Western governors are interested in following Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire's lead to closely track National Guard members after they return from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, for everything from health to employment needs.     Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said, "I want to go back and make sure that's what we're doing, and if we're not doing it, make sure we're doing it. ... Because I really do believe that the key issue here is first make sure the veterans know. ... It doesn't matter how good the program is if they are not aware of it."

It was just one of an array of solutions western governors discussed for how to help the many veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in a dismal job market, as they convened the annual conference of the Western Governors Association on Wednesday in Coeur d'Alene. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.