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Friday Baseball Roundup – Salem Wins Again…Orphans Fall…SC Wood Bat Begins….CORLHS Holds Off Wayne City

WJBD Staff — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:38:16 +0000

Salem Wins 3^rd Game of the Week

The Salem Wildcats won their 3^rd game of the week yesterday as they beat visiting Fairfield 8-2. Carter Lowe, Brenden Smith and Owen Tennyson combined for 4 of the Cats 7 hits and scored 5 runs. Brody Collier was the winning pitcher giving up 4 hits and 2 runs over 5 innings with 8 ks. Aaden Rostance picked up the save. Luke Boldt drove in 3 runs going 2-2. Salem is scheduled to travel to Robinson today for two games against the Maroons and Mt Zion.

Mater Dei Nips Centralia

Even though the Orphans outhit Mater Dei 10-6, the Knights still pulled out the 4-2 win. Rhett Lambert had 3 hits to lead Centralia including a solo homer in the first inning. Dax Snow added 2 hits for the Orphans. Archie Goewey was the starter allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs over six with 7 strikeouts. Adrian Rendon got the win for Mater Dei.

SC Falls To Flora In Wood Bat Opener

The SC Wood Bat Tournament opened up at Lions Field in Kinmundy yesterday. Flora knocked off South Central 5-4. Gage Parker hit a 1^st inning grand slam to put the Wolves on top. Ryker Dodson added a solo homer for the Cougars. He drove in 2 runs on the day going 2-3. Hudson Moore and Kaiden Harrell had 2 hits as well. SC is scheduled to continue Wood Bat play today against Woodlawn and North Clay.

North Clay Wins SC Wood Bat Opener

North Clay had no issues with the wood bat as they beat Woodlawn 16-3. The Cards scored 14 runs in the 3^rd inning. Cayden Craig hit a 3-run homer and Ian Jones a solo shot in the inning. Trevan Sidwell went 3-4 with 5 RBI. Carder Walden, Jones and Jack Compton had multiple hits as well. Jones was the winning pitcher allowing one hit and no runs over 2 innings.

Stallions Pull Out Win Over Wayne City

Christ Our Rock pulled out a 6-4 win over Wayne City. Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, the Stallions would take the lead after Drew Lueking Walked, Garrett Denton singled and Carson French lined out, each scoring a run to lead 6-4. Colton Cartright started the game allowing 5 hits and 3 runs over4 4 innings striking out 4 and not walking anyone. Brayden Albert went 2-3. Blake Hanke, Noah Kenley, Garrett Denton and French added RBI.

Baseball Scores from Friday:

Century 4 NCOE 0
Casey 12 North Central 4
Staunton 16 Bushnell 0
Sparta 9 Carlyle 3
Litchfield 5 Piasa 4
Columbia 4 Belleville East 0
Dieterich 17 Cisne 2
Marquette 9 Lexington 3
Massac County 3 Murphysboro 2
Carlinville 6 Pana 2
Frankfort 3 Pinckneyville 0
Altamont 3 Roxana 0
Edwards County 10 Lawrenceville 0
Greenville 10 Gillespie 0
Lutheran 13 Nokomis 2
Carterville 10 Herrin 6
Belleville West 8 Civic Memorial 6
Mater Dei 4 Centralia 2
Breese Central 9 New Athens 1
Vandalia 10 Hillsboro 0
Salem 8 Fairfield 2
Tolono Unity 13 Mattoon 1
North Clay 16 Woodlawn 3
Glenwood 9 Mt Zion 6
DuQuoin 6 Zeigler 2
Neoga 6 Sullivan 1
Charleston 10 Rantoul 3
Father McGivney 11 Alton 5

Prep Softball Roundup – Annies Win, CORLHS Falls, Scores From Friday

WJBD Staff — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:25:49 +0000

Annies Nip Woodlawn In Dual

Both teams were strong in the circle, but Centralia nipped Woodlawn 2-1. Addyson Dukes was the winning pitcher allowing 4 hits and no earned runs in the complete game win. Centralia took the lead in the first on a Kinsley Hawthorne RBI double. Woodlawn tied it with an error in the 2^nd. In the bottom of the fourth, Dukes doubled to score a run and give the Annies the lead they wouldn’t give up again. Hawthorne and Josie Venturini had 2 hits for the Annies.

(Photos: Pat Hodges)

CORLHS Comeback Falls Just Short

Christ Our Rock’s comeback effort came up just short as they fell to Wayne City 7-6. Leah Kleiboeker led the Stallions going 2-3. Liv Torrence, Avery Moorhead, Leah Compton, Kleiboeker, Katie Oelze and Baily Pingsterhaus each drove in a run.

