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ALTON — The Alton Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will hold its 57th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Lewis and Clark Community College Commons. The event, with the theme "Learn from the Past for a Better Future," will open its doors at 5 p.m., with dinner beginning promptly at 6 p.m. The banquet serves as the branch’s primary fundraising event, according to Leon Smallwood-Bey, Alton NAACP Branch president. The funds raised support the organization’s efforts to promote social justice and community development in Alton and Madison County. Additionally, the proceeds provide financial assistance to local students who maintain good academic standing and plan to pursue higher education. “Students who currently receive and have received this support in the past regularly update us on their progress and are grateful for the educational opportunities,” Smallwood-Bey said. “The community’

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was a place of refuge that made for a tremendous experience, with warm faculty, interdisciplinary coursework and a beautiful campus, according to several graduating seniors. Students reminisced about their experiences and academic careers at the University and talked about their career goals after participating in Affinity Celebrations last week. The SIUE commencement season began with eight affinity graduation ceremonies of the following groups: International, Hispanic/Latinx, Black, Lavender, Asian, Asian American Pacific Islander, and Desi ( AAPI/APIDA), Non-Traditional, Military and Veteran, and Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS). Students, who were honored in front of family members, friends and administrators, received signature stoles to wear at the main SIUE commencement ceremony on Friday-Saturday, May 9-10. Sponsoring and hosting the graduation ceremonies were the Kimmel Belonging and

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BETHALTO - Melanie Reincke does everything she can to empower her students. Reincke works at Trimpe Middle School in the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8. She is a special education teacher with the sixth through eighth grade extended curriculum program. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she’s reflecting on the decision to become a teacher and the fun she has had along the way. “My favorite part of my job is seeing my students grow in their academic and functional skills,” Reincke shared. “Nothing brings me more joy than when my students feel confident in themselves and in their abilities. Seeing my students being independent in our school and in our community will always be the most rewarding part of the job.” Even as an elementary school student, Reincke knew she wanted to become a teacher. She used to “play teacher” and create worksheets for her fellow students to fill out. As a high schooler, she babysat a family friend named

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 19 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the dismantling of HHS. Since January, thousands of federal health workers have been fired, vital programs have been shuttered, and states face mounting health crises without federal support. Raoul and the attorneys general argue that Kennedy and the Trump administration have robbed HHS of the resources necessary to effectively serve the American people and will ask the court to halt further dismantling and restore key program operations. “Since its founding, HHS has administered crucial offices and programs dedicated to protecting and advancing the health and well-being of all Americans. Programs like Head Start are critical to ensuring all children have access to resources that put them on an early path to success. And tracking diseases like

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ROXANA – The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Riverbend, presented by OSF HealthCare, is proud to announce an exciting new format for its 2025 signature event. Taking place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the RoxArena in Roxana Community Park, this year’s event will be a Relay For Life Survivor and Team Dinner with the theme —“Re-Lei for a Cure!”. In a shift from the traditional Relay format featuring fundraising tents and continuous walking, this year’s Relay For Life of Riverbend will focus on a special Survivor & Team Dinner Event, followed by a Luminaria Remembrance Ceremony. The new event format invites the community to come together in a refreshed and inspiring way to honor cancer Survivors, support Caregivers, and celebrate the commitment of Relay teams and participants. “We’re excited to launch a new format that keeps the heart of Relay alive while offering a more connected and meaningful experience,”

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JERSEYVILLE – Former Jersey County Treasurer Katie Abbey has been charged with stealing over $10,000 in county funds for her personal use. Abbey, 37, of Jerseyville, was charged on May 2, 2025 with a Class 1 felony count of theft by deception. The charge was presented by the office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. From Aug. 23 to Oct. 11, 2024, while in office as County Treasurer, Abbey allegedly committed a series of acts to obtain over $10,000 in county funds which were held in bank accounts managed by her office. “Defendant falsified ‘cash slips’ and checks drawn on Jersey County bank accounts maintained by the Jersey County Treasurer’s Office to falsely reflect lower amounts of tax and other revenue paid by citizens of Jersey County, with the defendant taking United States currency for personal use,” court documents state. As previously reported on Riverbender.com , Abbey took a “personal leave of absence” starting in

