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Readers of our Web site, Times-Standard.com, undoubtedly have been noticing a string of improvements over recent months: frequent breaking news updates throughout the day, regular video and audio enhancement of news stories, a better software to handle reader feedback, more weblogs by staff members and others, and flash photo galleries such as last week, when we displayed readers' snowstorm snapshots.

All that effort reaches a crescendo at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon when Times-Standard.com launches its new look. A culmination of months of work, the revitalized site is designed to be more streamlined and be organized more efficiently.

Already the North Coast's top news Web site, Times-Standard.com is getting better by the day. Check out the site this afternoon and let us know what you think.

In the print edition (and in our E-edition), another improvement for our younger readers began Monday. The Kidscoop page — a weekly page of learning and fun — replaces the outdated Mini Page. Kidscoop will tackle a weekly topic in depth (on Monday it was how tadpoles grow up to be frogs), and offer word games and other brain teasers.

In coming weeks, local teachers who work with our Newspapers In Education program will be helping to make Kidscoop interactive — asking students to send us responses to published on the page.

Back online, a fantastic feature is coming for readers who follow the stock market. Next week we will officially add Market Review to Times-Standard.com. Replacing our daily market data page in the print edition — which in the digital age is quickly outdated and for space reasons can only cover a small fraction of stocks — the new Web feature offers an A-to-Z, up-to-the-minute, searchable report from all the major stock exchanges, including currencies and precious metals.

With a simple signup, readers can set up the site to provide instant access to their own portfolios, or a custom “watch list.”

We are juggling ideas for many more features in the future. What would you like to see at Times-Standard.com that would help make your life better or easier? Drop me a note and we'll see what we can do.