Category Archives: Local News
Centralia city firemen fight two fires at the same time
Centralia City Firemen were handling two fires at the same time Wednesday afternoon with both of the accessory buildings destroyed along with a vehicle in one of the fires. Firemen report the first ca...
Jan 22, 2026 Centralia City Fire Truck. File Photo.
Fire destroys a barn south of Salem
A barn with a tractor inside was destroyed by fire Wednesday afternoon south of Salem. The Salem Fire Protection District reports the fire was on the Shannon Kell property at 4325 Levy Road just off R...
Jan 22, 2026
Police Beat for Thursday, January 22nd, 2026
Sandoval Police arrested 43-year-old Kevin Hawley of St. Louis on multiple drug charges following a Thursday night traffic stop. He was arrested for possession of under five grams of methamphetamine, ...
Jan 22, 2026
Guest speaker at KC Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration calls for active leadership
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration event at KC opened in Jane Knight auditorium on Tuesday with a full video of Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech played on the main screen. Afte...
Jan 22, 2026 Dr. Tron Young speaks in Jane Knight Auditorium for Kaskaskia College's Martin Luther King Day Celebration. Photo by Austin Williams.
Illinois rideshare drivers rally for unionization bill
by Jenna Schweikert, Capitol News Illinois January 21, 2026 Article Summary Rideshare drivers are calling on Illinois lawmakers to consider legislation that would grant them the right to unionize. Dri...
Jan 22, 2026 Rep. Yolonda Morris speaks at a rally with rideshare drivers in the Illinois State Capitol on Jan. 21, 2026. Drivers and lobbyists met with legislators to ask for support on a bill that would give rideshare drivers the right to unionize. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jenna Schweikert)
Illinois to withhold nearly $500M in spending, citing federal uncertainty
by Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois January 22, 2026 Article Summary JB Pritzker's office identified nearly $500 million in spending the state can hold in reserve for the current fiscal year amid ...
Jan 22, 2026 Gov. JB Pritzker listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference at a farm in Central Illinois on Oct. 29, 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
One person killed, two injured in single vehicle crash near Ferrin
One person was killed, and two were injured in a single vehicle rollover crash on U.S. 50 at Creek Road east of Carlyle early Thursday morning. Clinton County Coroner Phil Moss says the name of the pe...
Jan 22, 2026
Salem landfill solar farm construction moving forward
The development of the solar farm on a portion of the closed Salem landfill off Lake Street is moving forward. The founder of AC Power Annika Colston says after a long wait, they have reached agreemen...
Jan 21, 2026 AndrewLozovyi / Depositphotos.com
Spring cleanup to become permanent in Salem
The Salem City Council has decided to add a permanent spring cleanup to the traditional fall cleanup. The council agreed the experimental spring cleanup last year was useful in cleaning up town. The c...
Jan 21, 2026
Improvements coming to West Whitaker Street in Salem
The Salem City Council is moving forward with West Whitaker Street improvements, including a complete resurfacing of the road from South Pearl to South Broadway and completion of resurfacing, pavement...
Jan 21, 2026
