Christmastime is here, and this week has been giving the gift of all kinds of news.

We’ve had the fun, lighter side. Reporter Dick Mason told an excellent story about Dianna Douglas, the La Grande woman who is the driving force behind the Wallowa Family Christmas Dinner. This year marks the fourth time in six years Douglas will be putting on the dinner, a meal she helps pay for with the assistance of donations and is served with help of at least half a dozen volunteers.

Douglas enjoys reaching out to the community of Wallowa because it has a special place in her heart. She lived there 15 years before moving to La Grande two years ago.

Freelance sportswriter Ronald Bond had a feature on the Union boys basketball team, who captured the Bobcat Classic title last week and are off to an 8-1 start and a No. 4 ranking in the OSAA Class 1A. That story also is proving to be one of our most popular online.

But we’ve had plenty of hard news as well.

Grande Ronde Hospital has experienced a large surge in emergency room visits and hospitalizations since the end of November. Reporter Isabella Crowley talked to hospital officials to get a sense of the issues the hospital is working through.

Crowley also reported on concerns neighbors of the Union County Warming Station have about the facility’s move to its new location on 501 Third St. That story has been online since Tuesday morning and is on the front page of the weekend print edition.

Next week, we’ll talk to local officials and residents about their hopes for the new year.

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