Spring is in the air, and I am loving it. I have to confess, I was getting a bad case of cabin fever during my first Eastern Oregon winter. But with the weather starting to warm up a little, I was able to get out to the Spring Basin Wilderness, up by Clarno, for my first overnight hike of the season. I shivered a little in my tent, but a medicinal dose of whisky took the chill off, and the scenery was glorious. Most of all, though, it just felt good to be out in nature after months of being cooped up inside. I’m looking forward to many more outdoor adventures in this gorgeous corner of the state as we move into summer.

If you didn’t get a chance to read last week’s paper, here are a few of the stories you missed: a look at the three-way battle for Grant County commissioner, a report on John Day’s rejection of the county’s police funding plan, a story on John Day’s newest city councilor, an article on a local cattle mutilation case, and a pair of preview stories on Grant Union’s softball and track teams.

Coming up this week we’ll have an in-depth report on how a recent court ruling makes Grant County ground zero in the relisting of wolves under the Endangered Species Act. Steven Mitchell has spent weeks interviewing ranchers, wildlife managers and others involved in the debate over how to manage these apex predators under sometimes conflicting state and federal rules.

You’ll also find stories about the Prairie City track team, how local governments are dealing with soaring gas prices and a legal challenge to the John Day/Canyon City pool bond, among others.

As always, I want to take this opportunity to thank our subscribers for their support. We can’t do this work without you!