Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – An alert blogger at BullCityRising in Durham scored a significant scoop Monday with its report that the American Tobacco Historic District’s owners

The Skinny learned last week about the ATHD’s owner – Capitol Broadcasting, parent of Local Tech Wire and WRAL.com – was making a big push to convince Red Hat to move to one of the buildings it owns around the home stadium for the Durham Bulls baseball team.

However, the Skinny couldn’t report what was happening and what was known.

Then came the BullCityRising blog.

The hat’s out of the bag.

Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) has been looking for a new headquarters location for a couple of months, as first reported by the Triangle Business Journal. Possible homes for the world’s top developer of Linux software and related services include Atlanta and Austin, Texas. (The Biz Journal later reported more details on the Bulls’ visit.)

However, Triangle leaders are not conceding defeat. The visit on Monday by Red Hat executives to Durham where the pitchers mound at the Durham Bulls’ home field was covered in a Red Hat tarp is just one of numerous moves being made to keep the Hatters from taking their red fedoras elsewhere.

William Kalkhof, president of Downtown Durham, was contacted by WRAL.com about the BullCityRising report. All he would say was that a “very significant local company” was looking at American Tobacco.

“Because we consider Durham the hub of the creative class, downtown Durham would be a great home for a technology company,” he added.

“This is a company that represents our region, that we want to keep in N.C., [that we] want to keep in region.”

Raleigh leaders don’t want Red Hat to leave the Capital City. Period. They are exploring their own options.

Kevin Davis, a former editor and writer for The Harvard Crimson, heads up BullCityRising. He has a team of contributors helping him. On Monday, the team delivered.

Big time.

Here’s a tip of the Skinny’s WRAL cap to Davis and crew.

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