Riverbender 🕸

ST. LOUIS – Dogtown Pizza is pleased to announce the relocation of its production facility. On July 1, they officially moved to 3843 Garfield Ave. This new location equips the company to meet surging demand for its freshly frozen pizza and put all its operations under one roof. “We are thrilled to be in a new facility that can support our growth,” said Co-Owner Rick Schaper. “It means so much to us that we were able to build a new facility in St. Louis, the city that we love.” In the old space, Dogtown Pizza made just over one million pizzas a year. Now, the new facility, owned by Confluence Group, has the tools to increase yearly output to approximately 10 million pizzas. Dogtown Pizza merged with Fox River Dairy , a specialty food distributor, to form Confluence Food Group in 2019. The parent company also owns Crust and Sons, which manufactures all the crust for Dogtown Pizza. Formally the home of St. Louis Paper & Box Co., the 113,000-square-foot

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ALTON - Local publisher and author is releasing an anthology to promote confidence in women while supporting a local charity. Stop Walking with Your Head Down is a collection of experiences of women overcoming insecurities. Different lives, different circumstances, different outcomes…as a collective, women have so many obstacles to overcome. The women in this anthology have cracked the code on how to reach within yourself and face each day head on. Christian Cashelle, owner of Dynamic Image Publications, believes that this project will allow women the opportunity to engage in conversations about everyday insecurities such as being in male-dominated industries, singleness, motherhood, infertility, and loss of a child. This anthology will be released on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 and will be available in paperback and ebook format available through Amazon ($11.99 for paperback, $5.99 for ebook). A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Be a Bridge NFP. Be a Bridge NFP’s

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of nine attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate to pass proposed legislation that would expand health care coverage to millions of veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other military toxins. In a letter to Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell , Raoul and the coalition urge passage of S. 3373 , which would expand health care eligibility to post-Sept. 11 combat veterans, including more than 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxins. The proposal would also add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ list of service connection presumptions, and create a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure. Raoul and the coalition are calling for the passage of S. 3373, the PACT Act, after the measure failed to pass the U.S. Senate when it was called for a vote July 27. “Veterans risked thei

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A preliminary St. Louis County Police investigation has revealed that a recent drowning could be the result of a medical emergency prior to a male losing consciousness in the water. At 12:55 p.m. on July 23, 2022, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a drowning. Arriving officers located an unresponsive adult male in the deep end of the pool (approximately 9 feet deep). St. Louis County Police officers and Christian Ambulance paramedics pulled the male from the water and initiated CPR. The male was transported to an area hospital for life-saving treatment but was pronounced deceased. The deceased has been identified as Keven Wright, 59 years of age, of the 11200 block of Sugartrail Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, 63136.

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EDWARDSVILLE – Larry Thompson, 36, pled guilty in two cases against him regarding numerous residential burglaries and stolen vehicles in the Metro area in Madison County Court on Friday, July 29, 2022. These convictions resulted from the joint investigative work between several Metro communities. Thompson was among multiple suspects in a string of local car and home burglaries committed in Madison, Jersey, and Macoupin Counties. An additional suspect, Curtis Faust, was sentenced to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on February 25, 2022. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute thefts, especially vehicle thefts, in our area," said Madison County State's Attorney, Tom Haine. "These convictions are thanks to the cooperative investigative efforts between Madison County Sheriff's Department, Wood River Police Department, Macoupin County Sheriff's Department, and our office. "Because of that work, we built strong cases that led to multiple criminal convictions.

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GRANITE CITY – Unfortunately, GCSD9 has cancelled the "Back to School Celebration" set for Wednesday, August 3 at Worthen Park due to potential thunderstorms in the weather forecast. "We look forward to seeing our students and staff in the classrooms on Wednesday, August 17," Granite City Schools Superintendent Stephanie Cann said.

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JERSEYVILLE - The Jerseyville location of Scooter’s Coffee at 600 S. State St. has officially opened for business. Scott Gaffner, who co-owns this location with his wife Jamie, said the reception from the community has been wonderful so far. The location opened at 11 a.m. on Monday - a delayed start due to final inspections - but the location’s full hours are 5:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. from Monday-Friday and 6 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. “Everything so far has been well-received,” Gaffner said. “We’re just ecstatic the way Jersey, Greene, Calhoun, Madison County - we have so many people from so many different areas that have come and just been so excited to see us here, and that’s made us even more excited to be here, back to our home area.” Gaffner and his wife lived in Jerseyville from 1990-1995 while Gaffner worked for the Illinois State Police, after which they moved to Greeneville. He said he’s since retired from

