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The axe is swinging in the San Gabriel Valley *(Update), **(Update II)

At least one reporter I know at the Pasadena Star-News got a phone call this morning from the main offices at the San Gabriel Tribune in what appears to be the first confirmed layoff at the three papers that make up the San Gabriel Valley News Group (Star-News, Tribune and Whittier Daily News).

I don't know how many people will lose their jobs today, but this is already uglier than I'd imagined.

A source tells me the neighboring San Bernardino County Sun and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin might also be paring back their already skeleton crew newsrooms. I'll try to get a tally later today if I can.

This follows on the heels of major cuts at the Los Angeles Daily News, Daily Breeze and Long Beach Press-Telegram.

All of the papers are part of Dean Singleton's MediaNews empire.

*At least one other reporter and the long-time librarian at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune got pink slipped this morning. That brings the running total to three.

**The tally is up to four at the San Gabriel Valley papers and may hold there. Two reporters were let go, along with a librarian and a receptionist. I haven't heard any updates from the San Bernardino County papers, although a top editor was reportedly making the rounds earlier today... Just as I posted this, I was told a photographer at the Bulletin was "downsized."