Once a former meat locker, Morrison American Legion Post 328 has undergone a remarkable transformation thanks to years of dedicated volunteer work and leadership.

The music and celebration of the Dixon Petunia Festival were still buzzing when a young Elise Ulferts-Hume first felt a pull stronger than any summer memory – the call to serve her country.

Sinnissippi Centers, a behavioral health organization in Dixon, provides community-based services for veterans, from a veteran.

Sinnissippi Centers, a behavioral health organization in Dixon, provides community-based services for veterans, from a veteran.

In 2025, the city of Dixon earned designations as a POW/MIA and Purple Heart city based on its efforts to actively honor United States service members.

Challand Middle School’s art program offers students a range of classes, from drawing to painting and printmaking to sculpture.

The sport of swimming first brought Kyle and Jamie Ruiz together in third grade. The 2004 Sterling graduates, who reconnected through swimming after college and eventually got married, are still giving back today as teachers and coaches.

Read our letters submitted by students and parents to Sauk Valley Media for our 2025 Thank You Teachers special edition

Megan Grady, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Sterling's Challand Middle School, uses competition and interactive curriculum to keep kids engaged in history.