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February 27, 2026

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JCHS chili luncheon draws a crowd

By Travis Morse | February 26, 2026

  By TRAVIS MORSE tmorse@morningsentinel.com   MOUNT VERNON — Many Jefferson County residents were in the mood for great chili and stimulating conversation Thursday at the Jefferson County Historical Society’s annual chili luncheon fundraiser in Mount Vernon. The event, held at the Rolland Lewis Community Building, is the Historical Society’s largest fundraiser of the year.…

MVFD, Army National Guard collaborate on training exercise

By Travis Morse | February 24, 2026

  By TRAVIS MORSE tmorse@morningsentinel.com   MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon Fire Department and the Illinois Army National Guard teamed up this past Saturday to host a special firefighter training session outside the MVFD Fire Station #4 on South 42nd Street. The topic of the day was vehicle fires, and firefighters from both the…

Cedarhurst hosts Family Art Fun event

By Travis Morse | February 23, 2026

  By TRAVIS MORSE tmorse@morningsentinel.com   MOUNT VERNON — In honor of February and Valentine’s Day, kids and parents Saturday had the chance to make “Sparkle Hearts” from clay during the Family Art Fun event hosted by Cedarhurst Center for the Arts. The free session drew a sizable crowd to the Shrode Art Center Saturday.…

Marion County SWCD salutes local residents

By Dennis Rosenberger | February 20, 2026

By DENNIS ROSENBERGER stceditor@salemtc.net SALEM — The Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) held its 81st annual meeting on Thursday evening at the Marion County Fairgrounds Exhibit Building in Salem, handing out several honors to area residents for their dedication to conservation practices in agriculture. The Conservation Farm Family Of The Year honor…

JC Crime Stoppers says goodbye to Coordinator Randa Rowland

By Travis Morse | February 19, 2026

By TRAVIS MORSE tmorse@morningsentinel.com   MOUNT VERNON — It was a bittersweet morning for the Jefferson County Crime Stoppers Board Thursday as they bid farewell to local Crime Stoppers Secretary/Coordinator Randa Rowland. Rowland also serves as lead administrative assistant at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. She is stepping down from both positions at the end…

Holloway claims milestone win

By Paul Hines | February 19, 2026

  By PAUL HINES phines@morningsentinel.com MT. VERNON — Wednesday’s win marked a memorable milestone for Rams coach Tim Holloway. Mt. Vernon’s 48-42 victory against Althoff gave him his 500th career coaching victory combined between his baseball and basketball tenures at the school. The Rams secured the win with a strong stretch to finish the game…

New rec center project stirs debate in Mt. Vernon

By Travis Morse | February 18, 2026

By TRAVIS MORSE tmorse@morningsentinel.com   MOUNT VERNON — The highly anticipated project to build a new indoor recreation center in Mount Vernon sparked an in-depth debate and discussion at Tuesday night’s Mount Vernon City Council meeting. Several audience members addressed the council that evening, urging them to not be short-sighted in planning the design for…

Pirate Pete’s will move to Mt. Vernon

By Travis Morse | February 17, 2026

By TRAVIS MORSE tmorse@morningsentinel.com   MOUNT VERNON — Pirate Pete’s Family Entertainment Center in Marion will be relocating to Mount Vernon later this year, according to co-owner Roger Loyd. Pirate Pete’s has been a Marion staple since 2009, but the business was unable to renew its lease at the former Illinois Star Centre Mall. The…

New aerial truck begins service for Salem Fire Protection District

By Dennis Rosenberger | February 13, 2026

By DENNIS ROSENBERGER stceditor@salemtc.net SALEM — The Salem Fire Protection District (SFPD) put a new aerial truck into service this week … at least, it’s new to them. Aerial Platform 9538 was purchased, used, from a district in Missouri. “After an extensive nationwide search for an exceptional used aerial to replace the current 40-year-old aerial…

Lady Rams, Annies face in regional

By Paul Hines | February 13, 2026

  By PAUL HINES phines@morningsentinel.com A trio of regular season games between Mt. Vernon and Centralia served as preamble for the girls basketball postseason. The final matchup between the two teams occurs Monday night at Centralia in the 3A regional semifinal. The game starts at about 7:30 p.m. It’s the second semifinal of the evening…

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