A 69-year-old Centralia woman is accused of stealing a car when walking out of the courthouse on pretrial release on Monday. Joyce King of Heritage Circle is now back in the Marion County Jail awaiting a first appearance on her new charge of theft of a motor vehicle. King had originally been brought to the jail over the weekend for aggravated battery to a nurse at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital and criminal trespass at the Centralia American Legion. Salem Police say video showed King getting ...

The Centralia City Council received a clean audit report and approved financial statements for the 2025 fiscal year at its regular meeting on Monday. The audit was performed by CJ Schloser and Co. and presented by Centralia city treasurer Jeremy Henderson. Henderson said the auditors gave an unmodified opinion, meaning no major issues were found. Centralia's net position is currently $23,092,926, and Henderson noted that number has been trending up for the past five years. The city issued deb...

The Salem Community High School Board Monday night approved salary increases for employees. The High School Education Association and the Support Personnel Association were both given new four year contracts. The teacher's will receive about four percent annually. The increase will include a step increase, 2-percent added to the salary schedule, and a 1.5% of board paid teacher retirement system contribution. There is also a $100 per month increase for family and $75 per month for single heal...

By Steven Stilt During its meeting Monday evening, the Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees approved a number of personnel-related items. Board members accepted the retirement of English professor John Orlet. Trustees also approved a trio of resignations, including assistant professor of nursing Tori Lueke, Trenton Education Center coordinator Paige Stamps, and Manufacturing and Work-Based Learning Coordinator Craig Boehne. In addition, board members approved the hiring of Caleb Willman as ass...

A 21-year-old Centralia man is being held in the Marion County Jail following his arrested on a no bond Marion County misdemeanor warrant. Colton McCowen told Centralia Police he was homeless. 51-year-old Edward Kinney of Willard Street in Alma was arrested for driving on a suspended license. He was released on a notice to appear in court.

The National Weather Service has released a preliminary field study on tornadoes that hit northern Jefferson County and three smaller tornadoes in extreme northern Marion County. The 14-mile-long EF3 tornado that claimed two lives and resulted in five injuries in the Texico area started near Route 37 two and a half miles south of Dix and continued into Western Wayne County. The National Weather Service at Paducah estimated peak winds at 140 mph with a track approximately 14 miles long. It ha...

A 69-year-old Centralia woman has been arrested by Centralia Police for aggravated battery to a nurse and criminal trespass to property. Joyce King reportedly had been taken to SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital for an evaluation after she was arrested following an incident at the Centralia American Legion. After allegedly striking the nurse, she was taken to the Marion County Jail to await further court action. 40-year-old Eric Hanson, who told Centralia Police he was homeless, was arrested on...

An Odin man was airlifted from the scene of a one car crash on US 50 a mile east of Odin early Sunday morning. Initial information indicates the man, whose name has not been released, drifted off the highway, and rolled over into the roadside ditch. The driver was airlifted from the scene to a St. Louis hospital. The crash occurred at 12:05 Sunday morning.