NEWSPAPER
IDAHO STATESMAN
The Statesman in September announced 15 layoffs, including six newsroom positions. Several other Statesman staffers have left in recent weeks. State government reporter Heath Druzin left to join Stars and Stripes in Germany. Feature writer Erin Ryan left to take a job with
Boise State University’s communications department. Copy editor Vanessa Childers left to move back to her home in Ohio.
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Major layoffs at The Spokesman-Review were announced on Oct. 1, including more than 25 newsroom staffers. The paper’s editor, Steve Smith, announced his resignation along with the layoffs, and assistant managing editor Carla Savalli also resigned. Former M.E. Gary
Graham was named the paper’s new editor. Among the casualties in the layoffs were Idaho/Spokane Valley reporter Taryn Hecker, who had been laid off in the last round of layoffs a year earlier and then rehired. She promptly won a chili cookoff in Athol with her “Re-Fired Chili.” Also laid off was North Idaho reporter Erica Curless, who was on a sabbatical at the time studying equine massage in Colorado. She’s planning to make that her new career and also to freelance. Former Idaho reporter Amy Cannata, who had recently returned to the Spokane newsroom, took a voluntary buyout. The paper kept its one-person Boise and Olympia capitol bureaus and its Coeur d’Alene office, but may close its Spokane Valley office as it consolidates staff.
TIMES-NEWS
Four new colleagues came aboard the Times-News starting in early summer. Damon Hunzeker became the new general assignment reporter in the paper’s Burley bureau, where he’s joined by Ryan Howe, the new regional sports reporter and photographer. Reporter Ben Botkin returned to Idaho from The Rock Island (Ill.) Argus to cover the education beat, while Jason Saenz, a recent graduate of Houston Baptist University, is the newest copy editor on the news desk.
Making departures were environmental reporter Matt Christensen, now the city editor for the Winona (Minn.) Daily News, and crime reporter Cassidy Friedman, who left to pursue new projects on the East Coast.
IDAHO MOUNTAIN EXPRESS
Longtime Idaho Mountain Express reporter/editor Greg Stahl is leaving the Ketchum newspaper to work for Idaho Rivers United. At IRU he will work on communications and salmon recovery issues. The Express has hired Della Sentilles of Ketchum as a general assignment reporter. Sentilles has worked previously for the Express as a reporter, and is a 2006 graduate of Yale University.
TELEVISION
IDAHO PUBLIC TELEVISION
Alberto Moreno (a.k.a. Alan Austin), Director/Videographer/Editor, left to become a producer/director for the Big Ten Network for Michigan State University’s non-game programming. Thanh Tan joins IPTV as a new Producer/Reporter/Host. She was a reporter at KATU, Portland.
KIDK
Jolynn Thomas, anchor, left the business. Kris Keach, reporter, left the business. Danielle Leigh, reporter/anchor took a job as a reporter in Colorado Springs. Terry Miller, news director, retired. New at KIDK: Anthony Congi, reporter, came from Redding, CA. Jennifer McGraw, reporter, came from school in CA. Veronica Cardenas, reporter, came from school in CA. Jackie Pepper, weekend sports anchor/reporter, came from school in AZ. Ted Dawson, news director, came from Boise market.
KIFI
Hailey Higgens, morning reporter, came from Weber State in Utah.
KPVI
New at KPVI – Ty Brennan, reporter. He was an associate producer at KTVX in SLC.
