Her statement gave no reason for her departure, but Halkett has told colleagues that she was planning to move to Connecticut, where her husband, Kirt Mayland, a lawyer, lives. Halkett and her 5-year-old son from a previous marriage spend weekends there. She did not respond to numerous calls for comment.
"Kerri Lee is a talented journalist and we will miss her passion and enthusiasm for the news," said Fox 29 VP/GM Patrick Paolini in a statement yesterday.
Halkett, who won a 2009 Mid-Atlantic Emmy award for best anchor, helped launch the 11 a.m. newscast, and anchored the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.
She also co-anchored the "Good Day Philadelphia" morning show for several years.
Movie matters
South Philly musician Bill Ricchini has three songs in "Barry Monday," an indie film opening Oct. 1 about a guy who loses his testicles during an attack in a movie theater. It stars Patrick Wilson and Chloe Sevigny and also features Malcolm McDowell, Cybill Shepherd and Billy Dee Williams. Ricchini has a record coming out this fall.
* Film producer Lawrence Bender, whose
credits include every Quentin Tarantino film, as well as "Good Will Hunting" and "An Inconvenient Truth," was a guest Tuesday night at a sneak preview of "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" at the Ritz at the Bourse (4th & Ranstead).
The movie opens tomorrow.
Bender is here producing "Safe," an action thriller starring Jason Statham and written and directed by Boaz Yakin. Shooting starts here next month.
'Elle' praises Amanda Blank
Local rapper Amanda Blank, also a member of Sweatheart, is featured in the October issue of Elle's profile of 25 rising stars, along with Amanda Seyfried, Gabourey Sidibe, Anna Kendrick, Megan Fox and Meghan McCain. The women's mag calls Blank an "indie phenom."
Vince Neil signs books, rocks
Motley Crue front man Vince Neil signs copies of his new book, "Tattoos and Tequila," from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Borders (Broad & Chestnut).
