Yarmuth, who founded the Louisville Eccentric Observer (and wrote its political column until a few months ago), is "extremely well connected, as well as very well known," but he risks being seen as "a mere son of privilege." The Courier-Journal has received a complaint that Yarmuth made a campaign appearance at a drug court graduation, but Hawpe notes, "hey, those people (along with all the clerks, judges and other courthouse workers who were in the vicinity) vote, too, don't they? Maybe we have a real campaign."

Continue ReadingLEO Founder’s Congressional Race Heats Up

A recent survey of AAN papers revealed that the applications alt-weeklies are using to track circulation are as diverse as the newspapers themselves. A few papers rely on their in-house wiz for a custom-made program, but for the rest of the industry, a commercial package is the only sophisticated option. Alt-weekly circulation insiders describe their woes, successes, and dreams of better uses for the numbers.

Continue ReadingCirculation Software Makes Life Easier at Alt-Weeklies

Last week an anonymous user posted the following misinformation about John Yarmuth, who recently declared his candidacy for Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District seat: "While charges have never been formally filed, Yarmuth has been widely linked to the disappearance of Chandra Levy. D.C. Police have continued to call him a person of interest." The accuracy and credibility of the online encyclopedia, which allows users to write and edit entries, has been called into question recently as a number of public figures have uncovered fraudulent entries. According to The Courier-Journal, the Yarmuth smear was included in a Wikipedia profile of the incumbent he seeks to unseat, Rep. Anne Northup, and was removed yesterday.

Continue ReadingLEO Founder Is Victim Of False Wikipedia Entry

Erstwhile Observer Music Editor Zac Crain confirmed to his former employer: "Yes, I'm running, and I'm very excited. I'm not high, and it's not a joke." The current mayor of Dallas, Laura Miller, wrote a column for the Observer before launching her political career. The Observer describes Crain as a "great writer" and "nice guy" and jibes, "On balance, among former Observer staffers, Dallas could do worse for mayor -- not that we have anyone particularly in mind when we say that." Crain, now an associate editor at American Way magazine, plans to make an official announcement on April 24.

Continue ReadingAnother Former Dallas Observer Writer Running for Mayor?

According to the Dallas Voice, the civil suit stemmed from a Dec. 4, 2003 article on financial mismanagement within a Dallas church, in which the Observer named an HIV-positive volunteer who it claimed was on the church's employee health plan. The volunteer, who filed the lawsuit under the name John Doe, alleged that the Observer had violated the Texas Health and Safety Code, which prohibits the disclosure of HIV test results. The court's written opinion rejected the lawsuit on the grounds that the newspaper did not have access to test results or other confidential medical information; the newspaper had learned of the plaintiff's HIV-positive status through another member of the church. The Dallas Observer's Feb. 2 issue reported the "happy ending to a silly lawsuit" and again named the plaintiff, who still may request a rehearing or appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.

Continue ReadingAppeals Court Rejects Billion-Dollar Lawsuit Against Dallas Observer

John Yarmuth, founder and former executive editor of the Louisville Eccentric Observer, will run in the Democratic primary for Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District seat, which is currently held by Republican Anne Northup. Although Yarmuth sold LEO to Times Publishing in 2003, he has continued to pen a regular column for the paper. (LEO is suspending the column as long as Yarmuth remains in the race.) Michael Clingaman, the executive director of Kentucky's Republican Party, told The Courier-Journal that Yarmuth is "the most liberal of the liberals, and he's bragged about it in print for 15 years."

Continue ReadingLEO Founder Runs for Congress

John Saltas pokes fun at Warchol, a former Dallas Observer journalist, in his Jan. 19 Salt Lake City Weekly column, claiming that a recent photo of Warchol reveals the true age of the alt-weekly business. Writes Saltas, "I can't speak for my peers .. but if the face of AAN is the face of Glen -- who by the looks of things can no longer "Do the Hustle" -- we're toast. If Glen's old, I'm old, and all my friends are old. Alternative papers are old. At least, thank God, I have my hair."

Continue ReadingIs Glen Warchol the (Old) Face of Alt-Weeklies?