The Newspaper

  The Sidell Reporter was established in May 1888. There have been several owners and name changes the past 100+ years. The presses were never silent more than a few weeks at a time between some of the owners.
  The Sidell Reporter is a weekly newspaper published every Thursday in the best interest of the local communities it covers which includes Sidell, Indianola, Fairmount, Jamaica, Allerton and Catlin. Its main function is to report the news of the local governments, Jamaica school and Salt Fork Storm sports cooperative and social activities, as well as provide a medium for businesses to reach their customers.

Owner/Editor
Rinda Maddox

The Reporter has been owned by Ridge Farm native, Rinda (Todd) Maddox, since May 1991. A resident of the Sidell area since 1974, she has worked with the local publication since 1985.
  The editor is the third woman of the nine owner-editors in the many years of publication. She has owned the paper longer than any other woman.
  Since Maddox took over the newspaper, The Reporter has won several awards. The paper was recognized in September 2000 by the Illinois State Historical Society as a centennial business. The Reporter has also won awards from the Illinois Press Association in advertising, design and editorial categories.

Office Manager
Micki Guthrie

  Micki Guthrie joined the Reporter April 2005 and works one to two days a week. She is in charge of typing articles, proof reading, answering phones and assisting customers.

Production/Website/Recipe Columnist
Amanda Rull

  The editor's daughter, Amanda Rull, was raised underneath the typesetter in the Sidell Journal/Reporter office where her mother started working when she was five years old. She began writing her cooking column while she was making wedding plans back in 2001. She thought that was time to learn to cook! Since then she's lived in Idaho, Alaska & South Dakota, where she worked at each of the cities' newspapers. Since moving back to the area in 2010 she's been working at the newspaper part-time at the editor's beck and call. Amanda finds herself designing ads, updating the website, laying out pages, covering an occasional board meeting, selling some ads and anything else the editor can come up with for her to do.

Feature Columnist
Margaret Artman

   Margaret Artman is a resident of Sidell and is currently submitting a monthly column to the Reporter, "Reminisce with Me." She is also a published author and her book, "Mustard Valley" is currently available for purchase through the author. Mustard Valley is a depression-era novel about one family's sturggle to survive during the 1930s. Margaret has had many of her articles published in various magazines.
   For more information, or to purchase a copy of Margaret's book, click here.

Reporter/Feature Columnist
Richard Lamb

  Ever since he retired from teaching science at Jamaica Junior High, Richard Lamb has offered a writing hand at the newspaper. His favorite subjects to write about – Salt Fork Storm football and baseball! He does a wonderful job of taking the readers right to the sidelines following every important play of the game. His Storm Watch comments are looked forward to as the rest of the game details.
  Richard also enjoys creative writing and has helped fill the pages with excellent stories over the years. He’s spending his retirement doing things he enjoys and that’s to the benefit of all the readers!
   He recently wrote and published the sports book, "Fifty Years of Tears and Cheers—A Dodger Fan Remembers."

Recipe Columnist
Virlane Torbit

  Virlane Torbit has been writing for the Recipe Box since she substituted in the Sidell Reporter office in 2002. She and her family has since moved Shenzhen, Hong Kong.
  When she's not in the kitchen, she keeps very busy with her sons Ryan and David. She's on the PTC board, leads two Moms in Touch groups and helps out with Sunday School.

Recipe Columnist
Dianne Sanders

   Dianne Sanders has been a culinary contributor to the Reporter since Sept. 2007. Her recipes have been drawing rave reviews and have destroyed many well-intentioned diets.
   Dianne is active in the Catlin Church of Christ and is the proud mother of Brett of Plano, Texas and Kristen, a freshman at Lincoln Christian College. Dianne is still married to Ken and utilizes his enormous appetite to try out new and exciting recipes.....and reduce the leftover inventory in the frig.