Status of *ist 35mm?

[Unca Mikey]

Has anyone read or heard anything about the status or future of the 
Pentax *ist 35mm SLR?  It's still shown on the Pentax USA site, but 
is no longer in the catalog for B&H or Adorama.  Amazon shows it as 
"not in stock" and some other sites show the model as "discontinued." 
Is there any official word?  I emailed Pentax, but no answer yet.

I know the *ist is not highly regarded in PDML-land, but I love my 
*ist -- if they really are discontinued, I may have to buy one on 
closeout somewhere or on ebay, just to have a backup.

*>UncaMikey