Category Archives: Local News
Centralia Second Baptist Church finds temporary home at Centralia Youth Center
The Pastor at the fire damaged Second Baptist Church in Centralia says services and activities have temporarily moved to the Centralia Youth Center. Pastor Isaac Parker says Center Director Herb Willi...
Mar 28, 2023 Smoke billows from sanctuary of 2nd Baptist Church during a fire that heavily damaged the church.
Centralia City Council moves forward with purchase of new police radios
The Centralia City Council Monday night agreed to replace 30 portable radios at the police department. Police Chief Chris Locke says the old radios are no longer dependable. "Some of them are 20 years...
Mar 28, 2023
Centralia Day at Busch Stadium set for June 13th featuring Gary Gaetti and Kirk Rueter
Two area former big leaguers will be involved in throwing out the first pitch during Centralia Day at Busch Stadium that has been set for Tuesday June 13th. Plans were detailed at Monday night's Centr...
Mar 28, 2023 OakleyOriginals / CC
Two Salem tobacco retailers sell to minors
The Salem Police Department reports two of the city's 15 tobacco retailers sold product to an underage person working with the police department. They were the Phillips 66 on South Broadway where cler...
Mar 27, 2023 Lindsay Fox / CC
Thursday to be Gary Gaetti Day in Centralia
Centralia Mayor Bryan Kuder will officially present a proclamation at Monday night's City Council meeting declaring the opening day of the Major League Baseball Season on Thursday as Gary Gaetti Day. ...
Mar 27, 2023 Gary Gaetti gathers with Cardinal fans on two of the bench seats removed from the old Busch Stadium on Gary Gaetti Day in 2022.
Culpepper and Merriweather Circus returning to Central City next month
The Culpepper and Merriweather Circus is returning to Central City in April. The sponsoring Central City/Centralia Lions Club says the circus will be at the Central City Village Park on Saturday and S...
Mar 27, 2023 A lion tamer works at the Culpepper Merriweather Circus during a performance in Central City in 2021. Photo by Pat Hodges.
Illinois Commerce Commission finds minimal violations on state railways
The latest hazardous material report from the Illinois Commerce Commission found minimal violations on state railways. Of more than 8,500 rail cars inspected by the ICC last year, just 1.3% were cited...
Mar 27, 2023 Lise1011 / CC
Darryl Strawberry shares story of addiction recovery to Franklin Park Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Former Major League baseball player Darryl Strawberry who was banned from the game in 2000 after testing positive for cocaine shared his story of recovery and his work now as an ordained minister with...
Mar 27, 2023 Darryl Strawberry talks to a Fellowship of Christian Athlete dinner at Frankllin Park Middle School on Saturday night.
Pardon sought for Black man executed in 1908 in Illinois
By COREY WILLIAMS and JOHN O'CONNOR Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Joe James, a Black man, was asleep under a tree when he was grabbed, beaten and then arrested for the murder of a white ma...
Mar 27, 2023 Sculptures representing charred chimneys rising from the smoldering rubble of burned-out buildings make up the Centennial memorial of the 1908 Race Riot entitled, "Acts of Intolerance" by Preston Jackson, Wednesday March 22, 2023, in Springfield, Ill. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board is considering a request to posthumously pardon Joe James by advocates who contend he did not receive a fair trial before he was hanged for murdering a white man. It was the local sheriff's refusal to turn over to a white mob for lynching James and George Richardson that set off the two-day riot on Aug. 14. Richardson was accused the previous day of raping a white woman but was cleared when she later confessed she made up the assault. (AP Photo/John O'Connor)
One juvenile shot, another arrested following shooting incident in Centralia
Centralia Police say one male juvenile was shot in the leg and another is being held following a shooting incident Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Rhodes and McKee in Centralia. Police report ...
Mar 26, 2023