by Maggie Dougherty, Capitol News Illinois December 12, 2025 Article Summary JB Pritzker signed a law Friday that will allow terminally ill Illinoisians to end their lives with physician-prescribed medication. The legislation will go into effect in nine months. The law will apply only to mentally capable adults who have been determined by doctors to have less than six months to live. Major depressive disorder alone does not make a person eligible for end-of-life medication. Patients must have...

by Hannah Meisel, Capitol News Illinois December 11, 2025 Article Summary State Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, will not face a scheduled January retrial in his federal bribery case. A Thursday hearing revealed he is set to enter into a deferred prosecution agreement with the government that would let him avoid a conviction. Under the agreement, Jones would likely see his three charges - including bribery, wire fraud and lying to the FBI - dropped a year from now. In addition to staying out o...

by Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois December 11, 2025 Article Summary Several new public safety laws will take effect Jan. 1. One new law requires gun owners to store their firearms in a locked and secure location when children are present or face big fines. A law honoring Sonya Masey will take effect requiring police departments to do more in-depth background checks for new hires after Capitol News Illinois reporting raised questions about Sangamon County's hiring process. Other new laws...

The Centralia Community Concert and Jazz Band will present a Christmas Concert on Saturday. The show will begin at two on Saturday afternoon and is free to attend at the Centralia Cultural Society at 1250 East Rexford. The band is under the direction of Cliff Jourdan.

The Odin Health and Rehabilitation Center is once again brightening the holiday season with a drive through display featuring thousands of lights. The display will be lit from dusk to dawn each night through December 31st. The health care center is inviting everyone to visit the display outside the facility at 300 Green Street in Odin, just off U.S. 50. CEO/Administrator Jered Gambill says his is always a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. He says the look of joy on the faces of...

A Centralia home received minor damage from an electrical fire early Thursday night. Centralia City Firemen say the fire at 120 North Sycamore was found in the attic above a bedroom ceiling and was quickly extinguished. A breaker had blown earlier in the day and was replaced. After smelling smoke for a few hours, the fire department was called and located a fire. All available Centralia City Firemen were called in. The owners and occupants of the home were not immediately available. The fi...

Salem Police have arrested a 40-year-old homeless Salem man for allegedly trying to enter an occupied home and later a camper on the same property. Timothy Finley was taken to the Marion County Jail following the incident in the 300 block of West Warmoth. Police say elevating the arrest to a felony was also based on the number of trespass warnings Finley has received recently.

The Marion County Sheriff's Department reports at least two vehicles slid off the road during the snow activity Thursday night. Temperatures rising to freezing overnight caused the snow on the pavement to melt. There is still the possibility of some slick spots on bridges and overpasses. The Salem Water Plant recorded an inch of snow fell during the evening, melting down to 15 hundredths of an inch of precipitation. The sheriff's department reports a car left State Route 161 Extension ne...