A tip of the hat to Umatilla County for ramping up its vaccine distribution abilities so quickly and effectively that the county was able to vaccinate hundreds of residents against COVID-19 in a single week and is prepared to vaccinate as many as 2,000 more per week.

Unfortunately, the state has stymied that effort by not distributing anywhere near that level of vaccinations to Umatilla County, despite the fact that Umatilla County has had the second most COVID-19 cases per capita in the state. That deserves a kick in the pants to the Oregon Health Authority.

But that part of the equation isn’t the county’s fault, and we would much rather see the county ready for more vaccines than struggling to dole out what it has on hand before more arrive. Given the statewide data on vaccines administered compared to vaccines distributed, it seems Umatilla County is ahead of the curve, and that is to be commended.

A tip of the hat to all those involved in the complicated rescue of a snowmobiler injured on Sunday, Jan. 10, in a remote area of Umatilla County.

An ambulance couldn’t get anywhere near the site of the crash, but the injured man was able to be evacuated through the efforts of sheriff’s offices, search and rescue teams, fire districts and dispatch centers in both Umatilla and Union counties, as well as Life Flight Network and other snowmobilers on scene that day.

A tip of the hat to those who work to preserve and promote local history, including Victor Kucera, who recently wrote ”Rivoli,” a 502-page book on the historic Rivoli Theater in Pendleton. All proceeds from the book will support the restoration of the theater building currently underway.

Kucera spent countless hours over three years reading page by page through the East Oregonian’s archives, interviewing residents, searching through historical documents and visiting museums to bring all that information about the landmark into one easy-to access spot for future generations to enjoy.

His work, and his generous donation of the proceeds, are a valuable gift to Pendleton.