Category Archives: Local News

Cupcake time! Candidates for Marion County Fair and Junior Miss get ready for fund raising dinner on Sunday
Bruce Kropp Jun 22, 2024 Contestants for Marion County Fair Queen and Junior Miss gathered Saturday morning to make hundreds of cupcakes to be served as dessert at their fund raising All You Can Eat Chicken Dinner at the Salem Elks from 11 to one on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Bruce Kropp.

IHSA State Bass Fishing Finals leaving Carlyle Lake for Shelbyville
The IHSA Bass Fishing State Finals will be contested at Lake Shelbyville in Shelbyville beginning in 2025. The host bid was prepared and supported by Shelbyville High School, the city of Shelbyville, ...
WJBD Staff Jun 22, 2024

Odin to condemn three vacant downtown buildings near collapse
The Odin Village Board Thursday night agreed to take court action to condemn three downtown buildings that the board fears are close to collapse due to their conditions. The board will seek to tear do...
Austin Williams Jun 21, 2024 Buildings on Kirkwood Street in Odin planned for demolition. Photo by Bruce Kropp.

Illinois unemployment increases slightly in May, payroll jobs up
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate increased +0.1 percentage point to 4.9 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased +12,700 in May, based ...
Austin Williams Jun 21, 2024

Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
After 3 years as ILGOP chair, Don Tracy cites intraparty fighting as reason for quitting By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle ...
Bruce Kropp Jun 21, 2024 Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy rallies the party faithful at the 2023 Illinois State Fair. Less than a year later, Tracy announced his resignation, citing party infighting. (Capitol News Illinois file photo by Jerry Nowicki)

Festival of Flowers set for Saturday at the Bryan Statue Garden
The Daffy Dill Garden Club will host the Festival of Flowers and Statue Garden Walk at the William Jennings Bryan Statue on North Broadway in Salem on Saturday. Sharon Blair of the garden club says th...
Austin Williams Jun 21, 2024 Bryan Memorial Park Statue Garden. Photo by Bruce Kropp.

Historic Downtown Salem Farmer's Market returns for third year
The Historic Downtown Salem Farmers Market is returning to the parking lot at the rear of Benjamin Edwards in the 200 block of West Main Street for another year. The market is the idea of Becky Timmer...
Austin Williams Jun 21, 2024 Photo of the Historic Downtown Salem Farmers Market in June of last year.

Police Beat for Friday, June 21st, 2024
Centralia Police have arrested a 30-year-old Centralia man for alleged criminal sexual assault. Deairius Bennett of Robinette Street was taken to the Marion County Jail. No other details have been rel...
Austin Williams Jun 21, 2024

Names released for those involved in Route 161 Extension crash
The names of those involved in the crash of a straight truck and SUV at Route 161 Extension and Buchanan Road in rural Iuka have been released. State Police say the driver of the SUV who allegedly did...
WJBD Staff Jun 21, 2024

South Central Transit to participate in pilot program to expand transportation options
South Central Transit along with three other Southern Illinois transportation districts will use a $1.8-million grant to launch a pilot program to improve access to public transportation for people wi...
WJBD Staff Jun 21, 2024
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