Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that $7 million in grant funding has been awarded to four grantees through the Tech Incubator Enhancement Grant (TIEG) Program to support entrepreneurship and innovation in key growth industries around the state. These grant awards will strengthen the resilience of both existing and new startup incubators. The TIEG Program was designed to modernize and revitalize tech incubators across Illin...

An Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team from Illinois is headed to Texas overnight to assist with operations after deadly flooding this week. This group of 39 rescuers from fire departments, deployed as part of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) as USAR Task Force 1, will be on the ground in Texas for up to 14 days. Illinois is one of close to two dozen states offering assistance to flood-ravaged Texas. "Just as many towns, cities, and counties in Illinois have agreements to assist e...

A district judge has sentenced a 47-year-old St. Elmo man to 32 years in federal prison after he shot at law enforcement agents serving an arrest warrant at his residence in Fayette County. Dax Baldrige pleaded guilty in January to seven counts of assault of a federal officer, two counts of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Following imprisonment, he will serve five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Stev...

Mailing a letter or post card will cost you more. The U.S. Postal Service has implemented a five cent rate increase for both the cost of mailing a letter and post card. The new rate for a one ounce first class letter is 78-cents. The cost for mailing a post card is now 62-cents. The cost for each additional ounce of the weight of a letter is a penny. The cost of mailing an international one ounce letter goes from $1.65 to $1.70. Forever stamps can be used as long as your supply lasts without ...

Heavy thunderstorms traveled across South Central Illinois Sunday afternoon prompting severe thunderstorms for northeast Marion County and Clay County. The rain was so heavy, flash flood advisories were issued for Marion and Southern Fayette County. While the National Weather Service said the biggest threat from the storm was winds up to 60 miles per hour, very little damage was recorded. The Marion County Sheriff's Department took a report of a tree that fell on Levy Road near Mesa Lane on L...

A 36-year-old homeless woman has been arrested by Central City Police on multiple charges following a Sunday incident. The charges against Jessica Murray include aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated battery, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and on outstanding no bond Marion and Clinton County failure to appear warrants. Central City Police have not yet released any details about the incident. Centralia Police arrested 31-year-old John Kenned...

Members of the Tri-County Electric Cooperative were told at its annual meeting Saturday there were more questions than answers about electric prices and adequate supply. General Manager Luke Johnson says with the shutdown of the Illinois coal plants, the state no longer has an adequate supply of electricity. "When you start talking about having to attach maybe to Kentucky, Indiana, or Missour,i or someone who has a lot of power and we don't, that is a concern of mine. Not so much on the...

The Centralia City Council Monday night will consider implementation of a 1-percent Municipal Grocery Retailers' Occupation sales tax. The 1-cent is currently being collected by the state and distributed to local governments, but the state legislature earlier eliminated the tax but gave local governments the power to keep the tax if it is locally approved. The council will also be asked to pass a resolution approving an agreement with the Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce to serve as admi...