Riverbender 🕸

ALTON - Christine L. Brice Foundation, INC, will be hosting a Community Outreach/ Family Fun Day on April 9, 2022, featuring an Easter egg hunt for children ages 0-12 at Hellrung Park in Alton, IL from 1-4 pm. The goal of the Christine L. Brice Foundation, INC is to bring both fun and awareness to the families of our community. This event will have fun and games for the entire family. Christine L. Brice Foundation, INC will be partnering with several others in our community to make this day a success. Molina healthcare will be there to help educate and assist those in the community who are in need of health insurance. SIHF will be in attendance providing Covid-19 vaccines and boosters. Familia Dental will also be in attendance advising on keeping up with good oral hygiene. Representatives from the Riverbend Headstart Program will be in attendance as well. The mission of Christine L. Brice Foundation, INC is to work in collaboration with other organizations in order to alleviate the

Continue Reading

GRANITE CITY – Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded more than $1.4 million in FY 22 School District Library Grant Program awards to 672 public school districts. More than 1.5 million Illinois students served by school library programs will benefit from the grants. From FY 22 appropriations approved by the General Assembly and the Governor, school library grants were awarded based on a formula of $.885 per student, with a minimum grant award of $850. Granite City Community Unit School District #9 was awarded $4,777.23. The School District Library Grant Program is used for: Fiction and/or non-fiction books Educational CDs and DVDs Library subscriptions Electronic resources New computers Wi-Fi connectivity improvements Information on the grant program can be found at: ilsos.gov/departments/library/grants/schoolpercapgrant.html .

Continue Reading

ALTON - Jeff Larner, Republican candidate for Madison County Sheriff, is pleased to announce “America’s Sheriff” Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona and Sheriff Mike Lewis of Wicomoco County, Maryland will be coming to Alton for a special campaign event on April 2. Lamb and Lewis are nationally-recognized law enforcement leaders known for their efforts to promote law and order policies. Lamb, who has held office since 2017, has been a frequent contributor to the television series, “Live PD,” “Live PD: Wanted,” and “60 Days In.” He is also a frequent guest on Fox News and NewsMax. In 2021, he co-founded “Protect America Now,” a coalition of 69 sheriffs with the purpose of "educating Americans about how the law enforcement community is standing for the Constitution and law and order.” Lewis is a 37-year law enforcement veteran who has dedicated his life to enforcing the law and Constitution. Throughout his career,

Continue Reading

MARYVILLE - The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis announced at a press conference on Monday afternoon at the Maryville Police Station they have apprehended a person who was wanted in the murder this past Thursday. The man is Danyiel M. Johnson, 40 of St. Louis. The two men knew one another, authorities said with the release of information. The Maryville Police Department was called to a scene in the 2000 block of North Bluff Road in Collinsville at 4:05 p.m. this past Thursday. A deceased male subject was found at the scene. At 4:05 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022, Maryville Police Department received a call about a deceased subject found in the 2000 block of North Bluff Road, Collinsville. The caller discovered a male subject face down in blood who appeared to have been shot multiple times. The Madison County State's Attorney's Office has charged Johnson with two counts of first-degree murder, a count of possession of a stolen firearm, and a count of possession of a firearm

Continue Reading

ALTON - A 45-year-old man - Thomas J. Hughes - tragically died from injuries suffered in a crash reported at 1:53 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Hughes is an Alton resident. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Alton Police Officers and the Alton Fire Department responded to the area of Illinois Route 140 at the entrance to Gordon Moore Park, in reference to a traffic crash with injuries. Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido said preliminary investigation revealed that a black 2006 Ford pick-up truck was traveling westbound on Illinois Route 140, approaching the entrance to Gordon Moore Park. For an unknown reason, the truck left the north side of the roadway (right side), and the front end of the truck collided with a traffic light fixture. Chief Pulido said the Alton Fire Department had to extricate the driver and sole occupant from this vehicle. The driver was transported to an Alton area hospital where life-saving measures were attempted, but the driver died. This traffic

