Veteran reporter joins Record staff
Staff writer
Hello. My name is Judd Weil and I am the latest addition to your community newspaper.
I have been working in the fourth estate for a little over a decade, and it is hard for me to imagine myself doing something else. Believe me, I have tried.
I have worked in print, radio, and some television during my career. My early years as a lone cub reporter were spent wandering the U.S. and getting a feel for the melting pot that is this country.
I was a freelancer in New York City for a while.
I spent a few years working in southwest Kansas in print and as a news director for a radio station, covering the entire area. From there and shortly after my wife and I were married, we moved to Hutchinson, where we reside now. I worked as a broadcast reporter and interim news director.
I worked a stint as a television producer while freelancing until I landed a job as a remote editor for a rural community in Missouri. However, I missed being able to put my boots to the ground and physically chase a story.
This brings us to now.
With my decade of reporting, I have primarily focused on community news. A good chunk of that has been in smaller towns and cities and their counties. I also focused on special interests as well as investigative pieces.
A big goal of mine when writing in smaller communities always is to connect them to the world at large.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I did a lot of investigative work into hospitals, local governments, and other public agencies in southwest Kansas receiving relief and service money. Through these pieces, I exposed misappropriations while highlighting the consequences of not heeding certified health experts and how that impacts smaller communities.
This led into a massive community story about how food trucks were the unsung heroes of the pandemic with their abilities to people while maintaining distancing and health guidelines in small spaces.
More people went to food trucks after that, and the food trucks were able to help more because of the customer boom.
That whole ordeal served as a reminder that every bit of a community, especially small ones, has an influence or a ripple somewhere.
I am a big believer real stories are where real people are, and that they need a community news outlet to share those stories.
I am elated to be part of the Marion County Record’s staff and am excited to deliver high-quality journalism this institution is known for.
When not doing that, I enjoy spending time with my wife, our son, and our two dogs and cat.
My wife is an emergency services dispatcher and is a pinnacle to her department; she is absolutely incredible at everything she does.
We are kept busy with our outdoor hobbies, including camping, trailing, and gardening. Our indoor hobbies include movies and reading. I am also an avid collector and reader of comic books.
My little boy is an avid lover of books, and I hope he stays that way.
He also frequently is in the kitchen with me as I love to cook, and it must have rubbed off.
I always say there are three things I am good at: writing, cooking, and fighting.
I am not exactly in golden gloves shape, admittedly.
If I was not writing I would be cooking; however, I love writing more.
I am happy to invest that love into Marion County.