My name is Doug Kaufman, and I'm excited to be part of the Wentzville Patch reporting team. I have been a journalist for 26 years, including stints at the Belleville (IL) News-Democrat as a feature writer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writing news and features, plus writing news and features for an online news source for medical professionals.

I have won reporting and writing awards from the Associated Press and others. I have written about breaking news, religion, science, medicine, health and fitness, veterans and entertainment.

I covered The Muny and The Fox Theatre and have interviewed a long list of stars, including Sandra Bullock, Robert Goulet, Charles Schulz, Ray Bradbury, Lawrence Fishburne, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ed Asner, Shirley Jones, Carol Channing and many more.

In my spare time, I run, bicycle, kayak, scuba dive and snorkel. I coach running and bicycling for Team In Training, one of the fundraising arms of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I also photograph pets for the Web site of the Animal Protective Association of Missouri.

I look forward to learning what interests you. If you have story ideas you would like to share, I can be reached at dkaufman218@gmail.com.