The Observer announces that Tony Ortega, a former editor of Village Voice Media's Broward-Palm Beach New Times, will take over at the Voice. He was formerly the managing editor of the company's paper in Kansas City, The Pitch. The speedy announcement suggests that the Voice owners had a replacement for outgoing editor David Blum in the wings. Blum was let go on Friday.

UPDATE: The Voice press release has gone out, and they've cutely tried to tie Ortega to New York. "Ortega and his wife Fatimah, who is from Jakarta, Indonesia, are looking forward to reacquainting themselves with New York, where Ortega remembers—with no small amount of nostalgia—his days as an LA punk attending shows at CBGB and the Peppermint Lounge. Ortega no longer has a mohawk and is looking forward to leading the Village Voice." Ah, we see: L.A. boy comes to New York, washes out. We're on to him already. Better luck this time, dude!

New Village Voice Editor Is Tony Ortega [NY Observer]