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K.J. Hascall / Hungry Horse News

OK, I'll be honest: I'm really just here to hike. And who isn't in this beautiful valley? But while I love a good jaunt through the woods, I'm equally enamored with newspaper journalism.

Stepping into the editor position at a newspaper like the Hungry Horse News, a publication that boasts an astounding history and a Pulitzer prize, can be intimidating. Yet the spunk of Columbia Falls, a town that just keeps going no matter what, and the beauty of the Flathead Valley proved an irresistable combination.

In a previous life I worked as the business and agriculture reporter at another newspaper in the valley. I designed and edited the paper on the weekend. Some of you may recognize my name from Flathead Business Journal articles.

And what a job that was. Reporting, writing and photography during the week, hiking every weekend. Picking my way through huckleberry bushes on Big Mountain and attending the valley's various farmers markets each week are among my favorite memories.

Now as I write this, I can't believe my luck. After a brief hiatus in Lincoln, Neb. — heck yes I'm a Nebraska Cornhuskers fan — I've returned to this amazing place in the northwestern corner of Montana as the new editor of the Hungry Horse News.

In each edition of this publication, I look to continue the newspaper's tradition of strong reporting and beautiful photography the paper is known for. I will strive to be innovative and creative in news coverage, and to give this community the highest quality coverage only a newspaper in its 64th year can bring.

Yet even though this newspaper has matured into one of the finest weeklies in the nation, we are still learning every day. Perhaps that's why working at a newspaper is so fun: every day has its own adventures and challenges.

My door is always open. I encourage you to share your ideas with me. We here at the News rely on this community in everything we do and we encourage a dialogue between the newspaper and community members.

If you have any questions about how the newspaper is put together each week or about decisions we've made, please let me know. If a name is misspelled or an article seems unfair, I want to hear about it. If we are alerted to our mistakes, we can correct them.

If you have any questions or comments, let me know. Send an e-mail to editor@hungryhorsenews.com. Or stop by the Hungry Horse News cabin to chat, though you're not likely to catch me on Thursdays — I'll be upholding another Hungry Horse News tradition: hiking.

K.J. Hascall is the managing editor of the Hungry Horse News.