Riverbender 🕸

ALTON – Have you ever met – much less even heard of – a religious Sister (i.e. a Nun) who is a biomedical engineer that utilizes virtual reality and 3D-modeling technologies to help surgeons with their preoperative surgical planning? When divine inspiration and engineering innovation meet, you get Sister M. Pieta Keller, F.S.G.M. Sister M. Pieta Keller, F.S.G.M., who joined the Alton, IL-based Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in 2013, combines the divine inspiration to a calling to enter the religious community and simultaneously utilizes her God-given scientific and technical aptitude. “I truly feel that God has placed me here and led me to choose a field that allows me to pursue my love of engineering, in addition to answering His call to serve Him, combining to positively affect people’s lives every day,” says Sister M. Pieta. By background, she is a graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Continue Reading

ELSAH - Celebrate the start of the Autumn season in the historic and quaint Village of Elsah Saturday, Sept. 28 with a day of food, entertainment, tours and more during the annual Elsah Fall Festival. The fun kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m. in the village nestled between the river bluffs on the banks of the Mississippi River along the Great River Road. The festival will feature great food, self-guided tours of the wetlands trail and pollinator garden, local artisans displaying their wares and live music which will take place at the Gazebo behind Green Tree Inn, Methodist Church and Riverview House. All businesses and historic buildings will also be open throughout the afternoon. Each location will highlight different vendors and entertainment. “Fall is a great time to come and see the Village of Elsah and all it has available,” Connie Davis, one of the festival organizers remarked. “We love being able to welcome visitors and help them enjoy the beauty

Continue Reading

September 16 has been a day of significant global events throughout history. 1978: Camp David Accords One of the most impactful events that occurred on September 16 was the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1978. This historic peace agreement between Egypt and Israel was brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter at the Camp David retreat. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin came together to negotiate a framework for peace in the Middle East. The accords led to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979, making Egypt the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel. This monumental event not only altered the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East but also earned Sadat and Begin the Nobel Peace Prize. 1620: The Mayflower Sets Sail On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers, including the Pilgrims, who were seeking religious freedom in the New World. After a grueling 66-day journey, they

Continue Reading

HARTFORD - A two-vehicle crash at Illinois Route 3 at Piasa early Monday morning in Hartford resulted in multiple injuries and significant damage to traffic infrastructure. The incident occurred at 7:45 a.m., when one of the vehicles involved went airborne, causing traffic lights above Route 3 to be snapped off. ARCH Medical unit was requested due to the injuries. Alton Memorial Ambulance also responded due to other injuries. Roxana Fire Department responded to the scene to help the Hartford Fire Department. Law enforcement authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Continue Reading

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - Charges have been issued in a Major Case Squad investigation following the death of an 18-year-old in Cahokia Heights. On September 9, officers from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call on the 2400 block of Renois Lane regarding a person who had been shot and was not conscious or breathing. The victim, later identified as Damonta T. Mosley, 18, of Cahokia Heights, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Cahokia Heights Sheriff’s Department sought assistance from the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. The collaborative effort brought together 21 investigators from 16 different agencies to work on the case. The investigation led to the identification of evidence and a person of interest. On Saturday, the findings were submitted to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office for review. Subsequently, on Sunday, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office filed charges

Continue Reading

MADISON — The Major Case Squad is investigating after a body was found in a Madison alleyway on Saturday morning. The Madison Police Department responded to a call just before 9 a.m. reporting a body in an alleyway near the 1600 block of 5th Street. Upon arrival, police and the coroner determined that the man, identified as 37-year-old Levell Douglas of Madison, Illinois, had died from a gunshot wound. The Major Case Squad has assigned 16 investigators to the case. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Major Case Squad at 618-709-7750 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

Continue Reading

September 15, 2024, marks another year of remembering some of the most significant events in history that shaped our world. 1821: Independence of Guatemala On September 15, 1821, Guatemala declared its independence from Spain. This day is celebrated annually as Guatemala's Independence Day. The event marked the end of Spanish colonial rule in the region and the beginning of a new era for the country. It was a significant moment in the history of Central America, as it paved the way for the independence of other nations in the region, including El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. 1916: First Use of Tanks in Battle During World War I, on September 15, 1916, the British Army used tanks for the first time in the Battle of the Somme. These armored vehicles, designed to break through enemy lines and traverse difficult terrain, represented a significant technological advancement in warfare. Although the initial use was met with mixed success, tanks would go on to becom

Continue Reading

BUZZ MAGAZINE - The LoveJoy United Presbyterian Church, located at 2550 Rock Hill Rd. in Wood River (across from the Wood River soccer complex) is having their annual rummage sale Thursday, Sept. 26 to Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Proceeds from this sale goes to the Good Samaritan Fund. This fund will assist local families in need. The presale is Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. with a $3 entry fee. There is no entrance fee on Friday or Saturday, and hours will be from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. both days. You can expect to find a lot of nice, reasonably priced merchandise at this sale. For more information, contact Jenny at 618-466-2328 or the church office at 618-254-5880. This story originally ran in the September 2024 issue of The Prairie Land Buzz Magazine http://www.thebuzzmonthly.com .

