"New Orleans is gone and I can’t say when it will come back," writes Gambit Weekly editor Michael Tisserand, encamped with his family (pictured) at a friend's home near Lafayette. Tisserand describes what it feels like after the floodwaters have washed away your home, your job, and your city, and you don't know whether they're ever coming back.

Continue ReadingWhat It’s Like to Be a Refugee

We spoke this morning with Margo DuBos, who owns the New Orleans paper along with her husband, Clancy. Margo reports that she is safe with her family on dry land in a small town in Louisiana called New Roads. She believes that all of her employees are safe as well. She doesn't expect to be able to publish the paper again for at least the remainder of this year, but she remains optimistic that the city and paper will eventually recover. Although Gambit Weekly's office, which sits at the "bottom of the bowl" in mid-city, is most likely under water, the main computer servers that run the business were moved to safe ground before the storm hit. Clancy DuBos is traveling to Baton Rouge today to see if he can set up a satellite office in the capital to begin publishing the paper on the Web. AAN has received many inquiries from members who are interested in helping the paper. Rest assured that we will be working with Margo to determine how the association can most effectively direct our members' philanthropic urges.

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The Columbus Dispatch reports today that its publisher, Dispatch Printing Company, has signed an option to purchase Columbus Alive's name, logo and Web site, along with the weekly's advertising contracts and some of its office equipment. According to the report, Dispatch Printing will evaluate the AAN-member paper's operations and "barring the unforeseen," complete the purchase before the option lapses on Dec. 1. Dispatch Printing says it plans to build on Alive's most popular sections, columns and features, and the alt-weekly's 12 current employees will have an opportunity to apply for positions with the new owner. (The full report is available online only to Dispatch subscribers.)

Continue ReadingDaily Paper May Acquire Columbus Alive