Category Archives: Local News
Salem High Canned Food Drive collects 23,625 cans of food
Salem Community High School students have responded to the greater need for food assistance in the community, bringing in nearly five thousand more cans of food in this year's canned food drive than l...
Nov 18, 2025 Student Council and NHS students stand with food collected in the food drive. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Salem Community High School receives Commendable rating on School Report Card
Salem Community High School received a Commendable rating on the school report card. Principal Clint Wolfe says that is the second highest classification a school district can earn, but he wants to do...
Nov 18, 2025
Salem High School Board approves 3.75% increase in tax levy
The Salem Community High School Board has approved a 3.75 percent increase in its property tax levy over what was collected last year. Superintendent Dr. Brad Detering says the increase includes a 2.9...
Nov 18, 2025
Salem City Council looks to amend nuisances and building code ordinances
The Salem City Council agreed to ask the city attorney to draft ordinance changes that govern nuisances and building code. The nuisances ordinance would be amended to prohibit more than one camper, re...
Nov 18, 2025
Salem Grade School Board approves tax levy, does not approve TIF #4 agreement
The Salem Grade School Board of Education approved a 3.7% tax levy increase at the regular school board meeting on Monday. The levy is expected to bring an additional $104,112 to the district. The lev...
Nov 18, 2025
Salem Grade Schools receive ISBE School Report Card
The Illinois School Report Card for the 2024-25 school year gave Hawthorn School a "Commendable" designation and Franklin Park Middle School a "Targeted Support" designation. Franklin Park's Targeted ...
Nov 18, 2025
Police Beat for Tuesday, November 18th, 2025
A 46-year-old Centralia man has been arrested by Wamac Police for domestic battery and unlawful restraint. Randall Guillen of Wabash Avenue was taken to the Marion County Jail to await a final decisio...
Nov 18, 2025
Missouri man sentenced to 15+ years for kidnapping his pregnant girlfriend to force her to get an abortion in Fairview Heights
A U.S. district judge at East St. Louis sentenced a man from St. Peters, Missouri, to 188 months in federal prison after he admitted to kidnapping his pregnant girlfriend at gun point and driving to F...
Nov 17, 2025
Pillow fighting brings out good crowd to Salem Community Activity Center
Pillow Pandemonium at the Salem Community Activity Center on Saturday night brought out a big crowd to watch the first-time event in Salem. Salem Fireman Matt Eastin with the stage name of El Fuego Ro...
Nov 17, 2025 Salem City Councilman Frank Addison held on to defeat Centralia City Councilman and Salem Mailman Izzy Fontanez in Council Wars.
Vandalia man faces six charges including first degree murder in connection with death of 14-year-old family member (new 3 pm Monday)
A 43-year-old Vandalia man has been formally charged in Fayette County Court with six counts, including murder, in connection with the death of a 14-year-old female family member, Kylie Toberman of Va...
Nov 17, 2025 Arnold Rivera
