Seven Days has joined a lawsuit over Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's refusal last fall to release his daily schedule. The suit was originally filed by the Rutland Herald/Times Argus. David Rocchio, counsel for the governor, says “legal exceptions” in the state’s public records law exempt the governor’s schedule from disclosure, to protect his security or his ability to obtain frank policy advice. "Baloney," writes Seven Days columnist Peter Freyne. "We say there aren’t any “legal exceptions” in state statute allowing Vermont’s chief executive to operate in such secrecy. It’s against the law."
Philadelphia City Paper's serialized novel, Transit of Venus, is cutting close to the bone of Philly's Fox affiliate, says Philadelphia City News columnist Stu Bykofsky. The novel began running early this month and details the perils of blow-dried anchors and stacked interns. "It’s clearly written by someone familiar with local TV in general and Fox in particular, someone who disdains the pretty on-air types — and someone who can write," Bykofsky says. Reminding readers that it didn't take too long for Joe Klein to be outed as "Anonymous," the author of Primary Colors, Bykofsky says thinks he may know who "Anonymous D" is and expects his guess to be validated.
St. Pete Weekly Newspapers will operate the Web portal Ironminds.com under a joint agreement with New York Metropolis, another non-AAN weekly alternative newspaper distributed in New York City's outer boroughs. St. Pete Weekly Newspapers publishes the new alternative newspaper St. Pete Weekly, which will handle Ironminds.com's day-to-day operations and move the Web site from a diarist-style online magazine to a portal and syndicate for alternative journalism.
Jim Nesbitt, a veteran of 23 years at daily newspapers, has been named editor of the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. He replaces Safir Ahmed, who is leaving the paper "to pursue other professional interests," a New Times news release says.
