By KATIE MCDOWELL / Managing Editor

This year the Shelby County Reporter celebrates its 170th anniversary.

In honor of that anniversary, we decided to spruce up our design a little. At least seven years have passed since the Shelby County Reporter’s last redesign, and we felt it was time for a fresh look.

We used our rich history as a template for our new look. A redesign committee, led by designer Amy Baldis, researched old issues of the Shelby County Reporter for ideas. We kept some design elements that worked, and changed ones we thought could be improved.

The most obvious change is on the front page, which features a new flag – the name of the newspaper as it appears on page one. Our new flag is inspired by a version used in the 1930s. However, as you can see from the accompanying photos, similar fonts were used for much of the 20th century.

Another big change is the repackaging of our content. We combined our news stories and community columns, which used to run in the lifestyles section, into one section. This way you can read all of the community news in one place.

Our sports section moved to the B section and was expanded. We have so many talented teams in so many sports that we wanted to give them as much space as possible. (On that note, if you have a sports tip, photo or announcement, make sure to email it to Drew Granthum at Drew.granthum@shelbycountyreporter.com.)

We also brought back a weekly photo essay on page 16A, and we instituted a features page on 5A that rotates through lifestyles, faith, business and education news each week.

The only constant in news — or life, for that matter — is change. This county has transitioned from rural farmland to one of the state’s fastest growing and most prosperous counties.

As we move forward into our 171st year, we promise to continue to bring you the stories that matter to you. Thank you for your support for the last 170 years.

If you have any feedback, questions or story ideas, feel free to email me at Katie.mcdowell@shelbycountyreporter.com.