For those of you eager for further news of Steve Young’s recovery from his injuries in that dreadful fire last December, I can report briefly on the latest news.

A stubborn infection resulting from a burn injury appears to have been cleared up, or virtually cleared up. That means that plans can go forward for surgery to repair nerve damage to Steve’s left hand. The spine specialist has cleared him for driving again, and he has already been out on the road.

Once he and his family relocate to new temporary quarters next week, he hopes to make occasional brief visits to The Sun’s newsroom to reacclimate himself to the place. He continues to be hopeful that he can return to work full-time by the end of March or thereabouts.

He remains grateful for visits, letters, telephone calls and other expressions of concern — and he is eager to get back in harness. With a little luck, my next dispatch about him will find him back at the copy desk, surrounded by the colleagues who have watched his recovery with such concern for the past two and a half months.