No it was not staged. This is the frontpage of my local paper. The store is going to have a grand re-opening, and the photographer was there taking pictures of the new store front and parking lot.
We have lots of things to put on the frontpage of the paper around here. I am sure some farmer has a funny looking carrot or a huge turnip they could take a photo of and put that there. They don't have to stage odd things like this :P