Category Archives: Local News
Kallie Walsh crowned 2026 Marion County Fair Queen
The 2026 Miss Marion County Fair Queen is Kallie Walsh of Salem. She was crowned at the conclusion of the queen pageant held Monday night in front of the grandstand at the Marion County Fairgrounds. W...
Aug 04, 2026 Marion County's new Fair Queen Kallie Walsh is crowed by Marion County Junior Miss Jane Taylor Rose (left) and outgoing queen Ella Douglas. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Car overturns after running through pond; driver runs from scene
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department reports a man fearing deportation ran from the scene of a single car wreck on the Dix-Irvington Road south of Centralia late Sunday night. Police say Raul Vaz...
Aug 03, 2026
Salem Police arrest eight over weekend, including two on meth charges
Salem Police took a total of eight to the Marion County Jail over the weekend, including two during traffic stops for possession of under five grams of meth. They are 44-year-old Christopher Decker of...
Aug 03, 2026
Elderly Chicago area man injured in I-57 crash near Dix
An elderly Chicago area man was injured when a semi began switching into his lane on I-57 northbound just south of the Dix exit. To avoid the truck, the driver of the car identified as Samuel Talbert,...
Aug 03, 2026
Marion County Fair Talent Show sends two to state competition
The Marion County Fair talent show winners are 17-year-old SCHS senior Emma Turner in the 15- to 21-year-old age bracket and 9-year-old Franklin Park Middle School student Annistyn Walsh in the 14 and...
Aug 03, 2026 Emma Turner sings at the Marion County Fair Talent Show. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Showmanship Winners Selected in Marion County Livestock Show
The Marion County Livestock shows over the weekend ended Sunday afternoon with the Master Showmanship competition. Winning the Senior Showmanship Award was Hallie Borcherding of Iuka. The 16-year-old ...
Aug 03, 2026 Hallie and Mattie Borcherding won the Senior and Junior Showmanship Awards at the Marion County Livestock Show. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
First Back to School Blast at Freedom Church in Salem helps 500 kids
The first Back to School Blast held by the Freedom Church in the Westgate Shopping area in Salem provided backpacks and school supplies to 500 kids Associate Pastor Cole Bailey was pleased with what t...
Aug 03, 2026
Back to School Giveaway in Centralia by Krystal Koch biggest yet
An estimated 800 kids were helped with back to school supplies and backpacks at a giveaway held Saturday at the Calumet Street Christian Church in Centralia. This is the tenth year Krystal Koch has pu...
Aug 03, 2026 Families lined up outside the Calumet Street Church for the back-to-school giveaway. Photo by Pat Hodges.
Draft Horse Pulling Competition Results Announced
Old time draft horse pulling competition was held in front of the Marion County Fair grandstand Sunday afternoon. Chad Fox of Pleasureville, Kentucky won the light weight competition. Allen Barksdale ...
Aug 03, 2026 File photo: Horses pull a load of concrete blocks at the 2025 Marion County Fair Draft Horse Pull. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Marion County Fair Motocross Winners
250 Trophy 1 st - 17 - Deven Beard 2 nd - 1 - 3 rd - 235 - Briar Tate, Kell 4 th -72 - Carson Smith 5 th -702 - Kyle Schaffer 6 th -427 - Hunter Flowers 7th -47 - 8 th -1x - Gunner Gentry 9 th -16 - G...
Aug 03, 2026