Friday Softball Scores:

Dieterich 10 Cisne 0
Piasa 4 Litchfield 2
Zeigler 5 Hamilton County 1
Carterville 12 Herrin 0
Murphysboro 6 Massac County 5
Gillespie 10 Greenville 9
Pinckneyville 8 Frankfort 3
Newton 14 Altamont 0
Hillsboro 13 Vandalia 0
Anna 9 Nashville 1
Effingham 10 Mt Zion 6
Mascoutah 6 Breese Central 0
Edwardsville 7 Triad 0
DuQuoin 7 Benton 6
TTown 5 Flora 0
Waterloo 13 Red Bud 6
Neoga 9 North Clay 1
Charleston 6 Taylorville 4
Freeburg 16 Gibault 5
Columbia 21 Granite City 6
Mahomet 5 Mattoon 3
Effingham 10 Mt Zion 6
Charleston 7 Taylorville 5

Franklin Park Gives Out Bowling Awards

WJBD Staff — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:06:57 +0000

The Franklin Park Bowling Awards were handed out yesterday. Wyett Follett and Weston Crouse were Co-Most Improved, Alayna Golden was Most Improved, Dakota Gregg had the highest average at 179, and Lilly Morris had the girl’s highest average along with Adrienne Birch at 138. Cooper Burkett, Cooper Skiles, Jocelyn Snyder and Alayna Golden were given the Bobcat Award.

2026 SCHS Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

WJBD Staff — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:04:18 +0000

The 2026 Salem Community High School Sports Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. They Stephanie (Carpenter) Aldridge, Class of 2010. She was a true scoring machine at every level with 1000 points in both high school and college. She was an All-State performer and record setting free throw shooter. She was part of 4 20-win seasons and 3 regional titles.

John Fischer, Class of 2006 was the engine behind Salem’s basketball resurgence that saw them with back to back 20 win seasons. Fischer averaged 19 points per game his senior season and was an All Star selection. He was also part of a record setting relay track team.

The 2008 Girls Tennis team was simply dominant. They had a 40-4 record and a perfect 14-0 mark in conference play. They were sectional runner ups and one of the best teams to ever represent Salem.

The 1987 football team finished with an 8-3 record and a playoff win. They had over 2500 yards rushing with their powerful ground game and 3 shutouts with their lockdown defense.

The Induction will be at B.E. Gum on May 30^th. Doors open at 4:30 and the dinner at 5pm.

2026 04/21 – Norma Elaine McLain

Bruce Kropp — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:58:42 +0000

Norma Elaine McLain, 84, of Mt. Vernon, passed away at 9:08 a.m., Friday, April 17, 2026, at her home.

She was born June 21, 1941, in Field Township, Illinois, the daughter of Darrell Robert and Dorothy Lenore (Upton) Rollinson. On October 18, 1959, at Union Chapel Church in Texico, she married Richard Thomas McLain, and he preceded her in death on April 1, 2019.

She was a graduate of Mt. Vernon Township High School and a member of Zion United Methodist Church. She enjoyed crafting, bird watching, Bingo, and playing cards. She was a “Craft Lady” and owned Dogwood Craft Supply.

Mrs. McLain is survived by her daughter, Regina Dawn Minor and husband Michael of Mt. Vernon; grandchildren, Cheyenne Mellott and husband Cody of Mt. Vernon; bonus grandchildren, Raquel Minor of Mt. Vernon, and Dakota Minor and wife Hailey of Mt. Vernon; great-grandchildren, Savanna Mellott, Sierra Mellott, and River Mellott, all of Mt. Vernon; and sister, Linda Capps and husband John Capps, Sr. of Mt. Vernon.

In addition to her husband, Richard McLain, she was preceded in death by her parents, Darrell and Dorothy Rollinson; a son, Darrell McLain; and a sister, Rebecca Arnold.

In accordance with her wishes, cremation rites for Mrs. McLain will be accorded, and a private family service will be held at a later date. Memorial gifts may be made to the Jefferson County Animal Shelter and will be accepted by mail to the Osborn Funeral Home, P.O. Box 130, Dix, Illinois 62830. Online condolences may be made at www.osbornfuneral.com, or on the Osborn Funeral Home Facebook page.

Facebook to remove imposter accounts tied to immigration scams, DA’s office says

Syndicated Content — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:58:50 +0000

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference joined by members of his prosecution team as he comments on the outcome in the retrial of former film producer Harvey Weinstein on June 12, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, has pledged to remove imposter accounts tied to scams that were recently flagged by the Manhattan district attorney's office, following a phone call between the two parties this week, the DA's office told ABC News Friday.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last week accused Meta of failing to remove imposter accounts that Bragg said pose as organizations like Catholic Charities to offer fake immigration services that scam money from unsuspecting victims.

