Sydney Sinks grew up in the Riverbend area and graduated from Southwestern High School. She received a bachelor’s degree from Millikin University in 2022, where she majored in English-Writing with concentrations in journalism and professional writing and a minor in editing.
At Millikin, Sydney wrote and edited for The Decaturian and BURST Magazine. Her writing has also been published in Decatur Magazine, Gateway Journalism Review and others. She has received recognition from the Illinois College Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists for her work.
Around this point in the dreary winter season, it’s time to start searching for things to look forward to. I know I’m not alone in this one. It’s cloudy, it’s rainy, it’s cold. We got a nice reprieve from the winter weather last week, which I was loving. But as w...
TROY - Community members and business owners have the chance to support an organization that supports them at the upcoming Glo Bingo for the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce. On Friday, March 13, 2026, the chamber will host their annual Glo Bingo fundraiser at the Tri-Township...
BETHALTO - A local teacher has been named Illinois’s Southern Regional Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the Illinois State Board of Education’s 2026 Teacher of the Year award. Angie Neilson, an educator at Civic Memorial High School in the Bethalto Community Unit School District...
EAST ALTON - East Alton students learned about unity through several Black History Month activities. On Feb. 25, 2026, the Black History Month celebrations concluded with an assembly at East Alton Middle School, where choir members sang songs and students performed a step routine. Fifth grade...
BETHALTO - Civic Memorial High School students presented a check to the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education to increase literacy in the community. During the Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 26, 2026, four members of the Educators Rising program at Civic Memorial...
EDWARDSVILLE - Drive-Your-Tractor-to-School Day was a big success at Edwardsville High School to conclude FFA Week. Agriculture students with the Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization drove their tractors through SIUE campus and Edwardsville to arrive at the high school on Friday morning,...
EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. Candidates for Illinois’s 15th Congressional District include Ryan Tebrugge (R), Judy Bowlby (R), Randy Raley (D), Jennifer Todd (D), Kyle Nudo (D) and Dr. Paul...
EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. Candidates for Illinois’s 13th Congressional District — Dylan Blaha (D), Jeff Wilson (R), and Joshua Loyd (R) — introduced themselves and shared information...
EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. A candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives for the 109th District, Zachary Meyer, presented his platform. Incumbent Charlie Meier, a Republican, was unable...
EDWARDSVILLE - The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum ahead of the primary election on March 17, 2026. Candidates for the Illinois Senate 56th District — Marsie Geldert-Murphey and Kevin Hall — introduced themselves and spoke about their platforms. During...
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