Since Patch launched its blogging platform this time last year, we've had some great community writers and photographers join our team of Local Voices.

These are citizens who are truly passionate about the topics they're writing about, whether that's schools, government, nature, health, volunteerism or simply passing along advice.

Joining this friendly and inviting group is easy—so easy that it should take you less than five minutes to get set up and less than one minute to actually submit your posts (not including the time it takes you to write, of course).

Already have a blog? You could cut and paste what you've already written to gain a new audience.

Already typing up or sending out a newsletter for your church, business or organization? Post it to gain new members or customers.

Running for office? You could get your message out for free with a few clicks of a mouse.

Don't have much time? Theoretically, a Local Voices post could be as short as one word, but I recommend going for at least a whole sentence to put that word in context.

So now that you know what Local Voices on West Cobb Patch is all about, it's time to meet the team:

Amy LaBoy

Amy is Trinity Chapel Academy's admissions director and keeps everyone up-to-date on what's going on at the school.

Bill Stanley

A math teacher, Bill is passionate about guns and relates his views on gun ownership, where to shoot locally, and much more.

Chris Wizner

A Powder Springs councilman, Wizner keeps city residents informed of what the council is working on.

James Phillips

James is a computer wiz and owner of Always On I T Service. He tells us how to get that slow computer back up to speed, as well as offers best practices for your computer.

Laurie Vesper

A Tapp Middle mom, Laurie writes about all the great news coming out of the school.

Lynn Hubbard

Lynn, an author, writes about a variety of really neat topics—the Titanic anniversary, a little known pirate musical from the '80s, and more.

Margaret McKinney

Margaret, an author, has been offering tips on how to achieve the dream of every writer—getting published.

Mike Boyce

Mike, a candidate for Cobb commission chairman, writes about issues in the race.

Natalie Feller

Natalie works at Hillgrove High and was named the Cobb County School District’s top high school-level classified employee this school year. She recently began writing to keep everyone informed of the Hillgrove Foundation's Performing for the Dream fundraiser.

Nichelle Fox

Nichelle, the head of the breast cancer group Fox Trotters, writes about breast cancer issues and fundraising.

Paula Blumsack

Paula runs Blumsack Family Chiropractic with her husband, Paul. She writes about raising five children and the health advantages of seeking chiropratic help for healing instead of pills.

Susan Smelser

When she owned the Book Worm Bookstore in downtown Powder Springs, Susan kept everyone informed of what was going on in the heart of the city. Since selling it to focus on her health business, she now writes about her weight loss journey.

Terri Foschini

Terri writes about anything and everything that catches her eye in West Cobb, whether it's a business that's soon to open, meeting author Lauretta Hannon, or simply wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. And to boot, she takes some great nature photos.

Tom Bevirt

A former Powder Springs city councilman, Tom writes mainly about local government. Recently, he has been tackling issues behind the July transportation tax vote. Tom was also nice enough to share advice on two issues that might make a few people cringe—feet and bugs.

West Cobb Business Association

The group just started up its blog and will be letting everyone know what's happening with the organization.