A daily feature section: POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW

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Along with a new look, we're adding a lot of new content to the Independent.

We've come to find out you, our readers, have a busy schedule. So we've searched for ways to make your life a bit easier. One way we've created is to offer a daily feature section.

Above, you can see pages from these sections, including a cover of the Friday "yourHOUSE" section on home and garden projects. The schedule will look something like this:

Monday: "yourHEALTH" medical, health, exercise, nutrition and fitness
Tuesday: "nextVOICE" teen issues, spotlight students, columns by teens and related content
Wednesday: "yourMENU" real food, recipes, nutrition, cooking and chief information
Thursday: "yourTICKET" previewing weekend entertainment options, arts, movies, dvds, etc.
Friday: "yourHOUSE" home and garden, repair projects, tips, etc.
Saturday: "yourLIFE" photo pages by our photographers (like the current Heartland cover) as well as religion and spirituality topics
Sunday: "herVOICE" the magazine is now a weekly newspaper section for women in Central Nebraska

These are the current ideas for the main themes on the cover of each day's section.

The insides will contain DAILY features inside this section.

Page 2 will have the prime time TV guide and entertainment news.
Page 3 will have related content to the cover topic, and a place for readers to interact and add comments related to the theme page.
Page 4 will be the comics page. We're looking to add two new comics to the mix. Any suggestions? Add comments below. We are also thinking of adding a daily Jumble puzzle. The Astrograph is moved to the classified section.
Page 5 will be the advice page, with Annie's Mailbox, Dr. Gott, Everyday Cheapskate and a rotating column. Bridge is moved to the classified section.
Page 6 is where the weather page will be located each day. Below the weather will be a standing daily feature called Simply Cooking. More on that exciting feature later. Also on this page will be features that are important to you. Family and parenting, fashion and fads, exercise and fitness and things to do will be featured here daily.

This is the current shell. You can see from the pages above that we're packing more utility information you've asked for into this section.

Next week I'll tell you more about the Simply Cooking feature and a few other features.

Please leave a comment about these pages or others I've shown. Again, this is your paper, not mine. I simply help shape what you ask for. So please, let us know what you think.

Jack

The Independent Redesign project: Post a comment at the bottom

The Current Design

The New Design

Dearest reader,
If you haven't heard, the Independent is planning a redesign for this summer. My name is Jack Sheard, and I'm the presentation editor at the paper. I have the fun task of creating an entirely new product for you to enjoy.

Well, I'm going to need some help.

Actually, the project is much more than 'design.' It's a lot more content than appearance that we're changing. And there are a lot of people helping already. The entire staff is working in some way at developing a new and improved Independent. But we could use a hand.

And by the way, this is YOUR paper, not ours. So we're going to get your help. Over the course of the next few months, I'll occasionally drop a few pages on this site.

All I ask is you look at them and tell me what you think. Give suggestions, speak your mind and basically let me have it. Or tell me you like it, that's fine, too.

We want you to have a say in this project, because it is your project, too.

So, today with the help of a very friendly Web site person (Steph, you know who you are) I'm posting a current version of the front page of the Independent and a prototype of what that page will look like in the new design.

Please, let us know what you think. Post a comment at the end of this blog and help us design the best newspaper for you we can.

Thanks,
Jack Sheard