Category Archives: Local News
618 Plastics Opens, Expects Employment to Increase to 15-20 by End of Year
Salem's newest industry is open. 618 Plastics is located in a newly constructed 35,000 square foot building on Selmaville Road just north of West Main Street. Their first customer is their next-door n...
Mar 05, 2026 Employees at work at 618 Plastics. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Carlyle Homicide Victim Identified
The St. Louis Major Case Squad has identified the 41-year-old Carlyle woman found dead in her home Tuesday morning as Sadie Tull. Tull lived alone and ran her dog grooming business Furfetti Pet Salon ...
Mar 05, 2026
Vacant Home Burns in Centralia
A vacant home on Centralia's demolition list burned in an early Thursday morning fire. Centralia City Firemen say the home at 429 North James was fully engulfed in flames through the roof upon their a...
Mar 05, 2026 Centralia City Fire Truck. File Photo.
Lightning Strikes Near Rural Bluford Home
Kell Firemen say lightning apparently struck a tree outside a rural Bluford home early Thursday morning and move inside the residence. The fire call was to the Billy Goin residence at 23,621 North Gen...
Mar 05, 2026
Central City Woman Arrested for Four Counts of Aggravated Battery to a Child at Centralia BCMW Head Start
A 41-year-old Central City woman faces charges in Marion County Court in connection with alleged aggravated battery to a child while a teacher at the BCMW Head Start Program in Centralia. Renee Davis ...
Mar 04, 2026
No Additional State Property Tax Multiplier in Marion County for This Year's Tax Bills; 201 File Board of Review Complaints
The State Department of Revenue will assign a tax multiplier of 1.00 to Marion County for this year's tax bills. The decision means the state has found the 12-percent multiplier assigned earlier by Su...
Mar 04, 2026 File photo: Marion County Courthouse.
St Louis Major Case Squad Called in to Investigate Carlyle Death
The St. Louis Major Case Squad has been activated to investigate the death of a 41-year-old woman who was found dead in her home in Carlyle. The Carlyle Police Department reportedly went to the home i...
Mar 04, 2026
Former Carlyle Police Chief accused of embezzling more than $100,000
The former police chief of the Carlyle Police Department is facing several federal charges for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000 for his personal benefit. A federal grand jury returned a four-co...
Mar 04, 2026
Rock Icons Night Ranger to Perform at the Du Quoin State Fair
Heavy-hitting rock legends Night Ranger will bring their powerhouse sound to the Du Quoin State Fair on Friday, September 4, 2026, delivering a night of classic hits and high-energy rock that spans fo...
Mar 03, 2026
Centralia Fire Department Adds 16th Firefighter
The Centralia Fire Department has a new fire fighter. Dakota Whritenour was sworn in by City Clerk Kim Enke during a Monday afternoon ceremony. Fire Chief Jeff Day says Whritenour is filling a recentl...
Mar 03, 2026 New full-time Centralia firefighter Dakota Whritenour (left) with Fire Chief Jeff Day (right). Photo by Pat Hodges.
