AND ANOTHER ONE GONE

Kate Schott, State Journal-Register editorial page editor turned interim editor after her predecessor was walked out of the building and a successor had second thoughts about accepting the job, has left the newspaper. Informed sources say she's gone to work at the University of Illinois Springfield in the campus advancement office, which concerns itself with alumni affairs and raising money. Schott's erstwhile employer might need some help with the latter endeavor. After investors, no doubt holding their noses, approved the mega-merger earlier this month between Gannett and GateHouse Media, SJ-R owner, to create the nation's biggest newspaper company, the stock price has risen a bit but not by much. Gannett stock remains nearly 40 percent below what it was when the deal was announced in August, which is the sort of thing that happens when you have to pay 11.5 percent interest on nearly $2 billion in debt to make the numbers work. It's unclear just who's running the SJ-R since Schott departed this week. At last check, there is no editor, interim or otherwise, listed on the opinion page masthead where folks in charge are listed.