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EDWARDSVILLE - China Rongey loves connecting with her students. Rongey, a second grade teacher at Goshen Elementary School in Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7, goes out of her way to build relationships with her students and meet them where they’re at. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she is reflecting on how her students bring her joy and how she helps them become the best they can be. “If I could share one thing to people about being a teacher, it would be that teaching is more than just delivering lessons,” Rongey said. “Teaching is about being a positive, encouraging, steady role model in the lives of the children we see each day. I care about my students not just as learners but as people. I do my best to bring joy, patience, and excitement to my classroom each day.” Rongey knew early on that she wanted to become a teacher. She said it is “incredibly rewarding” to guide young kids through the process of learning and

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COTTAGE HILLS Vernon H. Baze, a Navy veteran from Cottage Hills who served from 1958 to 1970, is being honored for his service during the Vietnam War. Baze, who held the rank of E-6, died on January 23, 1998. He was not killed in action. Baze’s years of service spanned 12 years in the Navy, reflecting a commitment during a significant period of U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia. The tribute was submitted by Kimberly Deardeuff.

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SPRINGFIELD - This is National Small Business Week and Comptroller Mendoza is highlighting programs that are available through the Illinois Office of Comptroller (IOC). According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are 1.3 million small businesses in Illinois, employing 2.3 million people. “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and I want to make sure they receive the support they need to be successful,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “My office’s Smart Business program provides the tools and know-how for businesses to become registered with various State of Illinois programs, making them eligible to bid on certain types of contracts.” The Smart Business Program teaches business owners about the Illinois certification and procurement process, provides counseling, guidance, up-to-date resources, information, and alerts members of state contract opportunities. The idea is to expand the state’s contractor network and provide

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SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) encourages farmers and agrichemical facilities to take part in a free agrichemical container recycling program. Beginning in the middle of July and continuing into August, sites throughout the state will collect containers that are recycled to make shipping pallets. “This program grows in popularity each year because it provides a safe and convenient way for farmers and agrichemical facilities to dispose of empty pesticide containers,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello II. “Repurposing the plastic into pallets is far better for the environment than shipping them off to landfills.” Metal and household pesticide containers are not eligible for the recycling program. Collection sites will accept only high-density polyethylene, #2 plastic agrichemical containers that are clean and dry. Participants are responsible for rinsing them and removing all caps, valves, metal, labels, booklets and foi

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) kicks off its third annual consumer education campaign highlighting mental health parity during Mental Health Awareness Month. The Department continues to raise awareness about mental health parity laws which require that insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorders is no more restrictive than coverage for physical health conditions. The 2025 campaign consists of radio, digital, and social media ads running in local markets, including Chicago, Springfield, Rockford, and Peoria, along with billboards and transit station signs. The animated character named “Yarney” is featured again this year as the Department’s mental health parity ambassador to connect with insurance consumers. “We are engaging Illinoisans with ads, educational website videos and outreach to ensure they understand what mental health parity is and how our Department enforces parity laws to protect them,” sai

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ALTON — Marquette Catholic High School junior Jack Beaber has emerged as a leading competitor in area outdoor track and field this season, excelling in both the shot put and discus events. Beaber recently secured second place at the Madison County Small Schools Meet with a personal record throw of 47 feet, 4.25 inches in the shot put and a discus toss measuring 159 feet, 4 inches. Earlier this season, on April 17, 2025, he set a personal best in the discus with a throw of 161 feet, 9 inches during the Wood River Relays. Throughout the season, Beaber has claimed first place in the discus at the Roxana Open, Southwestern Co-Ed Relays, and Carlinville Relays. He also won the shot put at the Wood River Relays. Beaber's consistent performance has earned him the title of Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Male Athlete of the Month for the Explorers. Beaber has developed a competitive rivalry with Maryville Christian’s Josh Coulby, with both athletes pushing each other in the

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NORMAL – Governor JB Pritzker and Rivian today announced that the company is constructing a new 1.2 million-square-foot supplier park in Normal. As part of this, Rivian will invest nearly $120 million, which will enable the company to develop the supplier park and create nearly 100 new direct jobs. This significant investment will pave the way for EV suppliers to locate in the park and create hundreds of new jobs while bolstering the supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem in Illinois. Construction on the supplier park is underway and is expected to be completed in 2026. “In Illinois, we aren’t just making electric vehicles: we are creating an entire ecosystem – attracting investments, bolstering our workforce, and strengthening the EV manufacturing supply chain,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Rivian’s investment will attract suppliers from across the globe to invest in Illinois and continue to create good-paying jobs, providing Illinois with

