If you’re at a game in the area and see a car with West Virginia plates or hear a guy with a funny accent, you’re likely around me, Joel Whetzel, so please don’t be afraid to come up and say hello.

I recently accepted the sports reporter position here at the Era, and I’m thrilled to get started at the paper. I’m coming from my hometown of Romney, W. Va., located about halfway between Morgantown, W. Va. and Washington, D.C.

I’m an alumnus of West Virginia University, where I studied political science of all things, and also worked at the student newspaper, the Daily Athenaeum, where I covered WVU football both home and away, and also worked on other stories. Since graduation, I’ve worked in both news and sports, but found that sports reporting is my true passion in journalism.

Now, of course, comes the golden question: Why’s a guy from West Virginia moving here for work when he was already situated back home?

The answer to that question has a few pieces. First, with family in Altoona and a girlfriend in Erie, it just made a lot of sense personally. I also wanted to experience something beyond my home state, at least for a little while.

But more than that, there are a lot of opportunities around here that I can’t wait to cover. With a lot of solid high school teams, Pitt-Bradford, St. Bonaventure and more nearby, there will be a lot of interesting stories to get out and experience.

I’ve been here since Wednesday, and get to move into my apartment just across the state line in Olean today. I’m excited to get situated and to get to know the area more, though I can already tell you that it’s nice to still be situated in the mountains with outdoor opportunities nearby.

If you want to find me on social media and really learn more about me, your best bet is Twitter. Just search @JoelWhetzel, and hit the follow button. But be warned, when I’m not covering something, I tend to be whining about my favorite professional teams, which hail from Seattle, and about WVU. I’ll also gripe about the Pittsburgh Pirates with some frequency.

Obviously, this brief introduction doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface, so again, please don’t be afraid to reach out to me when you see me at a game or around town. You can also call into the Era newsroom, email me at jmwwvu@gmail.com, or find me on Twitter. I look forward to learning more about this community, its people and its teams.