This is one of the articles I’ve written as an employee at the Stewart Webster Journal Patriot-Citizen. It was published on Aug. 19, 2010, on the front page and continued on page nine.

John “Phillip” Welch, a graduate of Tri-County High School’s class of 1991, recently joined the Buena Vista Police Department.

Welch said that he is “looking forward to working with the citizens of Buena Vista and Marion County.”

Welch has more than seven years of law enforcement experience, including approximately two years as an investigator and more than 800 hours of law enforcement training in specialized areas.

After attending Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus from 1991 to 1993, Welch later enrolled in the ABAC Regional Police Academy in 1997.

He is married to the former Missy Dinsmore of Americus and has two boys, Thomas, 14, and Tucker, 7.

Welch enjoys coaching his sons’ baseball teams, fishing, hunting and spending time with his family. He and his family are members of First Baptist Church in Buena Vista.