Continue Reading

CARLINVILLE - The Great Horned owls of Forest Park in St. Louis will be the topic of a free program hosted by the Carlinville Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7. “Forest Park Owls: Hiding in Plain Sight” will be presented by Mark H.X. Glenshaw, an award-winning naturalist and expert from St. Louis who delivers programs to enthusiastic audiences around the region. Glenshaw has documented the life of Charles, a male Great Horned Owl from Forest Park, as well as his five mates and various offspring, for over sixteen years. “My official start date was Dec. 29, 2005. I call it my ‘owl-i-versary’,” laughed Glenshaw, a manager of university services at Fontbonne University. “Since then, I’ve spent countless hours following Charles and the owls around him.” Glenshaw and his fascinating owl studies have been covered by many media outlets in the area. He delivers around fifty programs a year, mostly in Illinois and Missouri.

Continue Reading

GRAFTON - Joseph and Janice DeSherlia – the husband-wife team who own and operate the Grafton Harbor Marina – have just joined a growing list of small businesses that have filed lawsuits against NBCUniversal and its celebrity star Marcus Lemonis through the CNBC show The Profit. The DeSherlias say they never appeared or even sought to appear on the NBCUniversal show. Yet, in 2019, NBCUniversal produced an episode of The Profit called “ Rise of an American Floodtown,” focused on the city of Grafton, Illinois, (40 miles from St. Louis) and the town’s recovery after a devastating flood damaged the local tourism economy. The DeSherlias allege NBCUniversal and TV star Lemonis used the opportunity as a PR stunt. The DeSherlias claim the on-air tactic defamed the DeSherlias and their business and interfered with their contractual obligations, for the sake of ratings. On-air discussions between CNBC star Lemonis and former Mayor Rick Eberlin included what

Continue Reading

GODFREY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that intermittent lane restrictions will begin on IL US 67/IL 111/IL 3 (Godfrey Rd and Homer Adams) between Airport Rd and Alby St. on Monday, March 21, 2022, weather permitting. A minimum of one lane will remain open in both directions at all times. This work is needed do pavement repairs. The work is expected to be completed by the end of May. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The contractor on this project is the Christ Brothers Asphalt of Lebanon, Illinois. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - R.P. Lumber Co., Inc. has opened a new location in Nevada, MO. This is the family-owned hardware and building materials retailer’s 82nd location and its 16th in Missouri. Based in Edwardsville, IL, R.P. Lumber opened its first location in Staunton, IL in 1977 and has continued to grow throughout the states of Illinois, Missouri, Wyoming, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The new facility is located in Nevada at 2201 E. Austin Blvd, a property on a major retail corridor near Interstate 49. “We’re looking forward to delivering our ‘Best Service. Best Value.’ promise to the hard-working residents of Vernon County. Nevada is a great fit for us – exactly the type of Midwestern community where we thrive,” said Robert Plummer, President & CEO of R.P. Lumber. “It’s also located a convenient distance from our locations in Harrisonville and Clinton, allowing us to better serve our customers in Southwestern Missouri,” he added. In

Continue Reading

ALTON - St. Mary's Middle School following students made the High Honor Roll and Honor Roll for the 3rd quarter of the year. 8th Grade High Honor Roll Jack Beaber AJ Brunaugh Lucy Cassenti Olivia Certa Mackenzie Cochran Isabel Downey Sharon Dugas Jackson Ehrman Carson Jones Reese Livingstone Melanie Marshall Noah Menke Owen Page Olivia Prediger Stephen Stobbs Maddie Waters 8th Grade Honor Roll Laci Fischer Jack Hornsey Alex Noll Annie Rea Jack Rea Sam Rea 7th Grade High Honor Roll Ellen Anderson Izabelle Brunaugh Jacob Campbell Ella Curry Chase DeRocchi James Elmendorf Grace Fischer Henry Hornsey Emma Hough Isabel Hough Katherine Kamp Mia Lopez Ethan McLeod Sarah Moehn Morgan Rister Harrison Ross Clayton Scott Sidney Scyoc Alex Stephan Steven Walch Simon Waters 7th Grade Honor Roll Reese Bechtold Lillian Hannigan Patrick Henesey August Koeller Lexi Taylor Lucas Ventimiglia 6th Grade High Honor Roll Alivia Beaber Clara

