Lay Offs announcement

Here is a snippet that ran on the NcTimes Web site:

The North County Times laid off 10 percent of its staff Tuesday amid declining advertising revenue, a consequence of an economic slump that has crippled local real estate and automobile companies.

Most of the layoffs came in the newsroom, where the staff of reporters and editors was reduced by 20 percent, or 25 employees. Across the rest of the newspaper, including advertising and circulation staff, nine employees were laid off.

"Advertising is our revenue generator," said Peter York, publisher of the North County Times. "The newsroom, while critical to our mission ... it is the biggest individual department."

Fewer advertisements have diminished the newspaper's revenues, and layoffs were needed so that the newspaper would remain viable, York said.

"We're not losing money, but we're not doing as well as we ought to," he said.

Last week, Lee Enterprises, a Davenport, Iowa, company that owns the North County Times, reported that preliminary earnings had plummeted 73 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter. York said the layoffs were a decision by the North County Times, not Lee Enterprises.

How was the Cal hit?
I heard from the rumor mill five people: Temecula reporter Nicole Sack, Community Editor Craig Schultz, photographer Steve Thornton, and two others, including one in sports.

What the hell does this mean? No more funny ledes from Sack and apparently no photos in the Cal.