News 12 at 6 o'clock, July 10, 2009

AUGUSTA, Ga.---Big changes are coming for a weekly publication, but not everyone is happy about plans to bring in a new editor for the the Metro Spirit. Dozens staged a rally in support of former editor Tom Grant.

"I felt that crushing feeling in your chest," said Tricia Hughes. "We're losing a great friend."

Tricia started a movement to keep Tom in Augusta.

"Let's move on," said Tricia. "Lets find Tom a job."

"I really loved the Metro Spirit. I wanted to stay at the metro spirit," said Tom. "Sadly, I won't be able to."

"I think the black community," said Ben Hasan. "But more importantly the community as a whole, has lost a very vital component in terms of making decisions in the future."

"Tom has been as hard on me as anybody could be," said Woody Merry. "But he has been fair."

"I have a tombstone here," said Tricia. "You can see it's not engraved yet. Nothing is etched in stone."

"This is a case where the city can lose because the newspaper won't be allowed to take the kind of strong stance that it has taken in the past if it doesn't have people with courage and back-bone to do that," said Tom. "I had courage and backbone to do that."

That has also meant controversy. One comment printed in the paper referenced a private portion of the male anatomy.

"Was that a mistake," we asked. "It might have been a mistake, and I apologized to my newsroom for doing it."

Tom is not shying away from the subject.

"I take responsibility," said Tom. "I always take responsibility."

"That most surely was not enough to take Tom out of the equation," said Ben. "It's no way that you can justify that. It has to be bigger than that. How big is it? I don't have a clue."

"I think that the Metro Spirit wants to take a different direction," said Tom. "That direction doesn't play to my strengths."

"Very big mistake on their part," said Woody Merry. "It's going to take them years to recover from the loss of Tom Grant."

"Is this an attempt to silence an independent voice," we asked. Tom's silence spoke volumes.

We spoke with Metro Spirit publisher Bryan Osborn. He says, "There isn't anything to speak about at this point."

Osborn said they have not finalized a replacement. Tom learned Tuesday that his last day would be Friday at 5pm.