The champagne from the $1.46 billion purchase of Pulitzer by Lee Enterprises hadn't lost its fizz before 23 people, about 5 percent of the workforce, were laid off Monday at Lee's The Times of Munster, Ind., NewsDesigner.com has learned. Times management says the move has nothing to do with the Pulitzer deal, and in fact considered postponing the announcement.

About six people on the editorial staff were let go, including the design director, night editor, editorial page editor and a photo intern. The Times circulation is 87,000 daily, 93,000 Sunday, and, as of 2003, had 328 full-time and 141 part-time employees.

*Update: The design director in question is Gladys Rios, who came to the Times as design director after a long stint at the Austin American-Statesman, Steve Cavendish reports.