Category Archives: Local News

Salem woman pleads guilty to misdemeanor in starvation death of dog
A 53-year-old Salem woman has pleaded guilty in Marion County Court to a misdemeanor charge of violation of animal owner duties in connection with the starvation death of her dog. As part of the plea,...
Bruce Kropp Nov 22, 2023 Blogtrepreneur / CC

Police Beat for Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023
Marion County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a 53-year-old Salem woman on an outstanding no-bond warrant and on a new charge of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Deputies say they were watching the ho...
Bruce Kropp Nov 22, 2023

Two Centralia residents charged with entering Centralia home without permission
Two Centralia residents have been formally charged in Marion County Court on Monday with felony criminal trespass to a home with persons present. 30-year-old Alyssa Chapman and 35-year-old Nathan Page...
Bruce Kropp Nov 22, 2023

State high court skeptical municipal police and fire pension consolidation hurt retirees' voting rights
Pensioners challenged 2019 law that consolidated 649 funds for higher returns By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday heard argumen...
Bruce Kropp Nov 22, 2023

Iowa-Illinois carbon dioxide pipeline application withdrawn
Wolf Carbon Solutions "remains committed" to the project, plans to refile application By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Plans for a pipeline that would have transpor...
Bruce Kropp Nov 22, 2023 A map submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission by Wolf Carbon Solutions showing their preferred route for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline. (Photo taken from ICC testimony)

Two incumbent members of Marion County Health Department reappointed after board's past actions are criticized
Two incumbent members of the Marion County Health Board were reappointed on 7-6 votes at a special meeting Monday night. After an attempt at an earlier meeting to remove Mike Morton and Kendra Taylor ...
WJBD Staff Nov 21, 2023 Filled meeting room at Monday night's special Marion County Board room. Photo by Bruce Kropp.

Marion County Property Tax Multiplier will be 10-percent due to continuing rise in home prices; see list of assessments
Marion County Supervisor of Assessments Mark Miller has announced a ten percent property tax multiplier for bills that will be issued next year. The increase is the result of the continuing rise in ho...
WJBD Staff Nov 21, 2023 Marion County Supervisor of Assessments Mark Miller.

Salem Community High School canned food drive collects 24,130.5 cans
The Salem Community High School canned food drive collected 24,130.5 cans. The drive came to an end Monday morning as all the homeroom classes brought in the canned goods they had collected during thi...
WJBD Staff Nov 21, 2023 Members of the Salem Community High School Student Council and National Honor Society as they prepare to move 24,130 cans to the Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry. Photo by Bruce Kropp.

Salem selects Sunrise Sanitation as new garbage collector
The Salem City Council has selected the low bidder Sunrise Sanitation of Salem as its garbage collector for the next five years starting January first. However, there were concerns including the compa...
WJBD Staff Nov 21, 2023

Free Thanksgiving Dinner planned for 19th year at Poplar Place in Centralia
The Poplar Place in Centralia will provide a free Thanksgiving Dinner to anyone who wants to participate on Thanksgiving Day. One of those who founded the program 19 years ago, Mimi Hawkins, expects o...
WJBD Staff Nov 21, 2023 The food line at the Thanksgiving Dinner at the Poplar Place in 2022.