Register Round-Up: Napa Headlines

This may surprise you, but: I love the and am a devoted subscriber.

I only receive the San Francisco Chronicle four days a week, but the Register arrives daily and I can't start my morning without it.

For one thing, the Register newsroom is where I learned my trade: Eleven years ago I was a new name on the masthead at my very first journalism job. I learned a tremendous amount working in the same room with Kevin Courtney, Sasha Paulson, L. Pierce Carson and the paper's phenomenally talented graphic artist/designer Kelly Doren.

For another thing, nobody else does anywhere near the job of covering all things Napa County, from American Canyon to Lake Berryessa.

Some recent articles that have caught my eye include:

Hyatt to buy Napa's Avia Hotel - I hope this does not mean we will be losing manager Kristine Longberg. She's one of the good ones.

Vehicle explodes after man tries to start car - The 1986 BMW was totaled, but a sprinkler system contained the blaze.

Fagiani murder case moves closer to trial - and, perhaps, to justice at last for the victim slain in 1974.

Former supervisor breaks neck, drives self to hospital - And he's almost 85. Harold Moskowite is one tough farmer.

Rebecca Yerger's article about porches, with a sidebar about Napa Porchfest, is online now and should be in the Home section of tomorrow's print edition.

There's also an appealing Porchfest photo by Register photo editor J.L. Sousa.