Category Archives: Local News
Salem Police Department Names Officer and Telecommunicator of the Year
The Salem Police Department has named its officer and telecommunicator of the year. Chief Todd Boles presented Ian King with the Officer of the Year Award and Emily Meador-Day with the Telecommunicato...
Jan 11, 2026 Salem Police Sergeant Ian King is 2025 Officer of the Year and Emily Meador-Day is 2025 Telecommunicator of the Year.
Odin Woman Hurt in Car-Deer Crash
The Marion County Sheriff's Department reports a 66-year-old Odin woman was injured in a car-deer crash on Illinois Route 37 near the England Road intersection south of Salem on Saturday night. Betty ...
Jan 11, 2026
Police Beat for Sunday, January 11th, 2026
Centralia Police have arrested 26-year-old Zykeam Patton of South 22nd in Mt. Vernon on an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant. He was taken to the Marion County Jail to await transfer back to ...
Jan 11, 2026
Oversight panel OKs rule on digitized prison mail in Illinois with new changes
The rule now makes exceptions for certain photos, privileged mail and used books By MAGGIE DOUGHERTY Capitol News Illinois mdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary A state legislative commit...
Jan 11, 2026 Pinckneyville Correctional Center is pictured in southern Illinois. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Campbell)
Eight people hurt early Friday night in three vehicle crash at East Main in Salem near Railroad Underpass
Initial information has been released by Salem Police and Fire on a three-vehicle crash early Friday evening that occurred on East Main Street at Lackey Street just east of the Union Pacific Railroad ...
Jan 09, 2026
Judge says Trump administration can't block child care, other program money for Illinois and 4 other states for now
By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's administration cannot block federal money for child care subsidies and other programs aimed at supporting...
Jan 09, 2026 FILE = The Health and Human Services seal is seen before the news conference of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
Mt. Vernon Police make arrests in connection with residential burglary
Three individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with a burglary in Mt. Vernon, according to a release from the Mt. Vernon Police Department. 24-year-old David Porter of Belle Rive was a...
Jan 09, 2026 David Porter
Woodlawn man arrested for possession of child pornography
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office reports that a 36-year-old Woodlawn man has been arrested for alleged possession of child pornography. The sheriff's office received a criminal complaint regardin...
Jan 09, 2026
Centralia woman sentenced to three years in prison
A 34-year-old Centralia woman has been sentenced to three years in prison for possession of methamphetamine and felony disorderly conduct. Bianca Meeks of North Beech Street admitted to making a false...
Jan 09, 2026
Pritzker signs major energy reform bill amid projected shortages; State Senator Plummer says 'Energy Omnibus Bill' will only make energy costs worse
by Maggie Dougherty, Capitol News Illinois January 8, 2026 Article Summary The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act incentivizes battery storage among other measures aimed at bolstering grid reli...
Jan 09, 2026 An industrial-scale battery storage facility at G&W Electric in Bolingbrook, which was installed in 2024. (Capitol News Illinois file photo)
