United Way of South Central has expanded the "United We Give" program into Marion County. Thanks to the generosity of Walgreens Distribution Center (DC), this initiative will launch its first-ever sort and distribution event at City Hope Church in Centralia next week. Sorting will begin at ten Monday morning, with distribution at ten Tuesday morning. United We Give delivers truckloads of essential items-school supplies, hygiene products, household goods, clothing, and more-directly ...

This summer will bring $45 million in cash to a record-breaking 600,000 people who will receive money they didn't even know they had from the state's missing money program, and the only thing they must do is cash the check, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. The checks are part of the latest round of the Enhanced Money Match program - which takes the "claim" out of unclaimed property. Treasurer Frerichs' office helps get the check in the mail by leveraging technol...

The latest recipient of the Keep Salem Beautiful Quarterly Beautiful Business Award is Sterling Avenue in the 300 block of West Main downtown. The business owned by Paul and Lynn Reim recently moved into the completely renovated building. Keep Salem Beautiful's Sharon Blair was one of the KSB members making the presentation. "I don't think it can be said enough how stunning this addition is to the downtown Salem area," Blair said. "We hope that more businesses will take a cue f...

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Centralia City Schools Board of Education accepted the resignation of Jordan P.E. teacher Lucas Krutsinger and hired three individuals to fill his roles as teacher, boys' basketball coach, and boys' cross-country coach. The board hired Cody Hiller as Jordan P.E. teacher, hired CJHS principal Lance Boldt as boys' basketball coach, and hired CJHS teacher Caroline Hargis as boys' cross-country coach. Superintendent Christina Becker said the positions were p...

A plan for a $15 million nearly five-megawatt solar farm was presented to the Marion County Board's Community Relations Committee Tuesday night. It will be located off Community Beach Road one mile east of U.S. 51 north of Centralia. President and CEO of MW Solar Generation Pete Yannokokis says the project is part of Ameren's Community Solar systems. "As far as the surveys, permitting, and all the required reports and studies that need to be done engineering-wise, we are complete and r...

Salem Police say a motorcyclist sustained a minor injury Tuesday afternoon when a pickup truck struck his cycle in the 800 block of South College Street. Police report 58-year-old John Oliver of Westmoreland in Mt. Vernon was trying to back into a parking lot at Bob's Auto Repair when he hit a motorcycle driven by 63-year-old Curtis Marcum of Beckwood Lane in Salem who was traveling on South College. The impact knocked the cycle over. Marcum was treated at the scene, but refused hospital tr...

Centralia Police say five female juvenile residents of One Hope United were arrested after allegedly attacking a male staff member in the commons area of one of the buildings early Monday morning. The staff member was reportedly punched with a closed fist by three of the girls and was bleeding from the lip. When Police arrived they heard screaming inside. They ordered the juvenile girls the ground to break up the altercation. The three that allegedly struck the staff member were charged with...

A 30-year-old Centralia man has been arrested by Centralia Police for aggravated cruelty to animals and reckless discharge of a firearm. Jacob Linkon of 17th Street was taken to the Marion County Jail to await a final decision on charges and a first appearance in court. 50-year-old Tonya Tannell, who told authorities she was homeless, was arrested on an outstanding no bond Clinton County felony failure to appear warrant. She was later transferred to the Clinton County Jail at Carlyle.