The Chieftain has a new reporter: Daniel Brooks has joined the staff of the newspaper, and worked his first day for us on Thursday, Dec. 21. You’ll see his byline increasingly frequently as I work him into the mix in the Chieftain’s newsroom.

Brooks, 44, is a native of Utah who came to Eastern Oregon in September to be closer to his father. He worked as the news director and reporter for the website News of Oregon, based in La Grande, where he reported and wrote local news stories. During his time working at News of Oregon, he impressed his coworkers with his work ethic and willingness to learn — both important attributes as he gets to know Wallowa County.

When the News of Oregon website shut down, Brooks came to work at the Chieftain, and started his search for a place to live in Wallowa County. In the meantime, he’ll be based out of the Observer newsroom in La Grande, and will travel to Wallowa County as necessary to cover stories, assuming that Highway 82 is in passable shape. 

Before Brooks came to Eastern Oregon with his wife, Shandra, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University.

He loves writing, and is anxious to learn more about the art of reporting — interviewing, reporting public documents, posing questions to public officials that at times might seem impertinent. Both reporting and writing, of course, take years to learn — and the best journalists understand that there’s always room to sharpen those essential skills.

My plan now is to have Brooks take the lead in covering Wallowa County schools, an area that the Chieftain hasn’t covered as well as we should have, in part because of staffing issues. I also want him to cover Wallowa County courts as he becomes more familiar with the county.

Of course, in a small newsroom like the Chieftain, the idea of beats is a flexible one: The truth is that Brooks will be covering a little bit of everything. And in Wallowa County, which generates a surprising amount of news, there will be plenty to keep him occupied.

You can email him at dbrooks@wallowa.com or phone him at 541-426-1331. And take a moment to say hello when you see him around the county.

Speaking of news from Wallowa County, our year-in-review section appears in Wednesday’s newspaper. Walking through the events of 2023 reminded me of what a year of transition this was for the county, and I think you’ll agree with that assessment once you page through the section, which includes quick summaries of the year’s top events and some of my favorite photos. It was a busy year, and I expect no less from 2024. (I’ll be posting our year-in-review stories, season-by-season, beginning Monday on our website, wallowa.com.)

Wednesday’s paper also is scheduled to feature a profile of Ryan Moody, who’s been appointed as the new Wallowa County sheriff to fill out the last year of Joel Fish’s term; Fish, as you will recall, retired to return to North Carolina to care for his mother. And you’ll read about the county commissioners’ decision to approve that community energy plan that has generated discussion throughout the county; in fact, that story already is online at our website.

All of this is part of the Chieftain’s efforts to cover Wallowa County news to the best of our ability. As always, if you have a comment or question about the Chieftain, or want to suggest a story idea, email me at editor@wallowa.com or mmcinally@wallowa.com. 

If you haven’t already, take a moment to register your subscription for digital access of the Chieftain. Call 541-963-3161 to talk to a member of our customer service staff, who will be happy to walk you through the process. It’s easy, takes just a few moments to get set up and allows you to take advantage of our e-edition, app and website delivery along with your print subscription.

Let me take this opportunity to once again thank the Chieftain’s subscribers: It would be impossible for us to do this vital work without your support.

Finally, here’s hoping that your Christmas is merry and bright. Happy holidays!

Mike McInally is the editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain. You can email him at editor@wallowa.com or mmcinally@wallowa.com.