Mike
Corum, who writes the From the Left column for the weekly Pella
Chronicle, stopped by to welcome the new publisher [Sandy Selvy] to the
community from Ottumwa. It wasn't until later that day that Corum
understood why she seemed disengaged.



The publisher's first official act related to the newsroom was calling up the editor and ordering him to scrap Corum's column.



The
editor, Hal Hatfield, refused, and resigned in protest.  He thinks
the publisher's move is a nod to conservative advertising and business
interests.



But
Selvy denies that either is the case. She says the paper doesn't have
enough local content, and that “no one cares about what Mike thinks
about Bush and what's going on in the war.”



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