Letter carriers at the Salem Police Office collected 750 pounds of non-perishable food during the National Letter Carrier's annual 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive on Saturday. All the food was loaded into one of the mail trucks and delivered to the Salem Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry at the Salem Community Center.[socast_ad_slot widget_name="Ad Slot" slot="lightbox_bigbox"]

The Salem-based Community Partners Savings Bank is expanding with a merger with Guardian Savings Bank of Granite City this fall. Community Partners Savings Bank currently includes Marion County Savings Bank in Salem along with locations in Flora and Pekin. Community Partners Savings Bank President and CEO T.J. Burge says the best strategy to keep community banks alive and strong in small communities is to join forces so we can share resources and strengths. Community Partners Savings Bank goa...

The USDA is lowering its Illinois Crop Production estimate for this year's winter wheat crop. The USDA is estimating the harvested area at 680,000 acres. That's a 13-percent decline from the previous year. The winter wheat yield is forecast at 83-bushels per acre, down four bushels from 2023. The overall production is forecast at 56.4 million bushels, down 17-percent from last year.[socast_ad_slot widget_name="Ad Slot" slot="lightbox_bigbox"]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Donald Trump may face an IRS bill in excess of $100 million after a government audit indicates he double-dipped on tax losses tied to a Chicago skyscraper, according to a report by The New York Times and ProPublica that drew on a yearslong audit and public filings. The report's findings could put renewed focus on Trump's business career as the presumptive Republican nominee tries to regain the White House after losing in 2020. Trump used his cachet as a real...

The Centralia High School Renaissance Committee hosted the annual Academic Pep Assembly in Trout Arena on Friday, honoring students and teachers for outstanding achievement throughout the school year. Over three hundred students received awards by teacher nomination or for maintaining academic excellence as athletes or performers. The Teachers are nominated each year for the Making a Difference award by students who feel that a teacher has had an especially positive effect on their school exp...

Kaskaskia College recognized hundreds of new graduates at the graduation ceremony on Friday. The gymnasium was filled to capacity with loved ones present to celebrate the milestone for the graduating students. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, chairman Bill Hawley wished graduates the best, reminding them of the high hopes KC has for their futures. "We believe in you. We look forward to great things from you. After all, you are our hope for the future. I sincerely wish every o...

Sixteen graduated as the Class of 2024 at Odin High School Friday night. The class was led by Valedictorian Azlinn Pratt and Salutatorian Makayla Starr. Other members of the graduating class are Tylan Ayres, Brenden Bivens, Tyler Bivens, Jerzie-Sue Johnson, Hailey Knox, Mekenzie Kretzer, Thomas Meredith, Alexis Ord, Violet Potter, Jacob Schroeder, Darius Scott, Mazmene Simpson, Jacey Wilkins, and Brandon Williams.

FedEx Freight has announced it will close the Mt. Vernon service center along with six others around the country this year as the division continues to make alignments to its freight network. Fed Ex officials told FreightWaves the seven facilities represent approximately one percent of FedEx Freight's overall door count. Some team members will be offered opportunities at nearby FedEx facilities. No specific dates have been set for the closure and it was not immediately clear how many workers...