It’s been a busy few weeks for news in our region.

And it is probably not going to slow down anytime soon.

From forest fires to the Pendleton Round-Up to a major decision by the state to place new limits on bow hunting in Eastern Oregon, the news cycle churned out plenty for readers last week and this week.

I don’t expect it to drop off.

That’s because of events like the Round-Up, which runs through the weekend. A big event for Pendleton, the happening is a signature venue that delivers rodeo fun — and a whole lot more — to those who attend.

The Round-Up is really a regional event with first-class entertainment and rodeo participants.

If you’ve never been to the Round-Up, you have a chance to experience one of the great events in the West.

Forest fires continued to haunt the pages of the newspaper and it seems that we will probably be, unfortunately, doing more stories in the next couple of weeks on the existing blazes and new ones that may crop up.

In a perfect world, none us would have to deal with forest fires but we don’t have the luxury of a perfect world.

All of these happenings are on our radar and will continue to be until they are no longer news. We are a versatile organization, able to switch from covering an event such as the Round-Up to ensuring readers know all there is to know about the fires around our region.

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If you missed one or more issues of The Observer this week, here are a couple of stories you might have missed.

Reporter Dick Mason showcased the story of Teagan Null, a La Grande High School senior who was part of a select group of Oregon high school students who played in four concerts — in France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland — during a tour of Europe in July. The group, the Oregon Ambassadors of Music, was composed of 350 band players and 150 choir members. All had been nominated by music educators at their high schools. 

“It was such an honor to be a part of the tour,” said Null, who plays the bassoon for La Grande High School’s wind ensemble. 

Speaking of wildfires, we picked up a story from our sister paper, the Wallowa County Chieftain, about the Umatilla Veterans Crew who are battling the Double Creek Fire near Imnaha. The group is made up of firefighters with a military background.

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