A 16-year-old Mt. Vernon juvenile has been sentenced to 28 years in prison in connection with the January shooting death of a 16-year-old Mt. Vernon girl. Decoleis Dunn-Harris had earlier pleaded guilty in Jefferson County Court to an armed violence charge in connection with the death of Julissa Mercedes Leslie. Armed violence through discharge of a firearm and aggravated battery with firearm charges were dropped as part of the plea. Dunn-Harris will have to serve at least 85-percent of the...

Centralia City Firemen report minor damage in a mobile home fire at 808 East 15th in Centralia Tuesday night. Fire officials say the occupant Ryan Scott ran to a neighbor's home for help after ashes from a wood burning stove caught nearby flooring on fire. The neighbor returned with a cooler of water that was used to douse the flames. The fire was out on the arrival of the fire department. They reported the only damage was to the flooring near the wood burning stove. The fire call came in a...

Three fire departments responded to a report of what appeared to be a house fire from a passing motorist on I-57 near Dix on Monday night. Jefferson Fire initially went to the scene with Mt. Vernon City Firemen to the Sasha Rohn property in the 9900 block of East Homestead Road. Kell Firemen were called when it was determined the fire was actually in their district. Firemen learned the mobile home was in the process of being torn down and had been set on fire by the owners who felt it wouldn...

One person was injured in a two vehicle crash late Tuesday afternoon on Selmaville Road near the Red Stripe Road intersection southwest of Salem. The Marion County Sheriff's Department reports an SUV driven by 36-year-old Brittany Hughes of Lamar Drive in Salem didn't slow for traffic in front of her and crashed into an SUV driven by 28-year-old Robert Dodson of Elm Street in Salem. Hughes was taken to Salem Township Hospital for treatment. Dodson declined medical treatment. Hughes was ticke...

A 58-year-old Ashley man has entered an Alford Plea in Jefferson County Court to nine counts of child pornography. With an Alford plea, Robert Paul of North Riddle Lane admitted prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him, but still denied guilt. The plea came after a jury was selected to hear the case. Two other counts of criminal sexual assault of a family member under 18 were severed from the child pornography charges and are still pending. Sentencing on the child pornography charge...

State Representative Charlie Meier is chief co-sponsor of a bill designed to give the Project Bread meal sites and Meals on Wheels programs in Salem and Centralia a state source of funding. The House Bill would redirect $25 million from General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for the Home Delivered Meals Program by diverting funding from the Department of Human Services for Illinois Welcoming Centers. Without getting to the bottom of the issue when federal funding would be restored, M...

Salem Community High School has named Assistant Principal Clint Wolfe as the new principal to replace John Boles who retires at the end of this school year. The school board approved an administrative contract for Wolfe at Monday night's meeting from July 1st of next year until June 30th, 2028. Superintendent Dr. Brad Detering was pleased with the appointment. "We're extremely excited for Mr. Wolfe to be named the next principal of Salem Community High School. You would be hard-pressed ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers has started the process of designing the cleanup for the Sandoval Zinc Company Superfund Site. The estimated cost of the project is $52.4 million which could change as the extent of the cleanup becomes more clear. The cleanup will include excavation of contaminated materials from properties in the Village of Sandoval and the consolidation of those materials at the former Sandoval Zinc Company smelt...