Joe Menard, Neighbor

I am a freelancer reporter who has spent more than a decade in a journalism career that spans three states and more than a dozen publications, including nearly five years as a staff reporter at The Detroit News.

 St. Charles has always been my second home. My family moved from Chicago to St. Charles about a month after I graduated high school, and I've been linked to this town ever since.

Though I left for college almost as soon as I got here, I always came back for the holidays, summers and to see my family. I also interned here at a local weekly paper early in my reporting career.

With a growing family, my wife and I moved back into the area a few years ago so our children could grow up with their extended families. Now I am here reporting for Patch in St. Charles, the place where it all started.