If you take a gander at our staff box this week, you'll notice some changes afoot here at the Journal.

First, you'll likely notice something missing. Assistant editor/staff writer Grant Scott-Goforth has moved on after more than three years as an award winning reporter and photographer here at the Journal. This is a sad day for us, as Grant was a stalwart reporter and editor whose contributions ran far beyond his weekly bylines. Sure, he brought you nuanced, thoughtful coverage of the people and issues of our community, but he also did a million things behind the scenes to make sure that when the Journal hit newsstands every week it was the best paper it could be. Grant is also one of those people who manages to show up to work every day with a smile and a sense of humor, and who met every obstacle in his path with patience, tenacity and perspective.

Grant will be sorely missed here, both in the office and these pages, but it appears our loss is Humboldt State University's gain. Grant has signed on to write and edit for the school's alumni magazine, among other things up there, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. And we'll take this opportunity to publicly offer our thanks for the years of sweat equity he put in here. Grant, you made this a better paper. Thank you.

Second of all, where Grant's name used to be, you'll notice a new — yet familiar — one in its place. We are very excited to announce that Kim Wear is joining our team to fill Grant's old shoes. If Kim's name rings a bell, it's because she helmed the Times-Standard as its managing editor for eight years, during which she reported on or orchestrated coverage of the county's biggest stories.

A southern California transplant, Kim cut her teeth reporting for San Diego's North County Times, where she covered schools and courts. After following her heart to Humboldt, Kim covered just about everything for the T-S, including education, courts, the city of Eureka and so much more. She took over as the paper's city editor in 2007, and stepped into the role of managing editor about a year later. Ask around about Kim. You'll find she has a reputation for being smart, fair and tireless.

Kim's eager to get back to her roots a bit and do more writing and reporting. We're excited to give her the opportunity and lucky to have her.

So, please join us in wishing Grant a bon voyage and welcoming Kim aboard.