Spring has arrived, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Facilities at Carlyle Lake will soon open for the 2025 recreation season. This includes the Carlyle Lake Visitor Center, campgrounds, and fish cleaning stations, all of which enrich the visitor experience and offer recreational opportunities on public lands. Carlyle Lake Visitor Center: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Open Saturdays and Sundays from April 5 - May 25. Open Daily from May 26 - September 1. Open Saturdays and Sundays from Se...

Three people have been arrested on two counts each of first-degree murder for the death of 57-year-old Patrick Williamson of Mt. Vernon. Williamson was found dead inside a home in the 600 block of South 15th Street with visible signs of injury. Mt Vernon Police Chief Roger Brands says it appears robbery may have been the motive. The investigation linked three persons to the death. 60-year-old Laura Lee Beneway of Bonnie, 67-year-old Eddie Bennett of Mt. Vernon and 66-year-old Peter Harris ...

By Steven Stilt During its meeting Monday night, the Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees approved the purchase of a 9-1-1 Reality PLUS training station simulator. The equipment will allow users to work through the same types of scenarios that a 9-1-1 telecommunicator would face. According to college officials, discussions with regional employers have revealed that there is a shortage of public safety telecommunicators in the KC district. College President George Evans notes that the simulator...

The Centralia City Council at Monday night's regular meeting authorized consulting firm Good Energy to seek bids for a new energy supply contract for the city of Centralia. The city's current contract expires in May. Representatives of Good Energy said that they would likely recommend a two-year contract to lock in energy and capacity, with the goal of protecting against price spikes in a potentially volatile energy market in the near future. The city held a required public hearing for use of...

A southern Illinois grand jury returned a 19-count indictment charging a Fayette County woman for working as a "money mule" within a conspiracy to defraud victims and use their stolen identities. 54-year-old Elizabeth Conrad of Ramsey is facing one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, one count of access device fraud, seven counts of money laundering and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. U...

The Marion County Board Tuesday night will be asked to confirm the construction and operation of a 35-acre solar farm in rural Patoka. The Swamp Fox Solar project would be located along US 51 near the Oil Tank Farm. The county board will hear a report on the results of the Fiscal Year 2022 Audit in a Zoom Call with WIPFLI Senior Manager Josh Faivre. He'll also provide an update on the 2023 Audit. A County Procurement Process Ordinance will also come before the board. The board will be aske...

Mt. Vernon Police say they are investigating the death of a man found deceased in the 600 block of South 15th Street as a homicide. Police report two persons have been taken into custody and a third suspect has been identified. No names have yet been released. The Mt. Vernon Police and Jefferson County Sheriff's Department high risk team executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of South 17th as part of the investigation. Mt Vernon Police and Fire along with Litton Ambulance all i...

Salem Deputy Police Chief Tyler Rose says that with two resignations to take jobs at other police departments, the department is now short five officers on the street. Rose says Sergeant Garland Simmons is leaving to take a position at the Kaskaskia College Police Department while Sergeant Dan Bosomworth is leaving to join the Effingham County Sheriff's Department. Simmons is nearing his 20th year on the Salem Police Department, while Bosomworth has been on the force for 12 years. The depart...