Riverbender 🕸

ROXANA - Roxana’s girls basketball team has a pair of twins - Laynie and Abby Gehrs - who are providing what new head coach Addaya Moore said is “unbelievable energy” to the squad. Laynie and Abby are exceptional athletes and are keys so far to the Shells’ 3-0 overall mark. The girls recently captured the Dupo Tournament to open the season. Laynie had seven points in the Shells' 48-20 win in the final of the Dupo Cat Classic. Abby added four points in that encounter. Laynie and Abby are seniors on the squad. Both are also volleyball and soccer players. Both girls are strong on defense and always help move the ball in the Shells’ powerful offense so far in the 2023-2024 campaign. The two girls are Midwest Members Credit Union Athletes of the Month for the Shells. In a recent win over East Alton-Wood River, Coach Moore said the twin sisters finished off what the bench had started to seal the game when Roxana had some foul trouble and had to sit out some

Continue Reading

PIASA - The Southwestern High School boys basketball team finds itself sitting at 2-2 after the 2023 Roxana Hoopsgiving Classic. The Piasa Birds have won their last two games over Jerseyville and Staunton. A large part of that is junior Ian Brantley. The three-sport athlete also plays football and baseball for the Piasa Birds but is so far having a breakout season on the hard court. Last season, the Piasa Birds broke even, finishing with a 16-16 record. Brantley averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. Just four games into this season and he is nearly averaging a double-double. Brantley has scored 85 points so far, averaging 21.3 PPG and 8.8 rebounds per contest. For his efforts so far this basketball season, Ian Brantley is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Month for Southwestern High School. Brantley earned a spot on the 2023 Hoopsgiving Classic All-Tournament team as the Piasa Birds finished in ninth place overall.

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD - Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) has donated 129 hospital beds to Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach as they standardize their beds across the health system. By the time the first project phase is finished, 190 beds taken out of service will be donated from five hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, including HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay; HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield; HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese; HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville; and HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. This is an unprecedented influx of a highly needed item for Mission Outreach’s international partners. Erica Smith, Executive Director of Mission Outreach, says hospital beds are the number one requested item, and they are already being shipped out to hospitals in other countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, and Lebanon, with more to go. “I recently was in Uganda, and I saw a hospital where the pediatric ward the children were on th

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Municipal Band is ready to jingle all the way into the holiday season with some festive tunes at its free winter concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 3, at Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Route 157. The Municipal Band's annual holiday performance is a tradition going back at least 20 years. This year's concert will mix in some fun new features, including a few dozen student performers from the Edwardsville School District and area parochial school bands. "It's going to be much more upbeat," said Steve Wehling, the Municipal Band Board chairman and a musician with the band. "We thought this would be something fun that we could do to really involve the community. We'd love to see everyone come out and enjoy the show." In addition to the guest performers, Wehling said the concert will include a sing-along on several tunes, and the American Legion is working to have Santa Claus attend. The concert is expected to run for about

Continue Reading

COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an in-person public hearing on the Illinois 3 Connector project within Madison, Fairmont City, and East St. Louis in Madison and St. Clair counties. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 4-7 p.m. at the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizens Center located at 6755 State St., East St. Louis. IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is conducting a Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Study for the Illinois 3 Connector. The project involves improving the transportation flow and connectivity between Illinois 203 and Illinois 3 as well as from Collinsville Road to Illinois 3/North First Street. The purpose of the hearing is to present the preferred design for the improvements and obtain public input. Handouts and display boards (in both English and Spanish) will be available for review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition and environmental issues. Representatives

Continue Reading

ALTON - OSF Medical Group – Primary Care (Godfrey) is pleased to announce a new board-certified family medicine physician has been added to its staff to better serve the primary care needs of Riverbend region residents. Susan Reynolds, MD, is accepting new patients at OSF Medical Group – Primary Care, located at 6702 Godfrey Road, in Godfrey. Dr. Reynolds will see patients Monday-Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Dr. Reynolds’ family medicine interests include (but are not limited to) Primary care Women’s Health Smoking cessation High blood pressure Diabetes Pulmonary disease (i.e. asthma, hay fever) Depression Anxiety As a current board-certified practitioner through the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. Reynolds has accumulated more than 38 years of medical practice with experience in telemedicine, urgent care, and family medicine; additionally, she possesses full unrestricted medical licenses in Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois,

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) filed for reelection this morning at the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield. Bost submitted 5,191 petitions signed by constituents in all 34 counties of the 12 th Congressional District, nearly five times the number of signatures required by law. “I am honored to have widespread support from Republicans in every county of the 12th District,” said Bost. “Conservative voters know we can’t afford to hand the keys over to failed politicians who are more interested in promoting themselves than protecting our values. Today is the first step in continuing to serve the land I love in a position I am blessed to hold.”

