The award-winning cartoonist Jack Ohman will take over the Sacramento Bee editorial cartooning position that came open when Rex Babin passed way in March. That's a potentially very nice outcome. Babin was much liked and respected by his peers and by those in that profession more generally, so being the next man up at that publication would seem to me a big honor. Ohman is a versatile cartoonist who can do a lot for a publication; he's also pretty good with local issues despite an agressive national syndication deal, which I've always thought is something the Sacramento market has required given its strong specific and regional identity.
I hope the Oregonian considers replacing that position, although the initial reactions I heard via e-mail is that this might be tough for the publication to consider given the general state of the newspaper industry. There are certainly a lot of talented cartoonists in the Pacific Northwest, and a bunch of people that would be willing to move for a staff position -- let alone one in Portland.