A tip of the hat to organ donors, their loved ones who support their choice and the medical professionals that facilitate such an invaluable gift.

Last week, the Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank, which handles all organs donated in Oregon, recognized Good Shepherd Health Care System for helping an organ donation take place at the Hermiston hospital — a rarity for hospitals of that size.

For some, receiving an organ or tissue is lifesaving, allowing them many additional years with their family and friends. For others, it changes their life by lifting the burden of 12 or more hours a week hooked up to a dialysis machine. More than 100,000 people in the United States are on the waiting list.

April is designated as Donate Life Month. In recognition of that, consider placing yourself on the organ donor registry, and having a conversation with family about your wishes.

A kick in the pants to the bill headed to the governor’s desk that would no longer require drivers moving to Oregon from another state to take a written test to prove their knowledge of Oregon traffic laws.

The stated intent of the law is to help the Department of Motor Vehicles clear the massive backlog of work it has accumulated during the pandemic. But it seems there were better solutions to that problem than a permanent rule change.

Some of Oregon’s traffic laws designed to keep people safe, such as changing to the left lane while passing any vehicles pulled over on the side of the interstate, aren’t universal. Incentivizing move-ins to study up on Oregon laws helps keep everyone safer.

A tip of the hat to school districts preparing summer learning options for their students.

Educators tried their best over the past year to make comprehensive distance learning work, but there is no doubt the disruptions of the pandemic has negatively impacted most students’ educational growth.

Umatilla School District is hosting summer camps, internships and credit recovery for its students, and we hope to see other districts also look at how they can help facilitate some extra learning over the summer for students who need it.