Williamson County social worker pleads not guilty

Election raises questions about mayor pro tem

Thomas earns most city commission votes; Wilson marks longest-serving female commissioner. Paducah City Commissioner Dujuan Thomas received the most votes in Tuesday’s city commission election, putting him in a position to potentially become the city’s next mayor pro tem. The city commission must still formally select someone for the position.

These 10 Under-The-Radar Illinois Thrift Shops Keep Bargain Hunters Digging For Hours

Paperback books for a quarter each. Three full floors of secondhand stuff stacked inside an old house. A charity shop where your purchase helps pay vet bills for rescue dogs. I could stop right there and you’d probably already be reaching for your car keys. Illinois has a sneaky habit of hiding its best bargains in plain sight, from a former warehouse to a grocery-and-thrift combo.

Downtown Cape Girardeau announces holiday events, 34th annual Parade of Lights

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — Old Town Cape Inc. is preparing for the holiday season with several events planned in downtown Cape Girardeau, including a Christmas tree lighting, Small Business Saturday and the 34th annual Parade of Lights. The holiday festivities will begin Friday, Nov. 27, with the downtown...

Grimes to perform one-man play in Paducah highlighting veteran’s experience with war, PTSD

Before he joined the U.S. Army, Ben Grimes was a professional actor, bringing a variety of characters and their stories to the stage. After serving a tour in Iraq, he needed an outlet to process the mental toll his deployment took on him. So, he turned his story and the experiences of his fellow soldiers and penned a one-man play – one that he will now perform for an audience in Paducah ahead of Veteran’s Day.

Southern Illinois schools earn Exemplary ratings on 2026 Illinois Report Card

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (KBSI) — Several Southern Illinois schools have earned the state’s highest overall designation on the 2026 Illinois Report Card. Carterville High School, Tri-C Elementary School, Giant City School and Vienna High School were among the schools receiving an Exemplary designation. The report cards, released Oct. 30,...

McCrack-Con coming up Saturday, 11-07-26

McCracken County Public Library's third annual McCrack-Con to return Saturday. Roll for initiative! The McCracken County Public Library's third annual McCrack-Con will return from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Cape Girardeau’s Spaghetti Day set for Nov. 5

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department and Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Foundation will host Spaghetti Day on Thursday, Nov. 5. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the A.C. Brase Arena in Cape Girardeau. Meals will include...

Thomas earns most city commission votes; Wilson marks longest-serving female commissioner

PADUCAH — Paducah City Commissioner Dujuan Thomas received the most votes in Tuesday’s city commission election, putting him in a position to potentially become the city’s next mayor pro tem. Thomas, an independent, has previously lost two elections, one in 2020 and another in 2022. He first...

Voters say ‘no’ to assessor appointment question in Massac

METROPOLIS, Ill. — Massac County voters expressed through their vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that they want to continue voting for the officeholder of Massac County Supervisor of Assessments. To the ballot’s yes-or-no referendum question: “Shall the Massac County Supervisor of Assessments be appointed rather than elected?,” 1,232 answered...

Harrisburg High School asks parents for help following repeated restroom vandalism

HARRISBURG, Ill., (KBSI) — Harrisburg High School officials are asking parents and families for help following repeated incidents of vandalism in student restrooms throughout the school year. In a message shared with families, school officials said intentional damage has forced some restrooms to temporarily close, causing disruptions for students...

Clymer defeats Bray to win third judge executive term

PADUCAH — Republican incumbent Craig Clymer defeated independent challenger George Bray in the race for McCracken County judge executive. Clymer received 12,077 votes while Bray received 7,558. Write-in candidate Danielle Guminski received 169. Clymer was first elected to the office in 2018 and has served two terms. Clymer previously...

McCracken County leaves for state ahead of meeting with Assumption

PADUCAH, KY -- For the 14th straight year, the McCracken County Lady Mustangs volleyball team was able to celebrate a sendoff to the KHSAA State Tournament. The Lady Mustangs left on Thursday morning in front of their biggest fans and family members ahead of their meeting with Assumption on Friday afternoon in Winchester, KY.

USDA rolls out new SNAP cost-of-living adjustments; Advocates say more needs to be done

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s new cost-of-living adjustments began at the beginning of October. Advocates say the change isn’t enough to address the ongoing need for food in Kentucky communities. The United States Department of Agriculture rolled out the changes for this fiscal year, providing a nearly 3%...

Three Southern Illinois counties vote on proposal to form new state separate from Cook County

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (KBSI) – Voters in three Southern Illinois counties are weighing in Tuesday on whether their county leaders should explore forming a new state separate from Cook County. Saline, Hamilton and Gallatin counties have advisory questions on their Nov. 3 general election ballots asking whether county officials should...

'We're so much stronger when we work together': Clymer, Bray seek renewed cooperation following campaign

PADUCAH — Following Tuesday’s election for McCracken County judge executive, WPSD-TV reporters spoke with Judge Executive Craig Clymer about his priorities upon winning a third term, and his challenger Paducah Mayor George Bray about working toward renewed city-county collaboration following the campaign. Republican incumbent Clymer received 60.98% of...

Paul Jacobs retains 59th District state senate seat

Paul Jacobs was reelected to his state senate seat Tuesday night after campaigning on business deregulation and his experience as a local business owner, optometrist and former 118th District Illinois House representative. Democratic nominee and Jackson County board member Tamiko Mueller lost after running on liberal issues and stimulating local tourism.

Republicans win Livingston, Lyon, Caldwell judge executive races

Republican candidates trounced their Democratic challengers in the Livingston, Lyon and Caldwell judge executive races, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State election results. In Livingston County, Republican Michael Williams beat Democrat Teris Swanson with 1,892 votes compared to Swanson’s 1,596. In nearby Lyon County, Jamie Green-Smith, who was...

Free Veterans Weekend Community Event in Carbondale on November 7

A southern Illinois non-profit and a local gym are teaming up to host a free Veterans Weekend community event in Carbondale. Organizers say boxing and combat sports clubs from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri will take part in sparring matches held in two rings. The event will also feature veteran-owned businesses, food vendors, community resources, a student veterans food drive and live music.

The Place Where a Candidate Promising to Do Less on Data Centers Actually Won

1. McCracken County, Kentucky – A rare bright spot for the data center sector quietly occurred in deep red Kentucky in a race defined by what’ll likely be the first project built on federal land. As I previously reported , a large data center project became the primary point of conflict in the race for McCracken County’s judge-executive. The incumbent Republican Craig Clymer had welcomed the project, and faced a challenge from independent George Bray, mayor of the county’s largest city of Paducah. Bray also supported the data center but said his city, which is adjacent to the project, should’ve received more demarcated benefits. Bray called for a community benefit agreement. Turns out voters in McCracken County didn’t care enough about this issue to make a change and wanted to keep Clymer in office. He won handily, netting more than 12,000 votes to Bray’s roughly 7,600. It’s one of the few races across the country that went in favor of the candidate promising to do less when it came to data centers. 2. Pulaski County, Arkansas – After a blue wave election in Little Rock, this county government is on a collision course with data center development. We’ve been covering