Category Archives: Local News
Two Graduate Marion County Drug Court
Two participants in the Marion County Drug Court graduated on Friday and had their charges, which they had pleaded guilty to, dropped. 39-year-old Steven West of South Rotan had pleaded guilty to thef...
Feb 28, 2026 File photo: Marion County Courthouse.
Centralia Fire Chief Retiring; Search Underway for Replacement
Centralia Fire Chief Jeff Day is retiring at the end of March. Day rose to the chief's position four years ago and will have 30 years in the department when he retires. He plans to spend more time wit...
Feb 27, 2026 File photo: Centralia Fire Chief Jeff Day.
Salem Man Fights Deputies Attempting to Arrest Him on Outstanding Warrant
Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps says a 29-year-old Salem man wanted on an outstanding felony warrant allegedly started to pull a hammer from his waist band and resisted being taken into custody by ...
Feb 27, 2026
Centralia Police Investigating Sexual Assault of 2-Year-Old Girl
Centralia Police are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a two year old girl. The girl's mother took her to Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon for treatment on Monday where a sexual assault...
Feb 27, 2026
Centralia Police Handle Several Burglary and Theft Cases
A 20-year-old Centralia man has been arrested for burglary to the Centralia Walmart store. Centralia Police say James VanScoy of North Cherry had earlier been trespassed from the store, so his arrest ...
Feb 27, 2026
Police Beat for Friday, February 27th, 2026
Centralia Police have arrested 43-year-old Alica Hodge of East Commercial in Sandoval for aggravated domestic battery. Salem Police arrested 57-year-old Rodney Hodge of East Mitchell in Salem for driv...
Feb 27, 2026
Centralia High School praised for teacher retention in study
A study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago has identified Centralia High School as a positive outlier for teacher retention in rural schools. In the princip...
Feb 27, 2026
Illinois soybean farmers welcome federal aid, but fear long-term trade damage
by Rebecka Pieder and Medill Illinois News Bureau, Capitol News Illinois February 26, 2026 Article Summary At the end of February, Illinois soybean farmers are set to receive special federal payments ...
Feb 27, 2026 A view of Illinois soybeans being harvested from the cab of a combine. (Medill Illinois News Bureau/ courtesy Albers Farms, Blue Mound, Illinois)
Lawmakers take step to incentivize Bears to stay in Illinois
by Ben Szalinski and Brenden Moore, Capitol News Illinois February 26, 2026 Article Summary The House revenue committee voted to advance a bill that could help the Chicago Bears build a stadium in Arl...
Feb 27, 2026 Steven Mahr, interim CFO for the City of Chicago, testifies at a committee meeting Feb. 26. Mahr cited Chicago’s history with the Bears as reason for the city’s opposition to a megaprojects bill requested by the team, asking legislators to work to keep the team within the city. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jenna Schweikert)
East St. Louis Homicides at Lowest Number in 45 Years
Illinois State Police reports crime reduction efforts in the Metro East continue to make communities safer with the lowest number of homicides in East St. Louis in at least 45 years. In 2020, to comba...
Feb 26, 2026