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—joined fellow Veteran and SASC member Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and a group of Veteran colleagues in Congress in calling out President Trump and demanding accountability for the reckless mishandling of classified military information by senior administration officials. In the letter, the lawmakers called out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, specifically. The lawmakers warn that these actions put American servicemembers’ lives at risk and undermined the integrity of U.S. national security operations. “This was a major security breach. There are appropriate and secure places and platforms

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC)—exposed how President Trump’s nominee to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier is unfit to do the job, pointing out that he violated his professional ethics as a military officer by choosing to skirt good order and discipline in order to speak out publicly against lawful orders that he personally didn’t agree with. Drawing from her own military experience, Duckworth warned that confirming Mr. Lohmeier would send troubling signals to our servicemembers that insubordination for personal views is acceptable, eroding combat effectiveness. Duckworth’s full remarks at yesterday’s SASC hearing can be found on the Senator’s YouTube . “The lethality of our military depends on our servicemembers maintaining good order and discipline—sometimes even when it goes against their own personal opinions,”

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GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey will host their annual Youth Fishing Derby. On Saturday, May 10, 2025, community members can stop by Glazebrook Park in Godfrey for a free catch-and-release fishing derby. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and fishing runs from 10–11:30 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 12 p.m. “People can come out there with their kids, enjoy a free fishing derby, and then get a hotdog and some chips, too,” said Chris Logan, Godfrey’s Parks and Recreation Director. “We’re looking like it’s going to be good weather and we’re just hoping that everybody has a good time. It usually is.” Kids will compete in age groups, broken down into ages 4–6, 7–9 and 10–12. Logan said they usually welcome 15–20 kids in every age group. Participants must provide their own fishing poles and bait. The department will give out trophies for the most fish caught, the biggest fish caught, and the strangest

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FAIRMONT CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced lane restrictions will be encountered on EB I-55/70 between Mile Marker 6 and Mile Marker 7.5, just east of the exit to IL 111 Washington Park/Wood River exit (Exit 6), that began today, Monday, May 5, 2025, at 9 a.m. The two left lanes on EB I-55/70 will be closed to allow IDOT District 8 Operations forces to perform emergency bridge deck patching on the bridge over Alton Southern Railroad. All exit and entrance ramps will remain open. All lanes are expected to re-open by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) led the Illinois delegation in a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging the importance of maintaining Head Start programs. The members sent the letter after the release of an alleged internal memo from the Office of Management and Budget, which instructed HHS to fully dismantle the Office of Head Start. The members write , “This year, Illinois Head Start and Early Head Start programs are expected to receive over $478 million in grants to serve over 28,000 children and their families across the State of Illinois. If Head Start were to lose this funding and shut down, it would be a direct attack on our most at-risk children, their well-being, and their families.” Congresswoman Budzinski, a strong advocate for increased funding for Head Start, emphasized the importance of these programs in fostering early childhood development. Head Start supports

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GRANITE CITY – Granite City Community Unit School District #9 announced plans for its summer food service program, which is set to begin on Wednesday, May 28. Breakfast and lunch will be served Monday through Friday, and all meals must be consumed in the cafeteria. Meals will be free and available for children ages 0-18. Breakfast and lunch will be served at two schools in June: Granite City High School and Lake Educational Support Services Center, and just GCHS in July and August. The District will be closed on Thursday, June 19. Granite City High School - 3148 Fehling Road May 29-June 27 (Monday-Friday) July 7-31 (Monday-Friday) August 1-8 (Monday-Friday) Breakfast: 7:30-10 a.m. Lunch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Lake Educational Support Services Center - 3201 E. 23rd Street May 28-June 25 (Monday-Friday) Breakfast: 7:30-10 a.m. Lunch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. To view the breakfast and lunch menus, visit: https://www.gcsd9.net/info/breakfast-and-lunch-menus

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SPRINGFIELD – Last month, Governor JB Pritzker proclaimed April to be Innovation and Technology Month in Illinois. To celebrate, the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) co-hosted its second annual Career Spark STEAM Expo, in collaboration with Junior Achievement and the Learning Technology Center of Illinois, where they hosted more than 1,400 8th grade students and over 60 exhibitors. School districts representing Central Illinois students and professionals came together and explored the career possibilities in Illinois with an emphasis on those pertaining to science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics fields. “As someone married to a teacher, I see firsthand how curiosity and learning shapes young minds,” said Acting Secretary and State CIO Brandon Ragle . “Events like this help bridge the classroom and real-world careers, inspiring students and supporting our community’s future.” The STEAM Expo was a vibran

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