Salem Community High School Superintendent Dr. Brad Detering told 178 graduates Sunday afternoon that the class of 2024 'finished strong' in sports, extracurricular activities, and in helping the community. On the academic side he noted 35 finished with a 4.0 or above grade point average and the school had 24 State S...

A 33-year-old homeless Centralia man was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail by Centralia Police on Sunday on two Peoria County warrants. Michael Tucker is being held without bond on the traffic and felony failure to appear warrants.

The Salem duo of Hannah Smith and Finley Puricelli competed this past weekend at the IHSA Class 2a State Track Meet at EIU. Smith was 15th in the discus with a throw of 106-10 for the sophomore. Puricelli finished her 400 in a time of 1:02.78 and was 21st in the preliminary race.

The Centralia 4x100 team of Strowder, Wagner, Dabney and Maines-May finished the preliminaries in 14th place in a time of 49.46.

Mount Vernon's Kamaree Pollard was 4th in the triple jump going 36-9 and finished 10th in the long jump with a leap of 16-3. Pollard was also 7th in the 200m in a time of 25.08. Cahokia's Kayda Austin won the event in a State Record time of 23.72 breaking the mark set 10 years ago. The Lady Rams 4x400 team of Johnso...

Christ Our Rock Senior Sarah McKowen won her Section Race at the IHSA 1a State Girls Meet at EIU in a time of 12:04.10 beating the rest of the competitors by 10 seconds. That put her 13th overall and a great end to a brilliant high school career. She will continue her running career next year at NAIA powerhouse Taylo...

The Christ Our Rock Stallions won their 3rd straight baseball regional title with a 4-0 win over the hosts at Marissa. Damari Dabney was the complete game winner allowing just 2 hits. At the plate, the Stallions got RBI from Lendon Isaiah, Dabney and Brayden Albert. Jayden Bazile went 2-3 with a run scored.

South Central knocked off 10th ranked Edwards County in Albion 8-4. Callaway Smith was the winning pitcher going 6 innings allowing 4 runs, 1 earned. Trevan Sidwell worked a clean 7th inning for the save. Colton Smith went 2-4 with a double and 4 RBI. Brody Markley drove in 2 with RBI also from Coen West and Zane M...

Today the Salem Wildcats will finish up their regular season with a trip to Mount Vernon in an added game to the schedule. First pitch from Brennan Klein Field starts at 4:30. Salem will then open up the 3a regionals at home on Thursday with a semifinal game against Mattoon.

It was regional championship day on Saturday around the state in 1a/2a softball. In 1a, Odin/Patoka/Sandoval dropped their game with the hosts at Edwards County 14-0. Christ Our Rock was nipped by Okawville in Okawville 6-4, Altamont lost to Windsor/Stew-Stras at Hutsonville 12-1. Today in 1a title games, Valmeyer wi...