Maddox at the 2008 Derby Days parade, via the Shakopee Valley News

Maddox at the 2008 Derby Days parade, via the Shakopee Valley News

Shakopee reporter slain: Ruth Anne Maddox, a schools reporter for the Shakopee Valley News, was found dead early Wednesday morning in her Prior Lake home. Charles Maddox, from whom Maddox was divorcing, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. According to the coroner’s report, Maddox died from blunt-force head and neck injuries late Monday or early Tuesday. The paper’s staff, “devastated by her loss,” is publishing remembrances of Maddox from readers and co-workers. Our sympathies to Maddox’s family and coworkers.

Online forum shuttered: The Mankato Free Press, watching its community forum section devolve into bickering and name-calling, shut down its “Hey Martha” forum. Reporter Dan Nienaber writes that the forum, which allowed users to comment anonymously, “went down a victim of a contentious election season.” Free Press publisher Jim Santori said, “[A]llowing anonymous posts on the forum opened up the opportunity for people to attack others with impunity. It got so bad that, in some cases, I found people fearful to engage in dialogue because of the actions of others.” “Hey Martha” may return, if the paper can find a good registration and IP-banning application.

Media Matters on NYT’s Franken/Coleman story: Media watchdog group Media Matters is calling reporting on the recount of Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race “woeful.” Written by Christina Cappecchi, who also writes for MinnPost, the piece concludes “with right-wing talk points presented by right-wing talking heads,” according to MM’s Eric Boehlert. The reporter quotes or notes six supporters of Norm Coleman, while only referring to one supporter of Al Franken. Cappechi also quotes Sean Hannity, who muffed some key facts in a recent appearance with Tim Pawlenty, as stating there’s “fishy business” surrounding the Nov. 4 election and vote counting. There’s no proof of wrongdoing, Boehlert writes, “which means there’s absolutely no reason for the newspaper to be legitimize that kinds of GOP conspiracy talk.” (MnIndy’s Chris Steller has more on this story.)

Save the paper! With newspapers from Nov. 5 filling up ebay, The Pew Research Center for People and the Press reports that 23 percent of Americans say they’re saving newspapers marking the election of Barack Obama as president. Among African Americans, the percentage jumps to 55. For those without forethought enough to seal your prized Wednesday edition in cellophane, fear not: the nonprofit Poynter Institute is creating a book featuring 75 front pages from the day after Obama’s historic win.