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Brett Sheroky is returning to his hometown of Belleville to showcase his musical talents, which have caught the attention of multiple top country music artists. “I have had artists like Blake Shelton, Granger Smith, Jake Owen, and 2022 American Idol winner Noah Thompson record my songs,” said Sheroky, who moved to Nashville to pursue his passion for songwriting. “Matt Stell currently has my song ‘Man Made’ on country radio.” Sheroky earned a bachelor’s and master’s from SIUE in speech language pathology in 2006 and 2008, respectively. For a decade, he worked as a speech therapist by day and perfected his songwriting by night. In 2020, Sheroky signed his first publishing deal with SeaGayle Music, gaining the attention of artists and record labels. Sheroky will be performing at 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Aug. 26-27 at the Venue on Main in Belleville. The show will be

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SPRINGFIELD – Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives have approved the Public Safety Officer Support Act to expand the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program to families who lose a first responder to suicide. Calling upon his experience as a police officer, State Senator Kris Tharp (D-Bethalto) commends the federal effort to offer support to more families and released the following statement: “First responders have regular exposure to traumatic events and life-threatening situations, and the stress of working long hours under high-stakes conditions can take a toll on mental health. “Advancing the Public Safety Officer Support Act helps ensure family members of first responders who have died by suicide are able to receive support their loved ones earned through their public service. “In Illinois, we are working with the Department of Human Services to create the First Responder Mental Health Grant Program to improve mental healt

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The deceased in a St. Louis County homicide has been identified as Julius Gleghorn, 21 years of age, of the 700 block of Bellarmine Lane, in Florissant, Missouri 63031. St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives began investigating on July 27, 2022, a homicide that occurred in the area Larimore Road and Reale Avenue which resulted in the death of an adult male. St. Louis County Police North County Precinct officers responded to a call for service that night for shots fired near the intersection of Larimore Road and Reale Avenue. Responding officers located an adult male with the vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree and found him to be suffering from an apparent gunshot injury. The victim was transported to an area hospital with a life-threatening injury where he later succumbed to his injury and was pronounced deceased. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information

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BELLEVILLE - Off-duty Madison, Ill., Police Officer Khalind D. Hayes, 27, of Fairview Heights, has been charged with three counts of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, a Class X Felony, in a case in Belleville early Sunday morning. Hayes was booked at 7:57 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, and his bond is set at $250,000. The cash amount for release is $25,000, plus a $50 sheriff bond fee. Belleville Police Department released this synopsis of what allegedly happened at 1:56 a.m. on July 31, 2022: "Belleville Police responded to the first block of North Charles in reference to a subject shot. While officers were en route, one of the officers was flagged down by a driver of a red sedan coming toward him. Two of the three occupants of the vehicle were identified as victims of the shooting; an adult male victim was located when officers arrived at the scene of the shooting. The suspect called wanting to turn himself into police custody a short time after the initial call to police dispatch.

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ALTON - Republic Services announced it has purchased the Robert "Bob" Sanders Waste Systems business. Sanders Waste provided waste collection services to Alton and the surrounding areas since 1936. In a press statement, Republic Services said: "We’ll continue to provide Sanders customers with the highest level of safety and excellence that you have come to expect. As our newest customers, we want to make this transition as seamless as possible for you. When the time comes, we’ll help you navigate any future changes to your account and any action you may need to take in the coming months." Republic Services also said that for now, here's what customers can expect: Your service will continue as scheduled without interruption. Your containers will continue to be serviced on the current schedule and the price for your services will not change. You may see changes to your service day or time in the future, but we will let you know well in advance of any changes. You’ll

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ST. LOUIS - Located just minutes from the Gateway Arch, St. Louis Downtown Airport has long been recognized for providing chartered flights with unparalleled access to downtown St. Louis and the surrounding region, hosting more than 100,000 flight operations annually. Many may not realize, however, that the airport also is home to a host of aerospace tenants, and it is the operations at some of these organizations that have really been taking off and will bring scores of new jobs to the region. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is the largest tenant at the airport, which is located in Cahokia Heights and Sauget, Illinois. A recently announced expansion will bring 140 new well-paying positions to the Gulfstream St. Louis Service Center, a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility that already employs approximately 375 individuals in various capacities. The expansion will increase production of custom cabinetry and exterior paint capacity for Gulfstream’s in-demand, large-cabin aircraft.