Continue Reading

COLLINSVILLE - At 4:05 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022, Maryville Police Department received a call about a deceased subject found in the 2000 block of North Bluff Road, Collinsville. The caller discovered a male subject face down in blood who appeared to have been shot multiple times. The Maryville Police Department requested the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to investigate. Approximately 20 Major Case Squad officers have been actively working leads in the investigation. More information on the case will be released Monday afternoon, Detective Lt. Bryan Bauer of the Madison County Sheriff's Office and Deputy Commander of the Major Case Squad, said.

Continue Reading

GODFREY - Multiple area agencies are teaming up to coordinate and conduct a large-scale HazMat mass casualty exercise in Godfrey for first responders this week. Godfrey’s Public Safety Administrator and L&C Campus Emergency Management Consultant Chris Sichra has joined forces with Lewis and Clark Community College’s Incident Management Team, Nursing Program and Campus Safety Department, along with the Godfrey Fire Protection District, Madison County Emergency Management Agency, Alton Memorial Hospital EMS, AVEC and the Madison County Hazardous Materials Team to conduct an upcoming multiagency exercise. The drill will begin around 9 a.m., Friday, March 25 th and should run until 12:30 p.m. Response operations activity will primarily be limited on the college’s Godfrey campus near the Hatheway Cultural Center. Local surrounding traffic should not be affected. Residents and motorists should not be alarmed to see multiple agencies and emergency vehicles operating nearby

Continue Reading

LINCOLN, IL – A twisted tale of romance, action, and amnesia, all to save the Kingdom and Prince from sure peril. Witty comebacks, well-placed puns, and an evil way of thinking abound in this debut novel. All from the mind of an 11-year-old local new author, already drawing high praise from accomplished writers with many tales told. E.G. Keith is no stranger to fantasy fiction, as evidenced by the stacks of books at home and an obsession with Greek mythology. Now she has turned her passion into her debut novel, Havoc , a young-adult fantasy fiction written far beyond its years. “I have never really found one (fantasy novel) written so well by someone so young. I’m really kind of amazed,” central Illinois author John Jamison says ahead of the release of Havoc . Havoc tells the story of the Prince of Buit, missing for a year before teens in two summer camps with magical powers – known as Magics – set out to save him. One, Ashlyn Kave, was saved

Continue Reading

Illinois American Water’s work to separate the Alton combined sewer system and install new sanitary sewers continues. Below is information about this week’s road closures – Mar. 21, 2022 Piasa Valley Area: Surface restoration work should start soon on 6th Street and is progressing on 7th Street. Alby Street is closed from 6th Street north to 10th Street, with the intersection of 9th Street open. 8th Street east of Alby is closed to Easton Street, with the closure to George Street. upcoming. Access to Schwegel’s Market parking lot is from the north currently but access will be shifting to coming in from the south via 9th Street this week. Access will be maintained to the parking lot, with closures shifting. Please drive cautiously. 10th Street. between Alby and Easton Street is two-way traffic only temporarily. East of Easton Street is still only one way traffic. Turner Tract Area: Danforth Street pavement restoration will be starting soon. The alley

Continue Reading

ELSAH - The Village of Elsah Museum announces the opening of the Village of Elsah Museum for the 2022 season with its annual photography exhibit on Saturday, April 2 at 1 pm. The purpose of the exhibit is to celebrate and foster an appreciation of the beauty and unique qualities of the Village. The exhibit theme is “Elsah Postcard.” The judge was Erica Popp, an artist and photography teacher. She commented on the high quality of the submitted images. She felt that the winner gave a clear message encouraging winter visitors to come to Elsah and see the Eagles. The exhibit awards include the annual Village of Elsah purchase prize, four special recognitions and a youth prize. The Village of Elsah Purchase Prize is for “Welcome to Elsah” by photographer, Patricia Ott of Godfrey, Illinois, below. The purchase prize photograph will be part of the Village of Elsah Museum’s collection. As the winner of the Village of Elsah Purchase Prize, Ms. Ott will also receive

