Jared Anderson has been named sports editor of the Siuslaw News, taking over section duties this week.

"I did officially hand off the sports baton to Jared Anderson beginning this week," editor Ned Hickson said," which I know will help us improve the sports section by having someone focused on that specifically."

Hickson has been doing triple duty as the editor of the Siuslaw News and managing editor of the Cottage Grove Sentinel, as well as sports editor of Florence area twice-weekly.

"There will obviously be a learning curve," Hickson said of Anderson. "But, unlike me, he'll actually have someone to show him the ropes as we make the transition.

"I'm excited about working to improve that part of the paper and return it to where it was back when I had time to do it well."

Anderson, 41, began working for the Siuslaw News newsroom in May 2017, creating online content and conducting video interviews for TheSiuslawNews.com.

He was hired as community reporter in July 2017, with a "primary focus to write stories and take photos that inform readers about community-based events, organizations and individuals who impact Florence and Mapleton."

Anderson said at the time, in a story by colleague Chantelle Meyer: "I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to get this job at the Siuslaw News. In this job, I get to interview, write stories and take photographs to visually represent those storeies. It's everything I've trained for and always wanted to do."

Anderson studied film and theater with an emphasis in playwriting at the University of Utah.

His has been the officer in charge at the Deadwood Post Office, an instructor at the Lane Community College Florence Center and an education director at City Lights Cinemas.

"What I started to find out is that you can do things in a small town you could never dream of in a big city," Anderson was quoted as saying when hired as community reporter. "I've been able to teach film, work for a movie theater, write for a newspaper and do all these things you could only do in a very limited capacity in a big city, since there's so much competition.

"Here, it's amazing the things you can do if you have a good knowledge base and are motivated. The community has been very open and receptive to a lot of things that I've done. I've gotten to know a lot of people here, and it's been so much fun. I've just fallen in love with it here."