Sandi Villarreal, Neighbor

I've come the long way to the Twin Cities via San Antonio, St. Louis, and Chicago. I now live just east of Golden Valley in the Loring Park neighborhood of Minneapolis.

As a transplant, I love soaking up everything the cities has to offer, from its arts and music scene to its wonderful restaurants to the great outdoors.

I've been a journalist since sixth grade when my friends and I started a middle school "newspaper" full of inter-class gossip and real-world, in-depth commentary about the moral implications of dissecting earthworms.

Since then, I earned a BA in journalism and political science from Baylor University, married a preacher, earned an MS in journalism from Northwestern University in Chicago and followed said preacher to his first church in south Minneapolis.

My reporting tends to focus on religion and politics, but I love telling stories about the things that affect you. I look forward to uncovering the important stories in your neighborhood and highlighting the strengths of the people of Golden Valley.