Preparations are underway for this year's Miss Fairfield Fall Fun Fest Pageant, with contestants set to gather for their first practice next Monday. Practice will begin at 7:15 p.m. upstairs at the Fairfield Elks Lodge. Organizers announced that 17 contestants have signed up to compete in this year's pageant and are lo...

Illinois State Police have released additional preliminary information about a three-vehicle crash that killed 25-year-old Madison Burton of Odin Thursday night on Interstate 57. According to ISP, Burton's vehicle was parked on the interstate shoulder with its emergency flashers activated because of a flat tire. Invest...

Frontier Community College is offering an Introduction to Sewing community education course this fall for individuals interested in learning basic sewing skills. The four-week class will meet on Thursdays, September 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Bob Boyles Hall on the FCC campus. The course will be tau...

The 105th Enfield Mule Days celebration, themed "Celebrates America," will take place October 1st through the 4th with four days of family entertainment, contests, a parade, carnival, and live music. Festivities begin Thursday, October 1st with children's games at 5 p.m., followed by the Baby Contest, Mr. and...

Jasper School will host a Back-to-School Night tonight (Tuesday) from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event is open to students entering kindergarten through eighth grade and will give families an opportunity to meet teachers and drop off school supplies before classes begin. The first day of school is scheduled for Wednesday, Augu...

The Wayne and Clay County Soil and Water Conservation Districts will hold their annual fall fish sale on Thursday, September 17. Fish available for purchase include channel catfish, largemouth bass, hybrid sunfish, bluegill, redear, fathead minnows and grass carp. The deadline to order grass carp is Thursday, September...

The Xenia Fire Protection District responded Monday morning to a hay bale fire that threatened to spread to several nearby bales. Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 10:40 a.m. to the 2500 block of Cypress Drive. Before firefighters arrived, the caller moved the burning bale away from the other hay, helping p...

Two longtime television stations serving Southern Illinois and the surrounding region are preparing to combine their news operations under a single brand. KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau and WSIL-TV in Carterville will operate under the Heartland News name, bringing their websites, news apps, streaming services and social me...

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for its 2026 free upland game hunting permit lottery and controlled pheasant hunting program. The free permit lottery provides opportunities to hunt wild bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasants and cottontail rabbits at select state sites. Applica...

The National Weather Service in Paducah says a Heat Advisory has been extended and now remains in effect until 8pm Thursday for portions of Southern Illinois. Maximum heat index values could reach near 110 degrees, with the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses....

Fairfield native and award-winning Nashville songwriter Lance Miller will return to Southern Illinois for a special concert on Saturday at Red Hill Raceway near Sumner. "An Evening with Lance Miller" will also feature Southern Illinois favorite Just for Spite: Unplugged. Gates open at 8 p.m. at Red Hill Racew...

A Fairfield man was taken into custody following an investigation by the Fairfield City Police Department into multiple alleged sex offenses involving a child. Charles E. Hughett, 28, of Fairfield, was arrested and booked into the Wayne County Jail Thursday afternoon. Hughett was held on allegations of child pornograph...

A Fairfield man is being held in the Wayne County Jail after his arrest on multiple charges Friday. 48-year-old Lonnie Lee Griffith, 48 was arrested on allegations of violating an active order of protection and cruelty to animals. He was booked into the Wayne County Jail Friday afternoon In addition to the new allegati...

The Roasted Chestnuts will return to the Fairfield Fall Fun Fest this year after taking a year off from the annual celebration. The group will perform Wednesday, September 16, from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. on the Main Stage in downtown Fairfield. Festival organizers say The Roasted Chestnuts have been a popular part of the ev...

The 31st annual White County Crop Tour will be held on Wednesday, August 19th Individuals are invited for breakfast refreshments the morning of the program, starting at 7:00 a.m. in the basement meeting room of the Farm Bureau Building in Carmi. Teams will depart beginning at 7:30 a.m. Participants will be assigned to ...

Four former managers and supervisors at a Franklin County coal mine have been federally indicted on charges stemming from an underground fire in August 2021. The defendants are Ronald Dale Koontz, 69, of Hendersonville, Tennessee; Demitrios George Macropoulos, 38, of Buckeye, Arizona; Randy L. Nowland, 67, of Waltonvil...

Southern rock band 38 Special will headline a free concert at the Illinois State Fair Grandstand on Monday, August 17th with Warrant opening the show. The concert is part of the fair's effort to provide more affordable entertainment for families. No concert ticket will be required, although attendees must pass through ...

The Wayne City Saddle Club will host its 34th Annual Bean Days Rodeo on Saturday, September 26th. The rodeo will be held at 601 County Road 400 North in Wayne City. Gates open at 5 p.m., with the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is $15, payable at the gate. The event will feature competition in bareback bronc riding...

Taylor Farms has recalled a variety of prepared foods, including salsa, guacamole and other products containing jalapeños, because of possible salmonella contamination. The recalled items were sold at Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods and other retailers in about 20 states. The recall follows a supplier's recall of j...

A prolonged stretch of heat and humidity will continue across the region through at least Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah. The entire region remains under a Heat Advisory through Wednesday, with daily heat index readings expected to range from 100 to 110 degrees. The highest heat index v...