The weeklong Missoula Children's Theatre Camp at the Salem Community Theatre concludes Saturday with two performances of Treasure Island. A group of students from kindergarten through high school have been preparing for the shows on Monday with casting. Rehearsals continued Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with a dress rehearsal on Friday ahead of the Saturday performances. One of the two directors is Joe Tomberlin, who began acting at age 11 and recently graduated from Converse University ...

A 32-year-old Odin man has been charged with taking copper valued at between $10,000 and $100,000 from the Intermountain Electronics Plant in the Centralia Industrial Park. Blade Thompson of West Aird is accused of two counts of felony theft in connection with the June 10th incident. If convicted, he could face an extended term due to a past felony conviction in Marion County. During his first appearance in court on Friday, Thompson had the public defender appointed to represent him with a ...

Salem Police have arrested 47-year-old Joseph Rodgers of East McMackin Street in Salem for alleged domestic battery. He was taken to the Marion County Jail. 24-year-old Delexia Akes of North Maple in Centralia was arrested and taken to jail for violation of probation. 19-year-old Troi Parott of East 13th in Centralia was arrested by Centralia Police for violation of pretrial release in a conservation case. 26-year-old Charlie Bounds of the same address on East 13th was arrested by Wamac Poli...

A 37-year-old homeless Centralia man has been charged in Clinton County Court with six sex offenses for allegedly having sex with an underage girl at a home he had been allowed to stay for the past week. Centralia Police say Thomas Atkinson was arrested Wednesday night after the girl's mother found evidence that her 14-year-old daughter and Atkinson had committed a sexual act. Atkinson was ordered held without bond after being charged with two counts apiece of aggravated criminal sexual assau...

Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps reports all three people who tried to flee a burglary in progress at a home on Bernard Road in rural Centralia have now been arrested. Those taken into custody are 43-year-old Cory Duncan of South Hickory in Centralia, 44-year-old Joseph Anderson of West Noleman in Centralia, and 59-year-old Jerry Correll of Centralia. Cripps says the caretaker of the property called 911 when seeing suspects wearing masks while on the property that he could observe via photo...

The Odin Health and Rehabilitation Center is hosting a "Fireworks and Friends" event Friday night. Activity begins at seven with free popcorn, cookies, and light refreshments. The fireworks will be set off at dusk. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to view the show from Odin Health and Rehabilitation at 300 Green Street, just north of U.S. 50. Other community programs planned throughout the year are the October Trunk or Treat, December holiday lights display ...

The Salem Grade School Board Thursday night approved a five year extension of the school resource officer program. Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe says the contract with the City of Salem Police Department to provide the school resource officers to the Salem Grade and High School Districts expires this summer. "The SRO program has just been fantastic and it was up, so we took a look at the inter-governmental agreement. I just felt it was great if we could extend it for 5 years, and what ...

Five men from Mississippi were sentenced in southern Illinois federal court after admitting to using spotlights to illegally hunt white-tailed deer in Massac, Jefferson, Union, Pope and Clark counties. Lee J. Johnson, 54, of Saucier, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transport of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution and a $10,000 fine. Steven J. Pique, 56, of Biloxi, Mississippi, pleaded...