Fayette County Sheriff Ronnie Stevens is reporting--- For an unknown reason the phone lines at the Fayette County Sheriff's Office and Fayette County Courthouse are currently down. If you have an emergency you can still dial 911 as these calls are being rerouted to Bond County. If it is not an emergency but you need ...

We will be mostly sunny and just a bit warmer today. We're looking at mostly sunny skies for today with a high of 83. Then, we'll see partly cloudy skies for tonight with a low of 64. Meanwhile, our shower and storm chances will increase over the weekend--beginning with Friday night and running into the new work week....

Multiple topics were discussed during Wednesday's monthly Saint Elmo City Council Meeting. One major topic of discussion was the approval of a TIF transfer of Dustin Rhodes, owner of Axe on Main and Forge a Memory, to his daughter, Elizabeth Rhodes. When discussing the transfer of the businesses, Saint Elmo Mayor Kim B...

State Representative Blaine Wilhour was in Vandalia on Wednesday to address the monthly meeting of the Greater Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. One of the topics that was discussed was the state's $56 billion budget, a number that has gone up tremendously since Wilhour took office. We will hear more from Representat...

(Effingham Co., IL) -- A man is accused of shooting at two people riding an ATV this week in Effingham County. Authorities say deputies arrested Michael Walker following the incident Tuesday night, just north of Watson. He is charged with armed violence, aggravated assault, reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravate...

We continue with our sunny and mild days today. We are looking at sunny skies for today with a high of 80. Then, we'll see mostly clear skies for tonight with a low of 58. Meanwhile, Thursday and Friday will be much the same before a chance of showers and storms and a bit more humidity come into the area for the weeke...

The City of Vandalia is hosting a Community Geothermal meeting on June 16th at 6 pm at Kaskaskia College-Vandalia Campus. The City is exploring a community geothermal system that would potentially help lower energy costs along with several other benefits. Speaking on our podcast "Talking about Vandalia," May...

The Illinois State Board of Education will be given $45 million for the purpose of property tax relief in the coming year, an allocation Statehouse Republicans called for this spring after the funds were not included in the budget for the current year. Sen. Don DeWitte, R-West Dundee, argued the state budget doesn't in...

An Illinois law to ban electronic processing fees on taxes and tips remains on hold after a federal court ruling and a one-year delay passed by the General Assembly. U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall ruled on Monday that a federal order issued in April blocks the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. Hours...

(West Frankfort, IL) -- A southern Illinois high school principal is stepping down as he faces a felony charge. The Frankfort Community School District announced that Aaron Hill resigned this week as the principal at Frankfort Community High School. Hill was arrested in February on a felony aggravated battery charge. T...

After a rainy and stormy Monday, we should get some sunshine and mild temperatures for today. We are looking at sunny skies for today with a high of 79. Then, clear skies and a little cooler tonight with a low of 54. We should remain dry through the work week before rain and storms return to the area this weekend. Sunr...

The Vandalia City Council briefly discussed going with a higher bid on a project because of familiarity with the company. But, they eventually decided to go with the low bid. The project is for a lift station pump replacement and piping rehabilitation at Illini Avenue or the former PolyPak location. The two bids receiv...

Opening weekend at Charter's Patio in downtown Vandalia was very well attended. This past Saturday night, there were performances from The Morning After and 1973-The Music of Journey. A very large crowd was out for the opening event of the year at Charter's Patio, estimated at 600 to 700 people in attendance. Meanwhile...

Just hours after the state's General Assembly wrapped its spring session, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker appeared along top Democrat leadership in Springfield to tout the passage of a 2027 fiscal year budget and numerous policy recommendations he's asked the body to take up. 163 bills passed both chambers in the final wee...

The Illinois General Assembly has passed legislation to regulate e-bikes, scooters and other micromobility devices. State Rep. Barbara Hernandez said a broad coalition asked for state regulation after injury reports surged across the country. The micromobility bill cleared the state legislature on Monday morning and ca...