Greensboro News & Record Jeff “Grits” Gauger has resigned according to an internal Berkshire Hathaway email sent to staff employees.

Gauger has been on the job since 2012. He got his nickname with lame attempts at humor poking fun at Southern idiosyncrasies, the most-cringe worthy this column on ““‘The Decline of North Carolina,’ served with grits.”

I can’t help but notice that in the email to staff BH Southern Region VP Kevin Mark Kampman says “I know this is shocking news.” Shocking, I tell you. In the newspaper business, nothing is shocking.