LBREPORT.com has withheld publishing the story until now.

The development comes less than a year after former PressTelegram publisher Ian Lamont and former PressTelegram reporter Paul Eakins were brought in to launch the LB outlet in August 2013. The Long Beach Register attracted PT talent including reporters Kelly Puente and Greg Mellen, photographer Jeff Gritchen and new hires including political reporter Josh Stewart [famously chased Mayor Foster on "you don't see my name on it" independent expenditure committee supporting Robert Garcia] and business/Port reporter Pat Maio.

Also among the LBRegister launch staff: Lauren Williams, education reporter; David Medzerian, columnist; Mary Ann Milbourn, business reporter; Jasmine Moreno, Bob Keisser, sports editor; Jim Thomas, sports reporter; Michelle Nicolosi, team leader; Kendra Ablaza, reporter.

The LBRegister also subsequently added veteran PressTelegram and Los Angeles Herald Examiner journalist Doug Krikorian as a featured columnist.

The PressTelegram, which was previously an independent local outlet, is now part of the regional Los Angeles News Group corporate cluster, Like other outlets in the cluster, the PT had thinned its staffing [apparently making itself an attractive target for the OCRegister's new owners.] As the LBRegister geared up to debut, the PT added some reporters and now occasionally uses material from the parent company's co-owned Gazettes.