A Farina couple has died from injuries sustained in a February 19th crash on I-57 southbound near the Edgewood intersection in Effingham County. 76-year-old James Rentfro, who was the driver, died on March 3rd. His wife, Catherine Rentfrow, died on March 7th. State Police say James Rentfrow was the driver of an SUV that was struck in the rear by a semi. Catherine was a passenger. The impact then pushed the Rentfrow vehicle into a car in front of it. The driver of the truck, 61-year-old Mar...

The Executive Director of the Social Service Agency BCMW has announced the Centralia Head Start Center will be closed for up to 30 days. The announcement comes after one of the Head Start teachers was arrested last week on four counts of aggravated battery and three counts of child endangerment to three of her four-year students. During the temporary closure, Jessica Backs says BCMW Head Start will work with consultants and specialists to review and strengthen policies, procedures, and staff ...

The Salem City Council reviewed the sections of the budget Monday night that include infrastructure improvements during a second budget workshop. Roads as well as water and gas line improvements are all planned. Public Works Director Travis Sanders says street improvements include $260,000 in motor fuel tax funds set aside for preliminary work on improvements to sections of West Whitaker Street and resurfacing Airport Road. $396,000 in grant money is set aside for an engineering study of nee...

The Centralia City Council approved a resolution Monday night to seek a grant that would pay most of the cost of a new fire engine. The city is seeking a $1 million federal community project grant through congressman Mike Bost to support the purchase, and if approved the city would pay the rest of the estimated $1.1 million cost of the new vehicle. The purchase is needed to replace the fire department's oldest truck, which is over 30 years old. If Centralia is awarded the grant, City Manager ...

Marion County Clerk Steve Fox is joining other clerks around the state in recommending that you put your mail-in ballot in the mail no later than today to assure that it is postmarked by primary election day next Tuesday and can be counted. You no longer have until election day to mail back the ballots because the post office has changed when mail is postmarked. It doesn't happen now until it goes through the St. Louis Regional Post Office, which could be several days later. There are other...

Southern Illinois is in the slight risk category for severe weather when the latest storm system bringing in cooler air pushes into the region after four Wednesday morning. There is an elevated risk of severe weather across northeast Missouri into central and northern Illinois, in a line generally just to the south of Springfield, Decatur, and Champaign. Here is the detailed forecast for the next two days. Today Increasing clouds, with a high near 80. South wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as ...

by Kaitlin Bender-Thomas and Medill Illinois News Bureau, Capitol News Illinois March 6, 2026 Article Summary Illinois and Cook County have erased more than $2 billion in medical debt combined for over a million residents through a partnership with a nonprofit that buys medical debt for pennies on the dollar. The partnership allows debt to be written off for pennies on the dollar. Residents across Illinois say the relief has lifted long-standing financial burdens that had been sent to collect...

Centralia Business and Professional Women held an annual rally at the Centralia American Legion on Saturday for Equal Pay Day. Members turned out to express their support for closing the gender wage gap. BPW member Alex Hyer spoke to start the event and talked about the day's significance. "Equal Pay Day represents how many extra days into the new year women must work to earn what men earned by December 31 of last year," Hyer said. "For many women in America, that means working...