The extent of the job cuts announced Thursday inside the newsroom of The Des Moines Register are becoming more clear, with more names emerging along with news that the paper has shuttered its Iowa City bureau.
Reporter Lisa Colonno, sports copy editor Brian Granger and sports reporter Dan McCool were laid off Thursday, joining director of photography Don Tormey, news editor Suzanne Behnke, designer Scott Lester, features writer Dawn Sagario, writer Mary Challender and writer Kathy Hickman.
Two sources have also confirmed that the paper’s Iowa City bureau has been closed and reporter Erin Jordan and photographer Harry Baumert have also been let go. The Register’s parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., also owns the Iowa-City Press Citizen.
Several other employees received demotions, including editors Larry Ballard and Kathy Bolton, and investigative reporter Lee Rood. (UPDATE: While originally reported that Register investigative reporter Lee Rood was demoted, Rood tells the Iowa Independent that she was not demoted and she did not receive a pay cut. Her job did not change).




