Breaking news in the Speak Out department

Normally, The Star's large staff of editors in the letters department works days in advance on our Speak Out submissions. It's more than rare -- ultra-rare, to use a bad phrase -- to have breaking news in Speak Out.

Until Thursday.

Al Harris, the retired former director of the Jacksonville State News Bureau, sent in a lengthy letter after quitting time. It took our crack staff of Speak Out editors all of 30 seconds to make a decision. Imagine yelling "Stop the presses!" So we did.

We tore up the page, removed our normal letters and published the letter of Harris, who is involved in the story of plagiarism involving JSU President Bill Meehan.

Go to our Web site and read Harris' letter, or read it in our print edition. You'll be glad you did.