Category Archives: Local News
Heavy Thunderstorms Prompt Tornado Warnings; Cause Minimal Damage in Marion County
Heavy thunderstorms crossed South Central Illinois late Saturday afternoon, prompting tornado warnings for Marion, Clinton, Washington and Jefferson Counties as well as severe thunderstorm warnings fo...
May 17, 2026 Melissa Blackman Kirgan, N Marion St looking south
'Patriotic Pumpkins' to be Theme of Centralia Halloween Parade
A fifth-grade student at St. Mary's Grade School in Centralia submitted the winning entry for the 99th Annual Centralia Halloween Parade in October. Breez Buettner received the news as his class had g...
May 17, 2026 Centralia Halloween Parade Chair Butch Mathus, Jr breaks the news to Breez Buettner that his theme idea was selected for the 99th Annual Halloween Parade. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Fire Damages rural Texico home
A rural Texico home was damaged by an early Saturday morning fire. The Kell Fire Department received a report that the Ronald Shurtz home at 232 Garfield was on fire. He woke up when his CPAP machine ...
May 17, 2026
73-year-old Centralia Man Arrested After Set Up by Online Predator Intervention Group
A 73-year-old Centralia man was arrested at the Centralia Walmart Store, where he thought he was going to meet an underage juvenile with whom he had been discussing sexual relations. Centralia Police ...
May 17, 2026
Sunday, May 17th, 2026 Police Beat
Centralia Police arrested 28-year-old Gabrielle Ziems of Mercer Drive in Centralia for alleged domestic battery. She was taken to the Marion County Jail to await further court action. Salem Police arr...
May 17, 2026
Police Beat for Saturday, May 15th, 2026
A 26-year-old Salem man has been arrested by Salem Police for domestic battery. Austin Wright of Oglesby Street was taken to the Marion County Jail to await further court actions. 38-year-old Jody Woo...
May 17, 2026 Jobs For Felons Hub / CC
Salem's Foreign Exchange student, Laura Hirschberger, to join class of 2026 this Sunday
Salem, a graduating German foreign exchange student, has had the opportunity to learn about North American culture, gain new experiences, and make connections with people from different backgrounds. L...
May 15, 2026
South Central High School Gives Academic Awards
On Tuesday evening, May 12, 2026, the South Central High School Academic Awards Night was held. Principal Michael Koehnke welcomed students, parents, faculty and administration and gave opening remark...
May 15, 2026
Senate Democrats introduce bills to regulate artificial intelligence
by Jenna Schweikert and UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR), Capitol News Illinois May 14, 2026 Article Summary With less than a month left in the spring legislative session, Senate Democrats introduce...
May 15, 2026 Sen. Bill Cunningham speaks at a news conference announcing the AI bill package on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Cunningham said the package came, in part, out of a lack of federal action to regulate AI. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jenna Schweikert)
Salem woman hurt in Car-Deer Crash
A 58-year-old Salem woman was injured in a Thursday morning car-deer crash. Lisa Jourdan of College Street Road was southbound on Route 37 near Cartter Road south of Salem when the deer ran out in fro...
May 15, 2026