Continue Reading

CHICAGO - Ahead of Giving Tuesday, Attorney General Kwame Raoul cautioned potential donors today to make wise giving decisions this holiday season. Under Illinois law, fundraisers and charitable organizations are required to register each year with the Attorney General’s office. “I encourage potential donors to review my Charitable Trust Bureau’s tips before making donations today for Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season,” Raoul said. “I will continue to advocate to inform generous consumers who give charitable donations to ensure their donations are used for the intended purpose." Attorney General Raoul recommended donors consider the following tips prior to making charitable donations. Ask how much of your donation will go to the charity and how much will be used to pay fund-raising costs. Solicitors must give you this information if you ask. Pay close attention to the name of the charity. Some fraudulent charities use names that

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Annual Donation of Thanksgiving baskets by Edwardsville Township to Four Local Schools Edwardsville, Illinois – November 22, 2023. The Edwardsville Township ensured several families in the area have a holiday meal this Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Edwardsville Township Supervisor Kevin Hall and Community Outreach Director Christine Doty presented N.O. Nelson Elementary, Edwardsville Head Start, Glen Carbon Elementary, and Columbus Elementary School Thanksgiving baskets. Twenty baskets were donated, with five baskets presented to each organization, to help residents in need this holiday season. Each basket included a gift card for a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, and gravy. During the Touch-A-Truck event on September 30th at Edwardsville Township Community Park received a record number of sponsorships which Edwardsville Township uses this support to make the Thanksgiving baskets possible. This is the

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville congratulates Chris Gordon, PhD, associate dean of the School of Engineering (SOE), on his recent induction into Scott Air Force Base (SAFB) 2025 Class of Honorary Commanders . Gordon is one of 24 St. Louis Metro Area community leaders chosen for this role by the 375th Air Mobility Wing, the host wing of SAFB. “We have an Educational Partnership Agreement with SAFB which we have used to foster collaboration with senior design teams,” said Gordon. “My objective in participating in this program is to continue to strengthen our connection with SAFB.” Gordon is paired with his assigned commander, Colonel James Clark. Clark serves as Commander, Detachment 9, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Clark’s work in installation and mission support affects 70,000 personnel in 17 wings. As Team Scott’s Honorary Commander,

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE - A towering Christmas tree made of crocheted “granny squares” now on display near Germania Brew Haus in Jerseyville is an impressive and festive example of community collaboration. Erica Heitzig, who teaches Advanced Design at Jersey Community High School, oversaw the project which she credits several people with making a success. “My students started crocheting squares in early October. Our JCHS welding class constructed the base,” Heitzig said. “My students and I offered lessons at our local coffee shop on Sunday afternoons for those who wanted to learn.” The tree features granny squares from residents of Jersey, Calhoun, Greene, and Madison Counties - but it also features many squares from out-of-state contributors who heard about the tree project through social media. Some squares from Franklin, Virginia arrived in the mail earlier this month . “Word spread like wildfire with our granny square vision and with the

Continue Reading

GODFREY - The Freer Auto Body Cookies and Cocoa For Community Christmas is on the horizon and is set for Dec. 7, 2023, at the Freer location at 4512 N. Alby, Godfrey. The Freer Cookies and Cocoa event marks its 15th anniversary in 2023. This year’s festivities are from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2023. Margaret Freer, one of the Freer Auto Body owners, encouraged residents to pick up a gift on Black Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, or over the weekend of heavy holiday shopping time at a reduced price for the campaign. "We need people to come and bring toys and gifts," Margaret Freer said. "It is very critical time and there is such a need in the community now. The more we get in the more people we are able to help." Lily and Taylor Freer, above, came up with the idea to have the Cookies and Cocoa event when they were very young children and it has blossomed into a huge fundraiser for Community Christmas. "We did it the first year after my son, David was killed in a car crash on Sept. 11,

Continue Reading

ALTON - Kaitlyn Koroby has never been a traditional artist. That’s exactly why people love her work. “I was real big on drawing even before I hit high school,” Koroby remembered. “And then when I got in high school, I found out there were art classes, and I was like, ‘No way.’ Of course, I signed myself up for it, and I didn’t get as much as I was expecting out of those. I was kind of turned off by it. I think I kind of draw differently and paint differently than a lot of other people, and a lot of my art teachers didn’t like that.” Her teachers encouraged Koroby to focus on the techniques being taught in class, which Koroby said was “understandable.” But as a young artist, she became discouraged and took a step back from creating. It wasn’t until she found herself pregnant and bored that she decided to give art another shot, no rules allowed. Four years later, Koroby is the Milton Schoolhouse Artist of

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 cheerleading program will host a statewide invitational competition on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, at Alton High School. Starting at 10 a.m., teams from across Illinois will showcase their cheerleading, tumbling and dancing skills at the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) Invitational. Over 20 teams will compete for the chance to go to Springfield in January for the state competition. Megan Hodge, Alton High School’s cheerleading coach, invites community members to come out and support the local teams. “Not a lot of people know about the cheer world, but we’re trying to bring cheer to the community and make it more popular again,” Hodge said. “It’s really cool to watch. Typically, the only people who show up to these competitions are just the cheer community when really, we’d love everyone to come and see and witness how intense of a sport cheer really is, because it truly is