Continue Reading

ALTON - Over 80 vendors and hundreds of community members turned out for Alton Pride’s third annual festival. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, community members could celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with live music, vendors, food trucks and more in downtown Alton. Anne McCoy, one of the board members with Alton Pride, noted that the festival has expanded since its first year in 2022. “It’s grown a lot. We expect that it's going to just keep getting bigger,” McCoy said. “It's always about connecting communities. We're just trying to bring everybody together and let everybody know they're welcome.” Attendees enjoyed performances by Porch Cafe, Mz Goldie, Izzy Salhani and several drag queens. McCoy said the festival began with a “very welcoming and affirming” speech by Alton Mayor David Goins. The Pride Festival is the biggest event that Alton Pride sponsors, but they have several other events and promotions throughout

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Alton High School Class of 1974 will be sponsoring an exciting weekend for their 50th reunion. From 5–10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, members of the AHS Class of 1974 are invited to come out to Bluff City Grill in Alton for a night with their classmates. The weekend fun includes a mixer on Friday night and a “Sunday on the River” afternoon. “I think people are excited. We had a really big class,” said Linda, one of the reunion’s organizers. “There are a lot of people out there.” Linda and Mark, who run the official AHS Class of 1974 website , said they have just under 1,000 members in their graduating class. They are hoping to contact as many people as they can to bring everyone together for one of the last reunions they will host. Tickets to the reunion on Oct. 12 cost $50 and include a buffet dinner, a free drink and entertainment by Eclectic Celebrations. You must register by Oct. 1 to attend. The

Continue Reading

These photos show a couple of the kitchens included in last year’s tour. Top: Dana and John Yowell, bottom: Keran and Walt Harrington. BUZZ MAGAZINE - Chapter AB of the International PEO Sisterhood will host its annual Kitchen Tour of selected homes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. This year’s tour will highlight the kitchens of six Carlinville area homes owned by: Shannon and Paul Boente, Stacey and Quinn Steiner, Danielle and Owen Sullivan, Siri Engstrom and Tim Wilson, Julie and Chad Stults, and Brandon and Taylor Little. “After several years of no kitchen tours due to Covid, we brought it back last year and enjoyed the most well attended event as yet,” said Janet Lippold, a member of the Tour committee. “It’s become a popular end-of-summer event, and we’ve had a lot of requests for it this year.” “People take the tour for a variety of reasons,” added committee member Elisabeth Herndon. “Som

Continue Reading

BUZZ MAGAZINE - At the junction of Interstate 55 and IL State Route 40 sits the most amazing shopping venue you could hope for - Kim’s Countryside Marketplace. Formerly known as The Rusty Star, the business was purchased by Kim Bowen and her husband Steve just a few months ago. They took over ownership and changed the business name in May. Kim’s Countryside Marketplace is very similar to what it was as Rusty Star, with 81 individual booths in the sprawling 14,000 square foot building, featuring antiques, vintage, collectibles, primitives, home decor, farmhouse chic, painted and refurbished furniture, boutique clothing and accessories, and so much more. There is literally something for everyone inside Kim’s. Kim has always been an artisan and sold her products for years at area markets. When the couple’s four children were all grown and out on their own, she decided to dive a little deeper and expanded her offerings via booth space in a local craft mall.

Continue Reading

HIGHLAND - In a recent episode of “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello , GRID Solar breaks down a net metering policy change that will affect Ameren Illinois customers. Ryan Wagner, co-owner of GRID Solar, explained that the new policy is “less than advantageous” to customers because it will affect how solar customers “trade” energy with Ameren. Solar systems overproduce electricity in the summer and underproduce in the winter. In the past, Ameren would calculate how much energy was overproduced in the summer and provide this energy back to the customer during the winter. Now, Ameren Illinois will make these calculations every month, meaning winter power bills will likely rise. To prevent this, GRID Solar will begin installing systems with a battery included. The surplus energy produced during the day will now go to the battery, so the battery can power the home during nighttime when no energy is being produced. “If you

