Category Archives: Local News
Marion County Health Department makes changes as most contact tracing moves to state
Marion County Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says the shifting of most COVID-19 contact tracing from the county level to an Illinois Department of Public Health Surge Center will limit...
Jan 4, 2022
SSM Health tightening visitation policy at St. Mary's and Good Samaritan
SSM Health has announced a stricter visitor policy will take effect at St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia and Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon starting Thursday due to rising COVID-19 numbers. The ...
Jan 4, 2022
Farina man receives 30 years in prison on five criminal sexual assault charges
A 41-year-old Farina man has been sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison on five counts of criminal sexual assault. Robert Branham was found guilty by a Fayette County Jury on the charges in Novem...
Jan 4, 2022 Robert Branham
Three more COVID-19 related deaths being reported in South Central Illinois
Three area health departments are each reporting one new COVID-19 related death. The reports are coming in weekly reports for last week in Clinton, Fayette, and Wayne Counties. Clinton County is repor...
Jan 4, 2022
Fire destroys car and heavily damages camper at rural Salem home
Fire destroyed a car and heavily damaged a camper at the Stephen Wilkerson home in the 3300 block of Townhouse Road northwest of Salem Monday afternoon. Salem Fire Protection District officials say th...
Jan 4, 2022
Bond set at $150,000 for Salem man on burglary and ammunition charges
Bond was set at $150,000 in Marion County Court Monday for a 23-year-old Salem man charged with a Thursday burglary to a building and possession of ammunition without a FOID card. Tristan Rankin of Ro...
Jan 4, 2022 Tristan Rankin
Mission Salem could use former Save-a-Lot building
Salem City Manager Rex Barbee got a positive response from the city council Monday night to allow Mission Salem to utilize the former Save-a-Lot building on West Main Street until the city is ready to...
Jan 4, 2022 Former Save-a-Lot building. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Salem City Council approves steel cargo containers in some locations; sets plan to address those placed without city approval
The Salem City Council Monday night approved the use of steel cargo containers for storage in the industrial zone and some business zones provided they meet other zoning restrictions. The council also...
Jan 4, 2022 AK House Project Media / CC
COVID-19 cases in Illinois hit an all-time high
Covid-19 hospitalizations have hit an all-time high. At latest count, nearly 6,300 people were in Illinois hospitals with the virus, the most ever since the pandemic began. Governor JB Pritzker says t...
Jan 4, 2022
Salem City Manager not recommending any additional water rate increase now
Salem City Manager Rex Barbee is not recommending any additional water rate increase now. His comment came Monday night as the council began a review of the impact of the water rate increase last summ...
Jan 4, 2022 Salem City Manager Rex Barbee.
