Western Illinois Today

2026 Sherrard High School graduate Olivia Szpek was crowned Miss Mercer County Fair Queen on Tuesday night. She spoke with WRMJ following the pageant. Lydia Clark won the Junior Miss competition, and Emsley Smith won [FULL STORY]

The 2026 Mercer County Fair kicks off with the Mercer County Fair Queen Pageant on Tuesday. 34 contestants have registered for the competition. There are 15 entrants in the Little Miss competition, 13 in the [FULL STORY]

The City of Aledo’s Independence Day celebration will look different this weekend. To honor the United States’ 250th anniversary, the city has added some new features and events to the schedule around the holiday. On Friday, [FULL STORY]

The Mercer County School District’s new deputy superintendent begins her role today. The district announced Stacey Day had been hired for the role in March. She returns to the Mercer County School District after serving [FULL STORY]

The Mercer County Fair Queen Pageant will have nearly 35 participants in 2026. Before the deadline earlier this month, 34 contestants registered for the competition. There are 15 entrants in the Little Miss competition, 13 [FULL STORY]

A specialty court program is celebrating two more graduates in Mercer County. Mercer County Drug Court launched in 2023 at the Mercer County Courthouse. The program targets people in the criminal justice system who are [FULL STORY]