"These imposter accounts have led to tens of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers," Bragg said in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding the company take action after requests to remove false profiles were declined.

"Scammers frequently target immigrant populations because they are perceived to be, and often are, more vulnerable to fraud and in need of a specific type of legal assistance," Bragg wrote.

In some instances, scammers create public Facebook accounts that mirror real accounts belonging to pro bono legal services organizations, Bragg said. In others, they create WhatsApp profiles posing as immigration lawyers associated with those same organizations, frequently using the names and logos of legitimate organizations to give the appearance of credibility.

"Your company has made representations about the importance of the safety and security of your platform for its users," Bragg's letter to Zuckerberg said. "If you sincerely wish to protect the safety of your users from fraud, we urge you to take necessary, proactive steps."

In a statement issued in response to Bragg's letter, a Meta spokesperson said, "Account impersonation violates our policies, and we take action against people and groups that attempt to misuse our platforms. We're committed to engaging constructively with all levels of government, law enforcement and cross-sector partners to tackle this industry-wide challenge."

Bragg is the latest prosecutor to go public with criticism of Meta for failing to protect the public from criminals lurking on its social media platforms. New Mexico recently won a $375 million civil case that held Meta liable for failing to police its sites for child predators, and a jury in Los Angeles found Meta, along with Google, liable for a 20-year-old woman's social media addiction.

Trump tells ABC News he thinks he can trust the Iranians

Syndicated Content — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:57:33 +0000

President Donald Trump walks over to speak to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to promote the tax cuts he signed into law in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ahead of the midterm election. Tomorrow he will deliver remarks at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- After announcing the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" and saying a deal can soon be secured with Iran, a triumphant-sounding President Donald Trump told ABC News he believes he can trust the Iranians.

"I think they've had it," Trump said in a phone interview on Friday. "I think they've had enough. That can happen to anybody. Even people like you and I can say, 'I've had enough.'"

Trump said that the United States will be working with Iran to remove their enriched uranium, what he calls "nuclear dust," and that it will be brought to the United States.

The president said it will be done with the Iranians in a "very peaceful manner."

Trump also told ABC News the Iranians will be receiving no money for the exchange, saying that reports of a $20 billion payment are "fake news."

Trump said this will all be resolved "very soon," and that the U.S. blockade on ships coming to and from Iran will not come down until the agreement is finalized.

When asked if he thinks he can trust the Iranians to fulfill their commitments here, Trump said yes.

On his negotiating team, Trump told ABC News, "Steve [Witkoff] and Jared [Kushner] will be going out, and maybe J.D. [Vance]. Haven't spoken to J.D. about that yet."

The president said talks would take place in "Islamabad only. I'm not interested in going to countries that didn't help." Trump said a second round of talks could happen as soon as this weekend, though no formal announcement has been made.

"They want to make a deal. They want to make some money, you know. ... They're not making any money as long as I have the blockade," Trump said.

Trump also said NATO called him, though he didn't say specifically who, and offered to help.

"NATO called me and said, 'Is there anything we can do?' And I said, 'Yeah, stay away,'" he said.

The president also spoke at length about Lebanon. On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The Israeli military action in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group, had been an obstacle in talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump said that's a separate peace deal, and he reiterated what he has said on his social media platform: "I am going to prohibit him [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] from bombing Lebanon."

When asked how, Trump said he'll tell Netanyahu "he cannot do it."

Regarding Lebanon, Trump said that he is going to involve the president of Syria in the final deal, and that he's going dealing with Hezbollah.

First on ABC: Memo to Rubio details data on HIV/AIDS treatment program under Trump administration

Syndicated Content — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:48:00 +0000

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers remarks during working-level peace talks at the U.S. State Department, April 14, 2026, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Data collected by the State Department that has not previously been made public indicates that the number of people receiving treatment through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has remained steady despite dramatic cuts to foreign aid funding under the Trump administration, according to an internal department memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen exclusively by ABC News.

The memo, which is marked sensitive but unclassified, says that even though overall spending on the initiative fell by roughly 30%, 20.6 million people living with HIV in more than 50 countries received anti-retroviral treatment through U.S. government programs during the 2025 fiscal year -- the same number government data shows were receiving the therapy in 2024.

However, the memo did not provide information on the number of individuals who had received testing and counseling services through PEPFAR, which was 84.1 million in 2024. Global health experts estimate that figure could have fallen by more than 15 million in 2025, due in part to an interruption to some testing programs during the Trump administration's freeze on most foreign aid in early 2025.