Continue Reading

EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC?) is encouraging community members to attend an Illinois RiverWatch Mentoring Event this fall and help collect stream-quality data from sites across Illinois. The Illinois RiverWatch Network is hosting a number of these events across the state in September and October, including two in Lewis and Clark Community College’s district. These events are intended to help new RiverWatch volunteers get involved without first attending a training workshop and to help current volunteers get more comfortable with the monitoring methods. “Our mentoring events are a great way for volunteers to participate in stream monitoring for the first time,” said RiverWatch Volunteer Coordinator Hannah Griffis. "Volunteers can learn about stream health and RiverWatch monitoring or spend the day looking for bugs in a creek." Volunteers who participate in the Mentoring Events will collect macroinvertebrates

Continue Reading

HARDIN - A Hardin man is facing multiple charges after being arrested two consecutive days in Calhoun County by the Calhoun Sheriff's Office. The summary of his report is as follows: The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary complaint on May 22, 2024, in the 100 block of Cass Lane, initiating an investigation that would lead to multiple arrests and charges. Authorities executed a search warrant on a residence in the 400 block of West Main Street in Hardin, resulting in the arrest of Charles “Joey” Mielke, 42, of Hardin. Mielke was taken into custody for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The investigation continued, and on August 6, 2024, the Calhoun County State’s Attorney’s Office issued a felony warrant for Mielke for residential burglary. The following day, Mielke was arrested again, this time for a felony no bon

Continue Reading

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that pavement repairs on southbound Interstate 255 between Illinois 15 and Illinois 157 in St. Clair County will require lane closures over several weekends. Throughout construction, at least one lane will remain open at all times. Starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, weather permitting, the two left lanes of southbound I-255 between Illinois 15 and Illinois 157 will be closed. One of the southbound lanes will reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. 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. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

Continue Reading

EAST ST. LOUIS – A district judge in southern Illinois sentenced DeAyre M. Jones, a 32-year-old man from Land O’ Lakes, Fla., to 87 months in prison for making a bomb threat to Scott Air Force Base and cyberstalking an active duty Air Force member. Jones pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication with threat to injure, one count of cyberstalking, and one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning the use of fire or an explosive. “The defendant intentionally disrupted operations at Scott Air Force Base to make a bomb threat and send harassing messages to base officials,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Luckily, this incident was a false alarm, but our national security and the Air Force community depend on uninterrupted service at the base. I’m grateful to the investigators for their efforts to hold this offender accountable.” Court documents revealed that Jones used multiple fake Facebook profiles

Continue Reading

BELLEVILLE — Dr. Marshaun Warren, Assistant Superintendent of Belleville Township High School District 201, was honored with the 2024 Champion for Diversity and Inclusion Award on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. The annual program administered by the St. Louis Business Journal aims to highlight those who are actively working to make St. Louis a more inclusive place to live and work. Honorees are selected from among the region's largest private and public companies, as well as several for-profit and non-profit organizations. "We are extremely proud of Dr. Warren's accomplishment," a spokesperson for Belleville Township High School District 201 said. "This recognition underscores his dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion within our community." Dr. Warren's recognition places him among a distinguished group of leaders committed to championing the cause of inclusivity in the region.

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Classes were canceled on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at Jackson High School in Missouri, and because of that, the scheduled home game against Edwardsville was moved to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Edwardsville. Jackson R-2 School District announced the game cancellation on its Facebook page with the following: "All home sporting contests that were scheduled for today, Friday, September 13, 2024, will be canceled or postponed due to an investigation of a possible threat against the school. No practices will be held on campus at this time. "All home sporting contests scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, September 14, 2024, will also be canceled." The Jackson R-2 School District also said the closure on Friday will give law enforcement plenty of time to investigate the threat.

Continue Reading

ALTON – Mayor David Goins, alongside elected officials including State Representative Amy Elik, Senator Erica Harriss, and other local leaders, are actively collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure the safety and well-being of the City of Alton and its residents. In ongoing discussions with the Illinois Municipal League (IML) and the City's insurer, the Risk Management Association (RMA), the primary focus remains the protection of public spaces and residents. Safety First: Mayor Goins and the City Council are committed to prioritizing the safety of Alton’s citizens. The City continues to work diligently with experts, including civil engineers and geotechnical specialists, to ensure public areas are thoroughly evaluated before reopening. Recent efforts have been coordinated with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and other relevant agencies to assess the situation and determine next steps. Positive Partnerships: The City of Alton has received significant

Continue Reading