expanded their footprint and I want to be a part of it.”

Said Publisher John McLoone, “We’re excited to have Sarah guiding content of The Journal. We’ve grown dramatically in the last year, and we’re honored to have someone with Sarah’s level of experience and personal connections to Pierce County and its people. She’s great at what she does, and we’re fortunate to have her on staff.”

Nigbor graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in French and Spanish. After contemplating graduate school, she returned to UWRF to complete her minor in journalism.

“I couldn’t get writing out of my mind,” Nigbor said. “I initially studied foreign languages because I had thoughts of becoming a translator or professor. But writing was and is my heart.”

Nigbor was a reporter at the New Richmond News before becoming the editor of the Pierce County Herald in 2015. In 2017, she became the regional editor of the Herald, River Falls Journal, Hudson Star-Observer and New Richmond News. In August 2019, the parent company of those four newspapers announced a merger of those papers and Nigbor decided to take a break from journalism to pursue a different career path.

“I accepted a job with my friend Greg Peters at his State Farm office in River Falls,” Nigbor said. “At that point I was burned out from the long hours my job as regional editor had required, and wanted something with a more regular schedule since I have four children who keep me running.”

Nigbor liked working in insurance because she was able to help people and stay connected in the community. She also worked for Denton Achenbach’s office in Ellsworth after Peters left State Farm for a new opportunity himself.

However, the journalism bug never completely left. She kept her skills sharp by doing freelance writing for area publications, including The Journal.

“I respect John McLoone’s dedication to local journalism and was thrilled to see The Journal expand its coverage area,” Nigbor said. “Covering local news is important because it contributes to a sense of community. I also believe it encourages political participation, civil discourse and keeps people informed of what really matters to them and affects them.”

Her favorite part of journalism is telling people’s stories which might not otherwise be heard.

When Nigbor is not attending local board meetings and parades or chasing after fire trucks, she and her husband Shane are trying to keep up with their four children: Three sons, ages 13, 11, and 10, and one daughter, who is 8.

Nigbor welcomes story ideas and would love to chat with readers. She can be reached at [email protected]