Continue Reading

ALTON - Emily Schrumpf of Alton High School was honored as a Student of the Month for November at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s on Broadway Restaurant. Emily is a senior at Alton High School. She is the daughter of Patrick and Keri Schrumpf. Inside of school, Emily has earned many academic accomplishments. She has a 4.632 GPA on the 4.0 scale and has been on the high honor roll every year. She has consistently taken and excelled in the most rigorous courses offered at Alton High, including several college-level classes. As it stands, she will graduate as a Platinum Alpha and Illinois Scholar with 35 dual credit hours through Lewis and Clark Community College. Emily’s college credits will place her at sophomore status when she starts college next year. While academics are extremely important to her, Emily’s extracurriculars are too. Outside of the classroom, she is heavily involved in the music program at Alton. She has

Continue Reading

ALTON - Alecia McCulley of Marquette Catholic High School was honored as a Student of the Month for November at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s on Broadway Restaurant. Alecia is a senior at Marquette Catholic High School. She is the daughter of proud parent Erica Spencer. Alecia has been part of the Marquette family since her junior year, as she transferred from Mannahouse Christian Academy in Oregon. Alecia has accomplished several academic achievements during her high school career, such as earning High Honor Roll, being elected as Student Council Class Representative, Vice President of National Honor Society, and President of the Spanish Club, and receiving recognition for demonstrating outstanding student leadership. Additionally, Alecia achieved an ACT score of 32, in which she obtained a 36 in Reading on the first and only administration of the exam. Currently, Alecia has a GPA of 4.19 and aspires to graduate with a 4.75. In addition

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Great River Road Run is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Downtown Alton. The race features both a 10-mile and 5K run. Top finishers in different age groups receive a medal and there is an official race long-sleeve T-shirt. A key point, entries are still taken this morning at Mac's in Downtown Alton where registration and race pickup information is available. Race Director Russ Colona is interviewed on Our Daily Show! interview above and says more race entries are needed to make the run a success. The Alton Road Runners Club is a non-profit organization. "Our main source of fundraising for everything we do comes from the Great River Road Run. We always have a great turnout for the race and it is what funds all of our other community races and events. "This race helps fund our Summer Running Series in the summer , with the Alton Memorial Family Run, the Pee Wee Run, and the Dash-n-Glow. With each race providing a T-shirt, refreshments,

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Scholarship applications are open for the Industrial Engineering Program (IE) of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE). Scholarships offer a direct incentive for IE careers, which have a projected growth of nearly 39,400 hires during the next 10 years (BLS.gov, 2023). One-time scholarships are available for eligible first-year students and transfer students. The deadline for applications is December 15. “Industrial engineering careers range from defense to transportation, traditional manufacturing, to service industries like healthcare or banking,” said Sinan Onal, PhD, associate professor and chair of SOE. “IE students go on to work in companies all over the world, but more importantly, they work to solve problems that impact humans all over the world." Two selected transfer students majoring in IE will each receive a one-time scholarship of $5,000. Four first-year IE majors who are selected will each

Continue Reading

BRIGHTON - The Village of Brighton encourages you to “Brighton Up the Holidays” with their annual Country Christmas Festival and first-ever Christmas Parade. The Brighton Country Christmas Festival will run from 1–7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, at Crossroads Community Church of Brighton. Families can enjoy vendors, food, music, games and carriage rides in addition to the Christmas Parade, which kicks off at 4 p.m. “We are a small community, and just to promote that togetherness, family and family events,” explained Village Clerk Tamara Jenkins. The parade will start at Betsey Ann Park in Brighton and travel through the town. Santa Claus will be riding in a firetruck. The route will end at Schneider Park on Highway 111, where community members will gather for a tree-lighting ceremony and Santa will flip the switch. Carriage rides kick off at 5 p.m. at Crossroads Church, located at 305 N. Maple Street in Brighton. Vendors, food and music will

Continue Reading

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s concert choir is hosting its “Yep…It’s Random 2,” fall concert with local band Porch Café. The free event begins at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in the Hatheway Cultural Center’s Ann Whitney Olin Theatre on L&C’s Godfrey Campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Assistant Professor of Music Juliet Jackson says the music this year is fun and upbeat, and attendees can expect songs from a wide variety of artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Pharell and Lionel Richie, among others. “Singing is such a wonderful way to connect with not only other singers, but the audience as well,” Jackson said. “It’s a communal experience where energy is given and received. It’s truly magical and uplifting.” Jackson strives to connect with communities on and off campus by collaborating with local artists and choosing fun and accessible music. She hope

Continue Reading