Catherine Cuellar at Pegasus News is reporting on the Square Pegs blog that McClatchy, the parent company of the Star-Telegram, will be downsizing next week, “costing dozens if not hundreds of local staff members their jobs.” The Star-Telegram fired 15 people back in April as part of a staff reduction.

Certainly, the scuttlebutt has been swirling through the newsroom since Thursday and a lot of people at West 7th Street are on edge. I was a little skeptical about the idea the “dozens if not hundreds” number. Once upon a time, the S-T newsroom was about 400 people. Could McClatchy really lay off several hundred people? Well, a ZoomInfo search shows the S-T has about 1,800 employees, so it isn’t outside the realm of possibility. I’m not hearing much else. Right now, the Sergeant Schultz rule seems to be in effect — no one knows nuthin bout nuthin.

UPDATE, 6.15.08: This from an email: “S-T HR Director in building Sunday night. Why is HR in the building on a weekend? Must be sharpening the ax for next week…”