Washington County, IL

Mr. James “Jim” Bruno Witte of Nashville, IL departed this life at the Washington County Hospital-Extended Care in Nashville, IL on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 12:07 AM. He had attained the age of 76 years, 1 month and 15 days. Jim was born on May 1, 1945 in Centralia,...

The Marion County Health Department is reporting six new COVID-19 cases over the weekend and Monday. Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says none of the new cases are in long-term care residents or students. Three are considered community spread and the other three from household or close contacts. There are...

The Regional Superintendent of Schools for Clinton-Jefferson-Marion-Washington Counties has announced his retirement. Ron Daniels is in his tenth year as Regional Superintendent, first for Jefferson and Hamilton Counties and the last six years with the consolidated office that serves the four county area. “Well this was not the original plan...

---- The contours of a debate in Washington County will be familiar to most. On one side is a group pushing to retire the Indians name and mascot used by the Cambridge Central School District. The name, they say, is not just inappropriate but offensive. On the other side is...

ROYALTON, IL — The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says an Ewing man wanted for aggravated domestic battery and unlawful restraint resulting from an incident on April 12 in Royalton was taken into custody over the weekend in Washington County. Sheriff David Bartoni says the sheriff’s office received information on the...

Washington County Treasurer Natalie Lynch’s office sent out the 2021 Mobile Home Tax bill Monday, April 12. A total of 146 bills were sent out totaling $11,574.78. The due date for the Mobile Home Tax is set for Wednesday. June 30. Failure to pay the bill will result in a penalty of $25 per month, not to exceed $100. Unpaid taxes will result in a lien being filed on the property.

Polls were open last Tuesday for the April 6 Consolidated Election in Washington County. Though most races on the ballot were not competitive, a few elected positions were contested. Johannisburg Township Elections. Johannisburg Township had multiple candidates for highway commissioner and township board of trustees. Keith Bergmann was elected Johannisburg...

Natalie Toedte, Connor Trumbo, and Kaylie Loss of the Centralia FFA chapter recently competed at the Section 21 dairy judging contest that was hosted in Nashville at the Washington County Fairgrounds. The Centralia FFA chapter placed 3rd in the judging event.

MT. VERNON, IL — A Mt. Vernon man who fled a February traffic stop was taken into custody Wednesday by members of the Police Department and United State Marshall’s Service (USMS). On February 28th earlier this year, an officer of the MVPD attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle that initially fled and the driver, 29-year-old Terrance D. Williams exited the vehicle on foot in the area of 10th and Lamar. Officers were not able to locate Williams, however they did find a loaded firearm in the area.

Health officials are concerned about the possibility of a fourth wave of COVID infections in Illinois even if the total case count numbers do not show a spike. Though the numbers have remained low in Washington County, the total number of cases is up statewide. Only six new cases have been reported in the county since last Wednesday, five of which are classified as active.

At the Washington County Farm Machinery Sale, on March 13, a John Deere 7 row 7100 planter was auctioned off by Funke Auction Service and Schaller Auction Service with all proceeds being donated to the Nashville FFA Chapter. The planter was gifted by an anonymous donor from out of state. Steve Harre of Nashville purchased the planter for $3,600. The Nashville FFA Chapter would like to thank Funke and Schaller Auction Services for facilitating this donation and Steve Harre for purchasing the planter. Pictured (L to R) are Jeff May (Funke Auction), Bill Funke (Funke Auction), Patrick Gill, Katie May, Chuck Funke (Funke Auction), and Esdon Bartling.

COVID numbers keep moving in the right direction locally, with the number of cases falling while the vaccination rate increases. Last week, a total of only four new cases were identified in the county, and only three cases are currently classified as active. The new cases last week increased the...

Amanda Ganey of Mascoutah was hired as the new kindergarten through sixth grade principal during the West Washington County Unit District School Board meeting Thursday. Ganey, who is presently the assistant principal at Moye Elementary School in O’Fallon, will serve as the new principal at Okawville Grade School as part of the shuffling among the district’s administration due to Superintendent Scott Fuhrhop’s retirement at the end of the fiscal year.

A 36-year-old Centralia man has been arrested by Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies on an outstanding Washington County failure to appear or pay warrant in a possession of methamphetamine conviction. Richard Burkett of Poplar Street remains in the Marion County Jail in lieu of a $5,000 bond. A 34-year-old Salem woman...

Aerial view of I-64 crash between a box truck and IDOT truck. Photo courtesy of Irvington Fire Department. State Police say both drivers were injured in an I-64 crash in Washington County on Wednesday when a truck ran into the rear of a slow-moving IDOT truck with an operating signboard directing a lane change for pothole patching.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, IL — An Okawville man was injured in a one-vehicle crash in Washington County Thursday morning. Illinois State Police say 74-year-old Benjamin Meier was northbound on Route 127 near Connecticut road in Nashville when for an unknown reason his truck ran off the roadway and collided with a deep ditch embankment.

An Okawville man was airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries after his truck left the road and crashed into a ditch Thursday, Illinois State Police said. Benjamin W. Meier, 74, was headed northbound on Illinois 127 near Connecticut Road, south of Nashville, when his Peterbilt semi-trailer left the road and crashed into a deep embankment, according to an ISP release.

A traffic stop by the Nashville Police Department Sunday night resulted in three arrests of residents of southern Illinois for drug charges and outstanding warrants over the weekend. The traffic stop of a vehicle with three occupants occurred in the early evening hours Saturday in the parking lot between El...

As Washington County continues to outpace the rest of the state in vaccination percentage, even more people will soon be eligible for shots. According to information on the Illinois Department of Health website, 18.66 percent of the population of Washington County is fully vaccinated, better than the statewide average which stands at 13.9 percent.