Living in Idaho, we have a very unique and special environment that does not exist in most other areas of the United States.

    I am of course referring to the great outdoors. Fishing, camping, hunting, climbing, hiking, cliff diving, boating, rafting and even spelunking are just some of the many activities that attract both permanent residents and visitors to the state of Idaho.

    A number of us at the Idaho State Journal realized that the amount of outdoor content, specifically in the sports section, does not accurately represent the incredible open air opportunities that Southeast Idaho has to offer.

    As a way to appeal to our outdoor community as well as you seekers of thrill and adventure, the Journal is making a number of changes to the sports section.

    Each day there will be a different feature or column from someone who is involved in nature, the outdoors and everything in between. This includes shooting, running/jogging and even hunting or fishing information from the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

    Today’s paper includes a column from Tom Claycomb, an Idaho-native and accomplished outdoor writer.

    On Tuesday you will find an outdoor feature from Journal freelancer Eniko Jordan, Wednesday a column or story from the Fish and Game Department, Thursday a feature on running/jogging by Journal sports writer Kyle Franko, Friday an outdoor column from Journal regular Tony McClain, Saturday a feature from freelancer Vanessa Grieve and on Sunday a gun feature by local marksman Lance Earl.

    There will be some variation depending on writer availability or other situations, but for the most part you will know what to expect in the sports page each day.

    In addition to the revamped outdoors section, every Monday will contain a feature that we are calling “Eastern Idaho Sports Legends,” a story or column that catches up with or tells the tale of a sports hero from Southeast Idaho.

    There will also be consistency in commentary writing by the Journal’s sports writers. Expect a column from the same person on the same day every week.

    All of this is in addition to the local high school, community and Idaho State University sports coverage that is already being done.

    We are also looking for help from the community. If you write or know of a blog that deals with any local sports team, school or athlete, let us know and we could possibly link to it the Idaho State Journal website for our readers to get even more sports content.

    Feel free to contact me, Chase Glorfield, with any questions, comments or concerns. My phone number is (208) 239-6008 and my email address is cglorfield@journalnet.com.