Originally from Tempe, Arizona, Neal A. Johnson has lived in central Missouri since 1990 and Linn since 2002.

After three years with the California Democrat, Neal took a position with KREL-AM, also in California, and then assumed the sports editor's post at the Unterrified Democrat. Since 2005 he has also been the news editor.

Neal splits his time between covering meetings, sports, maintaining www.photosbyneal.net and writing.

He is married to Melissa Gourd Johnson, and they have two children, Chloe, 11, and Drayden, 5.