New sports reporter joins Gazette

COLFAX— Whitman County Gazette has hired Matthew Strissel, 39, as a sports reporter.

Originally from Rudyard, Mont., Strissel is no stranger to small farming communities having been raised in the farming area of Montana boasting approximately 200 residents.

Strissel worked at the Lewiston Tribune before deciding to relocate to Pullman with his wife Bre, two dogs (Evee and Ronald), a Senegel parrot (Kisses), and a chameleon (Bruni).

Obtaining his degree in photography from Northwest college in Powell, Wyo., Strissel fell in love with journalism after working for the student newspaper and the went on to obtain his bachelors in Journalism at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

“They offered a sports reporting class,” said Strissel, adding that he took that class and really loved it.

After graduating a sports reporter job was available at the Lewistown News-Argus in Lewistown Mont. “I was a sports reporter there for four years, and then an opportunity opened up to be sports editor in Lewiston, Idaho,” he said.

After working at the Tribune for about a year, Strissel decided that he liked small towns better, and wanted to focus on family. “I decided that Colfax would be a better fit,” he said.

“At my job in Lewistown, I tried to write about as many unique things as possible,” Strissel said, noting that he wrote about roller derby, motor sports, BMX and demolition derbies.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the standard football, basketball and all, but I am really looking forward to events like the Lind Combine Derby,” Strissel said.