Keeping track of Lee real estate

Thanks to e-mails from current and former employees at The Times of Northwest Indiana in Munster, Ind., I can report that the paper is not leasing part of its building. For several years, even before the paper was bought by Lee Enterprises in 2002, the Times had leased and used a building next door; tipsters tell me it was cleverly called "Building B." The Times has given up the lease on that building, and another company has moved in.

However, Lee papers in other areas are selling real estate.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier has been trying to sell its building to the city of Waterloo, Iowa, for about a year, a tipster tells me. The deal appeared to be so close to final that employees were told to start packing to move to another building. That deal still has not been completed.

The Winona Daily News building was sold earlier this year and the paper has moved into rented space elsewhere in Winona, Minn., another tipster reports. This deal had been in the works for some time; Winona's presses were moved to another Lee paper in 1999.

Since we're talking about real estate, does anyone know what ever happened to the Lee Lodge? It was listed with various real estate agencies for more than a year. Did it finally sell? Did Lee change its mind? Leave a comment or e-mail lee.ent.watch@gmail.com.

Lee sets up new finance center; employees laid off

A couple of weeks ago, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls (Iowa) Courier announced it will become one of six regional finance centers for Lee Enterprises. The new center will handle regional billing, accounting and customer service for 10 Lee papers. Those papers include the The Times-News in Twin Falls Idaho; North County Times in Escondido, Calif., The Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y.; The Sentinel in Carlisle, Pa.; The Times and Democrat in Orangeburg, S.C.; The Citizen in Auburn, N.Y.; The Ledger-Independent in Maysville, Ky.; The Daily News in Longview, Wash.; and Casper Star-Tribune in Casper, Wyo. The last papers joined the group on May 3.

In March, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier's call center was outsourced to a group in Indiana; four employees were laid off.

While the Courier is expected to hire a few employees, the other papers will or already have laid off their finance employees. Know of layoffs or consolidation news? Send tips to lee.ent.watch@gmail.com.

Furlough update

Here's the list so far:

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Non-union employees -- about 300 people -- must take off 1 week by March 31.
• Rapid City Journal: As previously posted, four employees were laid off and employees must take time off by April.
• Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier: All employees must take off 1 week by April 1.
• Longview Daily News: Employees were asked to volunteer for furloughs. If not enough people sign up, they'll consider making them mandatory.
• Bloomington Pantagraph: 4-day furloughs by April 17 for hourly employees; 4-day pay cut for salaried employees (from comments)
• La Crosse Tribune and River Valley Newspaper Group: "Non-commission" employees must take 40 unpaid hours off between now and April (e-mail tip)
  

Are there others? Add them in the comments.