Marion County Sheriff's Deputies say a 36-year-old Kinmundy man escaped injury when crashing into the guard rail on the Crook Creek Bridge on the Selmaville Road Sunday afternoon. Reports indicate Michael Hunt of 4th Street ran off the road, overcorrected, and then hit the guardrail. Hunt declined hospital treatment. He was ticketed for driving on a revoked license and released on a notice to appear in court.

A 21-year-old Mt. Vernon man faces multiple charges after driving at a high rate of speed the wrong way on South Poplar Street in Centralia early Sunday morning before crashing into another vehicle at 17th Street. Zymer James was arrested for failure to report an injury crash, aggravated fleeing police over 21 miles per hour, speeding 35 plus miles per hour, reckless driving, unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, driving with a suspended license, operating an uninsured vehicle, and mul...

The Marion County Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (EMAOHS) are encouraging all businesses, cities, villages, townships, civic organizations, and community groups planning events in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States to register their events with our office. By registering your event, the Marion County EMA-OHS can include it in coordination briefings conducted with the National Weather Service and the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Cente...

The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency has released additional information about the Texico area tornado late Sunday afternoon, including the names of the two women who were killed in their mobile homes. They are 83-year-old Delores Shelton and 62-year-old Sarita Kimble, who list addresses in Mt. Vernon. The agency confirms at least three residences were destroyed, with several others sustaining varying levels of damage. Five individuals were transported to local hospitals with no...

Tornado warnings quickly followed each other as an unorganized group of severe thunderstorms moved across Marion County late Sunday afternoon. Several were issued for the same storm as it crossed southern Fayette and northern Marion County. While there were numerous funnel clouds aloft, the only confirmed touchdowns were in the Meachum Road area east of Kinmundy near Forbes State Park. Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps watched two separate funnel clouds merge together and touchdown briefly s...

Jefferson Fire officials say two people have died and five others were injured when a tornado moved through a rural area northeast of Texico. There was heavy damage to two mobile homes and a third residence, all in a line that stretched for about three-quarters of a mile. One female victim was found in the debris field outside her mobile home. The second was found inside the remains of her mobile home. Both were pronounced dead on the scene by Jefferson County Coroner Roger Hayse. Their n...

The National Weather Service at Lincoln has found seven tornado paths from the severe weather system that moved across Central Illinois Wednesday evening. The most serious of the storms was an EF3 that was on the ground for 26.2 miles through Effingham County. The top speed of the storm was 150 miles per hour with a maximum width of 500 yards. The tornado was on the ground for 32 minutes beginning at 7:56 Wednesday evening. The tornado that had a 13.8-mile path through the Mattoon and Charl...

The Veterans Fourth of July Parade Committee has announced that Tammy Guidish will be the 2026 Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshal in recognition of her military service, community leadership, and commitment to serving others. The parade is set for one Saturday afternoon, July 4th. Guidish proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1992 to 1995. She completed basic training during the Gulf War era and entered the Air Force as an Airman First Class, earning two stripes upon enlistment...