SIDNEY — A move home has led to Anna Edmiston landing her first full-time writing job.
Edmiston, of Sidney, has joined the Sidney Daily News as a reporter. She began last week and will be covering a variety of news and events for the paper. Her first story appeared in Wednesday’s print edition.
“I really think that the written word is still something that’s very impactful and very important to every day as we’re moving into all of these different ways to communicate,” Edmiston said. “I think the written word is still so important, and so to be able to be a part of that and to help keep it going and revitalizing it and bringing a new energy to it is really exciting for me.
“… I’m looking forward to getting to know Sidney, getting to know the people here, and making meaningful connections and sharing those things with the community.”
Edmiston graduated from Ohio Wesleyan last year. After some time living in Athens and Pittsburgh while pursuing writing and working odd jobs, she moved home with her parents this spring.
She lives with her father, Steve, who is pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, and her mother, Stacey, who studied journalism in college and worked in the industry before moving into education.
“My mom had given me a bunch of suggestions on jobs around here,” Edmiston said. “She was like, ‘Just reach out to the newspaper. Just see.’
“… Honestly, everything has fallen into place in a way that I could have never expected, that I’m very thankful for. When I came back home living with my parents after being independent for so long, I was really nervous for what my life is going to look like here. Everything seems to be falling into place really nicely.”
Edmiston grew up in Jenera and is a graduate of Arlington High School and Ohio Wesleyan University. Her father transferred from a Lutheran Church near Jenera to St. John’s while Edmiston was at OWU.
“After having a couple different options, he ended up falling in love with Sidney,” Edmiston said. “And so over the course of my sophomore year of college and COVID, we moved here. I had only ever been in and out of Sidney for breaks and holidays and stuff.”
Edmiston said she has always loved reading and writing and credits her high school freshman English teacher, Andrea Barger, for encouraging her to pursue writing professionally.
“She really got a lot out of me when it came to my writing,” Edmiston said. “I decided in her class that this is what I needed to do with the rest of my life.”
Sidney Daily News editor Bryant Billing said he believes Edmiston will excel at the paper and can go far in a career in journalism.
“We are delighted to have Anna on staff,” Billing said. “She is super sharp, and I believe she’ll be a dynamite reporter. One of the most important things a reporter can have is curiosity, and I don’t think she’s short of supply in that.
“She is already a valued addition to the staff. I am looking forward to reading the stories she will tell about people and communities in Sidney and Shelby County.”
Among other duties, Edmiston will be writing human interest and profile articles. If you have someone you think is interesting and worthy of having their story told, you can contact Edmiston by email at [email protected], or call her office line at 937-538-4825.
Aside from reading and writing, Edmiston says she enjoys spending her free time visiting and socializing with friends and family, doing crossword puzzles, hiking, thrifting and playing with her pet dog and cats.
