Union County school districts receive school safety grant

UNION COUNTY, Ill. — Union County school districts have received $357,000 for safety improvements. The districts were awarded the funds from a Department of Justice Program created by legislation, sponsored by Representative Mike Bost.  

Salem woman’s car runs under semi trailer at I-57 and West Main

Salem Police say an 86-year-old Salem woman was injured when somehow she hit the accelerator while stopped on the northbound I-57 off-ramp and ran under the trailer of a semi turning from West Main onto the Interstate.

Police report by the time the driver of the semi came to a stop it had cleared the car driven by Stella Riggs of Ohio Street. Riggs was not trapped in the vehicle, but the airbag had deployed. She was taken to Salem Township Hospital for treatment of injuries.

The driver of the semi, 58-year-old William Inskip of Springfield, was not injured.

Riggs was ticketed for disobeying a traffic control device.

The crash occurred at 1:48 Friday afternoon. Salem Police had handled a non-injury two-car crash near the same location at 12:19 Friday afternoon.

Salem man arrested after allegedly leaving the scene of a dog bite

A 24-year-old Salem man was arrested Saturday after allegedly fleeing the scene of a dog bite with his dog.

Salem Police say the dog owned by Cody Ferrell of West Warmoth allegedly bit a man standing next to his truck in the 500 block of North College Street. After the incident, Ferrell reportedly left with his dog because he allegedly knew he would have to turn over the dog to animal control.

Police later reported finding Ferrell hiding with his dog in a large culvert in Miller Park. He refused to come out for Salem Police. However, after backup arrived from the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Ferrell gave up and turned over his dog.

Police say this is the second time Ferrell’s dog has attacked and bitten a person without provocation.

Ferrell was taken to the Marion County Jail for concealing the whereabouts of an animal and resisting or obstructing arrest.

Odin woman arrested for aggravated battery to Salem Township Hospital Nurse

A 32-year-old Odin woman faces several charges after allegedly kicking a nurse in the face in the emergency room of Salem Township Hospital on Saturday.

Salem Police say Tiffany Organ of East Poplar was arrested after police were called to an unruly person in the ER. In addition to aggravated battery, Organ was also arrested for resisting arrest and aggravated assault. Police say after she was told she was under arrest, she allegedly pulled away from being handcuffed and made threats.

Man Crashes Motorcycle in Kinmundy, Successfully Flees on Foot

A man who ran on foot from a motorcycle crash at Jefferson and East Streets in Kinmundy successfully eluded police Saturday night.

Kinmundy Police Chief Corey Parker said he had just attempted a traffic stop on the motorcycle on Route 37 for traveling at a high rate of speed. The cyclist turned onto Jefferson Street and then lost control in the loose gravel at the East Street intersection.

Parker says the man had too much of a head start and he could not catch up. The Salem Police Department canine was able to track the trail of the man along the railroad tracks to the South Central School District bus garage before losing it.

Parker said the man did not appear to be injured. The crash occurred around 8:30 Saturday night.

Two People Arrested Following Brief Chase in Walnut Hill

Both occupants of a car that briefly tried to flee a Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy were arrested.

A deputy tried to stop the car driven by 43-year-old Matthew Bounds of Copple Road in Centralia after he failed to signal a turn. The chase began on the Walnut Hill Road and then continued on Copple Road in Jefferson County before Bounds stopped on his own.

Bounds was arrested a Marion County traffic warrant for failure to appear for driving on a suspended license.

The passenger, 34-year-old Nicole Pike of Tamaroa, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.

Deputies say they allegedly found meth, cannabis, drug paraphernalia, and a sawed-off shotgun with a serial number scratched off.

Both Bounds and Pike were taken to the Marion County Jail. The brief chase occurred at 8:11 Saturday night.

Police Beat for Sunday, September 30th, 2018

A 40-year-old Centralia woman is being held in the Marion County Jail on a felony theft failure to appear in court warrant. Chrissy Pehm of North Maple was arrested after being spotted by Centralia Police walking near the 5th and Broadway intersection.

30-year-old Dustin Storey of Centralia was arrested by Centralia Police for retail theft at the BP Racing Convenience Store on South Poplar.

Murder trial of Chicago police officer to resume

Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke’s attorneys are closing in on their last witnesses and it’s still not clear whether Van Dyke will take the stand himself to testify about the night he fatally shot Laquan…

Former Marion track athlete dies in car crash

MARION, Ill. — 2016 Marion High School track star Aaron Porter died over the weekend in a multiple car accident in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  

St. Louis to waive residency rule for 50 police recruits

St. Louis plans to change residency requirements to allow the next 50 police recruits to live outside the city limits.