But Jeremy Lewin, the State Department's senior official for foreign and security assistance, reports that the data collected in 2025 shows progress towards other Trump administration goals, including ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Lewin wrote to Rubio that the number of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who began pre-exposure prophylaxis through PEPFAR more than doubled. He said it climbed from 43,000 in 2024 to 103,000 in 2025, " showing early progress on any early focus area of yours and President Trump's."

Additionally, Lewin said the 2025 data demonstrates "an important shift toward country self-reliance," indicating that treatment programs for 3 million people with HIV/AIDS were now being managed by national governments rather than organizations working on behalf of PEPFAR.

Lewin said the department expected to see "further progress" toward country self-reliance as it further shifts toward its new global health strategy based on bilateral agreements that mandate a level of co-investment from participating nations.

In a letter outlining the plan in September 2025, Rubio said that the U.S. would enter pacts with 71 countries by the end of the year and establish detailed implementation plans with those nations by the end of March 2026 -- a timeline the administration has fallen behind.

In his memo, Lewin said that as of April 7, the U.S had now "signed 30 compacts with nearly $20.6 billion dollars in both U.S. and partner co-investment commitments," adding that the current data "does not yet show the impact of these historic deals."

The Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy will confidentially brief members of Congress on the 2025 PEPFAR data before releasing it to the public on Friday, according to the memo.

Since it was launched by former President George W. Bush in 2003, PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives globally, supported 7 million orphans and vulnerable children, and enabled 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free, according to the State Department. It's credited as the largest commitment by any country to fight a single disease in history.

Trump’s lawyers say they’re ‘in discussions’ to resolve his $10B suit against the IRS

Syndicated Content — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:46:19 +0000

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 16, 2026, in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to promote the tax cuts he signed into law in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ahead of the midterm election. Tomorrow he will deliver remarks at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Attorneys for President Donald Trump say they are "in discussions" with the Department of Justice to potentially resolve a $10 billion lawsuit that Trump, two of his sons, and his company filed against the Internal Revenue Service earlier this year.

According to a court filing on Friday, lawyers for the Trumps requested a deadline extension so they can "engage in discussions designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation."

President Trump, his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department in January related to the unauthorized disclosure of tax information during Trump's first term.

A government contractor with the IRS pleaded guilty in 2023 to stealing the tax information of Donald Trump and other wealthy Americans and leaking it to media outlets in 2019 and 2020.

"Defendants have caused Plaintiffs reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump, and the other Plaintiffs' public standing," the Trumps said in their lawsuit, which requested $10 billion in damages.

"The Parties are engaging in discussions and need time to work through how to ensure those discussions can take place productively to avoid protracted litigation," the attorneys said in Friday's filing with the consent of the DOJ lawyers. "This brief period will allow the Parties to initiate and structure those discussions in a manner that best serves the interests of all Parties and the Court."

The Department of Justice had not yet responded to the lawsuit and faced an impending deadline this month. Friday's filing said both sides agreed to the 90-day extension.

A group of former government officials last month filed an amicus brief with the court to raise concerns about the ethics of the president suing his own government for billions.

"This case is extraordinary because the President controls both sides of the litigation, which raises the prospect of collusive litigation tactics," the amicus filing said. "To treat this case like business as usual would threaten the integrity of the justice system and the important taxpayer and privacy protections at the heart of this case."

The Trumps, in the suit, argued that the IRS and Treasury Department should have had "appropriate technical, employee screening, security, and monitoring" to prevent the theft of tax information.

Jennifer Stone to return as Harper Finkle in ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’

Syndicated Content — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Selena Gomez and Jennifer Stone on the 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place' set. (Disney/Eric McCandless)

Harper Finkle and Alex Russo are reuniting.

Jennifer Stone is set to reprise her Wizards of Waverly Place role of Harper Finkle in the final season of its spinoff series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

Harper is the eccentric human best friend of Selena Gomez's beloved wizard Alex Russo.

Disney announced earlier in April that Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will return for its final chapter this summer. Production on the new episodes started this month.

Gomez is set to make her directorial debut as she helms the premiere episode of this final chapter in the Russo family's story. In addition to directing, Gomez will reprise her role of Alex over multiple episodes and continue executive producing.

Stone made a return to acting after she took a hiatus to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She graduated in 2019 with plans to resume acting full-time, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she stepped into the emergency room and served on the front lines. Now, Stone balances ER shifts with her love of acting, according to a press release.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place stars David Henrie as Justin Russo and Janice LeAnn Brown as the young wizard Billie. Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora and Mimi Gianopulos also make up the main cast.

This final chapter of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is being billed as a special four-part event.

"Billie, still reeling from losing Alex at the end of season 2, discovers that the only way to rescue her mother is to reunite with her long-lost father," according to an official description from Disney. "As her family bands together to find Alex, Billie realizes that their combined power is the only way the Russos can defeat the evil plaguing them."

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.