Continue Reading

For current information regarding Lewis and Clark Community College’s operations during the pandemic, please visit lc.edu/coronavirus . Recurring event: Alton Area Tax Project: 5-7 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m.-noon, Saturdays, Templin Nursing Building, NU201, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. Appointments are required. Visit https://AltonAreaTaxProject.com/appointment or call (314) 292-9597. 3/18-19 – AMP Dance Competition: noon, Friday; 7 a.m., Saturday, Hatheway Cultural Center, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. info@ampdancecompetition.com . 3/23 – Brown Bag Event, Cool Brass, Bi-State Brass Quintet: 12:30 p.m., Ringhausen Music Building, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. (618) 468-4731. 3/24 – Early Bird Registration/Tour, Alton High School : 8:30 a.m., Trimpe 141, Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey. Sign-up at https://www.lc.edu/earlybird

Continue Reading

ALTON - Alton Main Street is announcing an in-person training on Access to Capital, which will be held on Monday, March 21st from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Post Commons, located at 300 Alby Street in Alton, IL, in its lower level co-working space called GroundWorks. During this session, small business owners and budding entrepreneurs will learn sources and criteria for commercial bank and SBA loans, prepare to apply for grants and pitch to angel investors, and receive information on government resources for veteran-, woman-, and POC-owned businesses. Presenter Mary Louise Helbig's career encompasses executive leadership positions in business development for corporations and startups. Most recently she was the Executive Director of ITEN, one of the founding Entrepreneur Support Organizations in the St. Louis region. To register for this event, and find video recordings of all sessions at a later date, please visit: www.DowntownAlton.com/Events/SmallBusinessResources . “Alton Main Street

Continue Reading

ALTON - Laura Scarborough has joined the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau as the new Destination Sales Manager. Scarborough’s role with the Bureau will include highlighting southwest Illinois to potential domestic and international group travelers as well as attracting meetings/conferences to the six-county bureau region. “We are looking ahead to ways we can grow the region and we know group travel and meetings are areas we already have a strong presence,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the tourism bureau said. “Laura will help keep us front and center in group travel planning and we are excited to have her on the team.” Scarborough has been the owner of a catering company based in Columbia, MO, The Farmers Daughter. She has also worked as the community sponsorship and donation manager for Landmark Bank, and as the finance manager for the Heart of Missouri United Way, both in Columbia, MO. She most recently worked as the branch office administrator for

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a lawsuit against Marathon Pipe Line LLC (Marathon) alleging that the company created a substantial danger to the environment and public health and welfare when crude oil was released from a pipeline near Edwardsville, Illinois. Raoul’s lawsuit was filed in Madison County Circuit Court and includes allegations of creating a substantial danger to the environment and public health and welfare, water pollution, creating offensive conditions, open dumping and waste disposal at an improper facility. Raoul’s lawsuit alleges Marathon violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and endangered public health and the environment by causing or allowing a discharge of heavy crude oil to Cahokia Creek in an area that includes residential neighborhoods, commercial properties, agricultural properties, forested areas and a wetland. “Marathon’s significant oil spill has created a public health risk by exposing

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Alton Police is investigating a double stabbing that occurred at about 8:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 20, 2022, in the 300 block of Lindenwood Boulevard in Alton. The Alton Police Department began receiving several reports of multiple people fighting in that area and responded. "Preliminary investigation revealed that there were a group of people socializing at a resident's house in the 300 block of Lindenwood Boulevard," Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido said. "While socializing, a physical fight ensued and during that fight, two people were stabbed. "The two people who were stabbed were initially transported to Alton area hospitals but eventually transported to a St. Louis area hospital." The chief said this was not a random act of violence and the subjects involved had a general familiarization with each other. This incident is being investigated by the Alton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.

Continue Reading