A 37-year-old homeless Centralia man has been charged in Clinton County Court with six sex offenses for allegedly having sex with an underage girl at a home he had been allowed to stay for the past week. Centralia Police say Thomas Atkinson was arrested Wednesday night after the girl's mother found evidence that her 14-year-old daughter and Atkinson had committed a sexual act. Atkinson was ordered held without bond after being charged with two counts apiece of aggravated criminal sexual assau...

Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps reports all three people who tried to flee a burglary in progress at a home on Bernard Road in rural Centralia have now been arrested. Those taken into custody are 43-year-old Cory Duncan of South Hickory in Centralia, 44-year-old Joseph Anderson of West Noleman in Centralia, and 59-year-old Jerry Correll of Centralia. Cripps says the caretaker of the property called 911 when seeing suspects wearing masks while on the property that he could observe via photo...

The Odin Health and Rehabilitation Center is hosting a "Fireworks and Friends" event Friday night. Activity begins at seven with free popcorn, cookies, and light refreshments. The fireworks will be set off at dusk. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to view the show from Odin Health and Rehabilitation at 300 Green Street, just north of U.S. 50. Other community programs planned throughout the year are the October Trunk or Treat, December holiday lights display ...

The Salem Grade School Board Thursday night approved a five year extension of the school resource officer program. Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe says the contract with the City of Salem Police Department to provide the school resource officers to the Salem Grade and High School Districts expires this summer. "The SRO program has just been fantastic and it was up, so we took a look at the inter-governmental agreement. I just felt it was great if we could extend it for 5 years, and what ...

Five men from Mississippi were sentenced in southern Illinois federal court after admitting to using spotlights to illegally hunt white-tailed deer in Massac, Jefferson, Union, Pope and Clark counties. Lee J. Johnson, 54, of Saucier, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transport of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution and a $10,000 fine. Steven J. Pique, 56, of Biloxi, Mississippi, pleaded...

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today nonfarm payrolls totals reached a record high in June, increasing over-the-month up +9,400 to 6,175,200. June's record payroll job total surpassed the previous high set in March, marking another milestone in Illinois' record-setting year for total payroll employment. The May monthly change in payrolls was revised slightly from the preliminary report, from +100 to -200. The industry sectors with over-the-month jobs increases...

Centralia City Firemen say a fire burned the corner of the home from the ground to the attic early Thursday night. The fire was at a home owned by Keith Brown and occupied by Kenyatta and Caroline Harris at 534 North Lincoln. Both were home when the fire was discovered at 5:14 Thursday evening. The cause of the fire remains undetermined. Firemen say the fire was just beginning to spread into the attic upon arrival. The fire was quickly stopped, but some of the ceiling in a bedroom had to be p...

A lightning strike hit a Salem home during the thunderstorm activity late Thursday afternoon. The lightning hit the siding on the south side of the Doug Huff home at 825 North Broadway in Salem. It charred an area of siding. Salem Fire Protection District Firemen removed some nearby siding to make sure the fire had not spread. Assistant Fire Chief Bill Fulton says there was no fire damage inside the home, but the lighting got into the electrical system causing power to have to be turned off u...