Let's get this straight before anyone else continues this nonsense:
As the OP posted, it is NOT illegal. A small excerpt and a link to the source is entirely alright and legal.
Now, as far as getting clicks to the original story, it's usually far better to have an excerpt to draw people in, rather than to just post a link with the title. The way this was posted was the best way to get people's attention and get the hits to the local media that several of you (rightfully) think we need.