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New Royalty Crowned at Fayette County Fair

July 15, 2026

By Anna Garner On Monday July 13th, 2026, a new queen was crowned for Fayette County. With five other competitors, competition was fierce. By the end of the night Annabelle Click of Ramsey Illinois was crowned the new Fayette County Fair queen. For our Little Miss queen, Raelynn Willson of St. Elmo was crowned. Smiles,…

Meet Anna Garner, the Leader-Union’s Newest Reporter

July 15, 2026

Hello, my name is Anna Garner. I am the new reporter and editor at the Vandalia Leader Union. I wanted to introduce myself to the readers and community and let you know a little bit about me. I was raised in Ball Ground, Georgia and moved to Illinois when I was 19. I currently attend…

Effingham County Tornado Update

June 29, 2026

*The following release came from the Effingham County Emergency Management Agency on the morning of Thursday, June 18. EFFINGHAM, Ill. — An impactful tornado travelled an estimated 12-15 miles through the northern parts of Effingham County this evening. While we know there are reports of injuries, so far, there are no reports of serious injuries…

Altamont School Board Discusses Pay for Sports Officials

March 19, 2026

BY MARK HOSKINS Among several items of business during the March 9 meeting, the Altamont Community Unit School District #10 Board of Education considered a pay increase for officials, working games at both the grade school and high school. The proposed increase in pay for officials would keep Altamont closer in pay to what other…

Brownstown Sports Hall of Fame Honors New Inductees

January 22, 2026

The newest class of athletes to be inducted into the Brownstown Sports Hall of Fame were celebrated on Thursday, January 15 during a girls home basketball game. Nine new members were inducted into the Hall of Fame: Lowell Benefiel (class of 1949), Clark Bayles (class of 1963), Phil Sefton (class of 1972), Jeff Fulk (class…

Miss Effingham County Named Miss Illinois

Phillips Named Miss Illinois County Fair Queen 2026

January 22, 2026

During the 115th Annual Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs convention in Springfield this past weekend, Miss Effingham County, Krista Phillips, was named the 2026 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen. Phillips was named the winner of the Effingham County Fair Queen Pageant this past summer and represented Effingham County well, taking the crown at the state…

Vandalia Explores Potential Data Center

January 22, 2026

By Frances Trujillo “Vandalia is exploring the possibility of a data center,” Mayor Doug Knebel said, emphasizing that much is still unknown and no decisions have been made. City officials are gathering information on potential benefits, such as high-tech jobs and private investment, as well as concerns about energy use and infrastructure needs. Knebel discussed…