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.
EDWARDSVILLE - School administrators gathered for the biannual Madison County School Safety Summit on June 11, 2024. “This was created to offer the educational community, the law enforcement community and the mental health community a chance to network and stay up to date on cutting-edge...
GRAFTON - Lindsay Blair, beloved manager of the Grafton Oyster Bar, has passed away. Blair was the general manager and “face” of Grafton Oyster Bar, owner Brad Hagan said in a Facebook post. She passed away on Monday, June 10, 2024, after a “catastrophic seizure” one week...
ALTON - Community members are invited to attend a Celebrate Recovery and Broken Chains JC meeting to learn more about recovery through faith. Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 1422 Washington Avenue in Alton, attendees can enjoy barbecue from Steve’s Old Cabin BBQ,...
BRIGHTON - The Rawlings Tigers will host tryouts for their upcoming 2025 season for kids ages 7–8 who want to play in a competitive, “tight-knit” league, said Coach Frank Bock. Bock and his fellow coaches started the Rawlings Tigers because they wanted to give kids the opportunity...
RIVERBEND - It’s summertime, and that means it’s time for farmers markets, vendor fairs and more. Here’s a comprehensive list of local farmers and artisans markets around the Riverbend. ALTON What: Alton Farmers and Artisans Market When: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays...
ALTON - An upcoming goal-setting workshop encourages community members to set goals and develop an action plan to conquer them. Abigail Parker with Nourished Revival will host the workshop from 9:30–10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Party on Broadway in Alton. The event will...
ALTON - Laura Dixon Wallendorf is no stranger to community gardens. But her latest gardening project is the most special one yet. The new garden, located at the corner of 67th and Henry Streets in Alton, is for Wallendorf’s nephew Anthony, who passed away in a car accident seven months...
ALTON - Patrons can now check out seeds at Hayner Public Library District’s seed library. Tabitha Schreiner, who oversees the seed library, explained that patrons can “check out” six seeds at a time to plant in their gardens. They have a variety of plants at the seed library,...
ALTON - For Linda Schafer, it was a powerful evening at the Alton River Dragons’ Breast Cancer Awareness Night on June 7, 2024. Schafer, a survivor of Aggressive Ductal Carcinoma, threw the first pitch of the game. She shared that she was proud to throw the ball all the way to the catcher,...
BETHALTO - During a work session for the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education, parents asked for more transparency from the Board. The work session special meeting was scheduled for Friday, June 7, 2024. The meeting comes after three resignations, including Barrett Dreist,...
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