⇒ Robert Rector, associate editor of the Pasadena Star-News, is leaving Jan. 13. He will write a twice-a-week column for the San Gabriel Valley News Group papers. He held a variety of editing positions at the L.A. Times for thirty-three years.

⇒ The San Fernando Valley Business Journal just posted that Bonny Herman will step down Jan. 17 as president and CEO of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (after nearly two decades) to run the California Center for Regional Leadership.

⇒ CBS News producer in L.A. Bruce Rheins and his wife Dawn Westlake have dropped their trademark application for Jesus Juice red wine, the Smoking Gun says. It became controversial last month.

⇒ The LA Weekly's John Powers and Harold Meyerson guest with Jon Wiener at 4 pm on KPFK (90.7 FM). Georgetown law professor David Cole will also give the argument against domestic spying.

⇒ The Downtown News is advertising for fulltime news and arts and entertainment reporters at $25-35,000 a year. (Mediabistro's L.A. office is also looking for an $8 an hour intern.)

⇒ Metroblogging adds Singapore to make it 39 cities.

⇒ Cuba Gooding Jr. will serve as a special guest commentator on FSN West during the Jan. 5 game between the Kings and Phoenix Coyotes.

⇒ I'm weeks late to this, but for the archives: fired NBC4 reporter Kyung Lah has found a job at CNN Newsource in the Washington bureau. Jeff Soto and Jim Bunner also got new jobs. They all got caught up in Channel 4's response to an in-office affair last March.