Category Archives: Local News
Ella Douglas of Salem 2025 Miss Marion County Fair Queen (updated at 12 noon Tuesday)
The new Miss Marion County Fair Queen is Ella Douglas of Salem. Douglas was crowned by Outgoing Queen Preslee Harris at the conclusion of the Monday night pageant at the fairgrounds. "Oh my goodness! ...
Jul 29, 2025 Marion County's new fair queen has her crown placed on her head by outgoing Queen Preslee Harris and former Queen Maggie Telford as Junior Miss Aubrey Parker watches (left).
Pritzker signs bills addressing gun storage, tracing of firearms
New laws come amid stricter court scrutiny of gun restrictions By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Article summary: Senate Bill 8 requires gun owners to keep their ...
Jul 28, 2025 Under new laws signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, firearm owners will soon be required to keep their weapons stored securely and out of the hands of minors while law enforcement agencies will be required to trace the ownership of all firearms they recover from crime scenes. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Campbell)
Alexsys Hammond wins Marion County Senior Showmanship Award
Two days of large animal judging concluded at the Marion County Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon with the naming of the county's Senior Showmanship Award winner. The winner selected from the six finali...
Jul 28, 2025 Marion County Showmanship Junior winner Ashton Borcherding and senior winner Alexis Hammond. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Louisville man in his sixth year touring the Midwest as MotoCross Pro
A 26-year-old Louisville man is spending his sixth summer competing as a professional in motocross events. Carter Gordon was at the Marion County Fairgrounds on Saturday for the motocross competition....
Jul 28, 2025
Castle Ridge partners with The Eric Group for talent acquisition and concert and venue development
Castle Ridge has announced a long-term partnership with The Eric Group for talent acquisition, concert promotion, and venue development across its property on Raccoon Lake on the east side of Centrali...
Jul 28, 2025 Aerial photo of Castle Ridge in Centralia.
Marion County gets 2025 Fair Queen Monday night
This is the final day for the reign of 2024 Miss Marion County Fair Preslee Harris. A new queen will be selected from nine contestants in front of the fair grandstand at seven Monday night. The theme ...
Jul 28, 2025 Mairon County 2024 Fair Queen Preslee Harris.
Draft Horse Pull event held at Marion County Fair
Large horses were challenged to pull a shed full of concrete blocks as far as they could at the draft horse pull held at the Marion County Fairgrounds on Sunday. Rex Lappin of Sesser took first in the...
Jul 28, 2025 Horses pull a load of concrete blocks at the Marion County Fair Draft Horse Pull. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Police Beat for Monday, July 28th, 2025
Three people were brought to the Marion County Jail on Sunday. 50-year-old Tywon Webster of East Rhodes in Centralia was arrested by Centralia Police for criminal damage to state supported property an...
Jul 28, 2025
Salem Police arrest two on felony drug charges following traffic stop
Salem Police arrested two passengers in an early Monday morning traffic stop on felony drug charges. 29-year-old Dustin Taylor of Hotze Road in Salem and 41-year-old Jared Huggins of Selmaville Road i...
Jul 28, 2025
Walnut Hill man injured when pickup truck breaks apart during Sunday crash
The Marion County Sheriff's Department says a 19-year-old Walnut Hill man was injured when his pickup truck ran off the Walnut Hill Road and broke apart early Sunday morning. Deputies say Clayton Brya...
Jul 28, 2025