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SEE VIDEO: EDWARDSVILLE - Salon Ludic at 6170 Bennett Drive, in Edwardsville, recently celebrated its first anniversary in business. The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration for the popular hair salon. Natasha Downs, the owner/stylist of Salon Ludic, said the ribbon cutting was exciting because the salon had been in business for a year and it has been very successful. “We primarily do hair color and extensions,” she said. “We guarantee the best customer service. We love Edwardsville and are excited about growing as a team in our community.” Downs described Salon Ludic as: “A luxury salon that provides each guest with an individualized experience." "Our stylists are trendsetters that possess the knowledge, skills, and experience to meet your specific needs," she concluded. SEE LINK FOR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/salonludicedwardsville/

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GODFREY – The RiverBend Growth Association recently helped two of its member businesses celebrate openings that included special ribbon-cutting ceremonies led by RBGA staff and members. Celebrating businesses were the downtown Alton McDonald’s Restaurant location and Joe’s Pizza and Pasta in East Alton. The RBGA led a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 11 at the re-opening of the McDonald’s Restaurant in downtown Alton that also included remarks from Alton Mayor David Goins. This dining location is one of those owned by Dick and Suzi Bold of Bold Enterprises and operating in Alton, Bethalto, Godfrey, Edwardsville and Hamel. The Alton location at 717 E. Broadway re-opened on July 8, just over a year after a fire that started in its roof destroyed the previous structure in June 2021. Total construction costs for the new facility were roughly $2.3 million. Updates were made to the interior design as part of the new construction, most notably the lack of a self-serve

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EAST ST. LOUIS – In response to record rainfall resulting in numerous families being displaced in East St. Louis, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea), State Rep. Latoya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) and State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) are working with local, state and federal leaders to address public safety concerns and released the following statements: “Flood waters pose a significant threat to a community’s health, safety and property,” said Rep. Hoffman. “Families in East St. Louis are at the forefront of our recovery efforts following last week’s historic rainfall.” “As both a lifelong and proud resident of East St. Louis, I want our citizens to know we are working with Mayor Robert Eastern III, Gov. JB Pritzker and his administration, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons, as well as Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to get families back into their homes as safely and quickly as possible,”

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WHEATON — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced $15 million in funding to support tourism sector across Illinois, through the second round of the Tourism Attraction and Festivals Grant program offered by the State. Through the $15 million investment, which is open for applicants beginning today, $5 million will be reserved for festivals, which serve as economic drivers while bringing communities together, and $10 million will support a broad range of other tourism-related project such as attractions, museums, live performance venues and more. This grant is funded using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. “When the pandemic struck, the tourism industry across the globe lurched to a standstill,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “That’s why, last August, I launched the Tourism Attraction and Festivals Grant program—delivering the support our communities needed to bring back

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ST LOUIS, Mo. — The American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis has two shelters open: St. Vincent Community Center, 7335 St. Charles Rock Rd., St. Louis, MO 63133. Mason Clark Middle School, 5510 State St., East St. Louis , IL 62203 . CLOSED shelter: James Eagan Center, 1 James J Eagan Drive, Florissant, MO The James Eagan Center closed Sunday at 1 p.m. and individuals were taken by bus to the new location at St. Vincent Community Center (address above). The Red Cross provided shelter for 17 people last night impacted by recent flooding in the St. Louis area, all of them at the St. Vincent Community Center. No one stayed at the Mason Clark Middle School last night. Since opening the first shelter in the metro Tuesday night, the Red Cross has provided for a total of 127 overnight stays . Anyone needing a place during the day or overnight may stop in for water, snacks, food and to get information. Items to bring to a shelter include clothing for a few days,

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 20 states in urging the Biden administration to extend and expand temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program to provide borrowers with more opportunities to get closer to loan forgiveness faster. Under the PSLF Program, remaining balances on federal Direct Loans are forgiven after borrowers – dedicated public servants such as teachers, firefighters, nurses and police officers – make 120 qualifying payments while working full time for a qualifying employer. However, due to the PSLF Program’s complexity and poor management, millions of public service workers have been unable to access forgiveness, and the program’s denial rates have been as high as 99%. To restore the promise of PSLF, in October 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced a temporary “ Limited PSLF Waiver , ” which offers millions of qualifying public service workers the chance

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PONTOON BEACH - In an effort to enhance bus service for passengers and to improve efficiencies throughout the system, Madison County Transit (MCT) will be implementing minor adjustments at the regularly scheduled August service change, which takes effect on August 14, 2022. The August service change includes time and routing adjustments to the #1 Riverbend and #15 East Collinsville Shuttle, shifting the routes of the #2 Granite City Shuttle and #4 Madison-Edwardsville, and adjusting evening times on the #5 Tri-City Regional. “MCT is always looking for ways to meet the transportation needs of our residents and do so in an efficient manner,” said MCT Managing Director SJ Morrison. “These are minor adjustments to the service, but they make a difference to the passengers. MCT ridership has steadily increased across all bus routes in the last year, and we continue to seek feedback from the passengers and from the public on how to make the service as user friendly as possible.”

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