The word coming over the transom this morning is that longtime Eureka Reporter staffer Diane Batley has been tapped to replace departed editor Glenn Franco Simmons. This would seem to confirm some earlier intel we had received, one part of which was that a thorough nationwide talent search came up bupkis.

Batley is 32 years old.

UPDATE, 3:16 p.m.: Et voila:

Eureka Reporter names new Managing Editor

EUREKA - The Eureka Reporter announced Friday that Diane M. Batley has been named Managing Editor of the daily newspaper.

Batley held the Assistant Managing Editor position for three years under former Managing Editor Glenn Franco Simmons who left the paper in May.

Batley helped grow the paper from a weekly to a daily newspaper, as well as oversaw a nearly tripling of the paper’s staff during her tenure.

Nathan Rushton, previously the environment reporter for more than three years, who more recently held the Interim Assistant Managing Editor position, also accepted the position as Assistant Managing Editor.

The announcement followed a more than two-month national search with interviews of candidates traveling from as far as Florida and Texas.

Publisher Judi Pollace said she is pleased with the new staffing changes.

"It was with a great deal of personal and professional pleasure that I offered Diane Batley the position of managing editor this morning," Pollace said. "After conducting a national search, we found the best candidate right in our own newsroom. Diane has been running the newsroom since May and we couldn't be happier with the results."

Pollace said she is equally excited about Batley’s appointment of Rushton as Assistant Managing Editor.

"They have been a great team for a number of years and will now take that talent and enthusiasm to the next level," Pollace said.

Batley said she is thrilled to take the job.

"I’m fortunate to work with the best editorial staff that we’ve ever had," Batley said. "Our potential is limitless and I’m looking forward to that potential being realized daily in the pages of our newspaper and online."