Riverbender 🕸

ALTON - Prestige Design & Renovations offers a wide range of construction and renovation services in the Riverbend area, and Lead Carpenter Eddie Rappel said they’re aiming to be the #1 general contractor in the area with a focus on customer satisfaction. “We put our heart and soul into every project,” Rappel said. “We’re not just there for a paycheck, we’re there to do a custom project, and the gratification factor that we receive is from the customers’ expressions, the customers that we just ‘wow!’” Prestige’s services include renovations, home additions, residential remodeling, commercial renovations, roofing services, and more. They serve the areas of Alton, Brighton, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Hamel, Marine, and Fairview Heights. Rappel has 25 years of experience as a carpenter and said the company is a tight-knit crew of just three employees, himself included. “At the end o

Continue Reading

ALTON - The 18th Annual Miles Davis Festival will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Post Commons, located at 300 Alby St. in Alton, on Saturday, June 3. Jared Hennings of Lewis & Clark will serve as master of ceremony, and the headliner for entertainment will be Porch Cafe, with NGK Band as the opening act. One of the big highlights of the Miles Davis Festival is to present $500 college scholarships to chosen area students. "Over the years, the jazz festival has provided an excellent showcase highlighting the area's local jazz talent to the delight of Riverbend jazz enthusiasts, while supporting future musicians on their way to college," Event Organizer Abe Lee Barham said. Scholarship winners are Marquette's Paige Masterson, Alton High's Aniayah Collins, and Alton High's Victor Humphrey. Profiles are to come on the scholarship winners. "We are honored to award the college-bound students with $500 college scholarships at the event," Barham said. Tickets for the event are $30 per

Continue Reading

EAST ST. LOUIS – A U.S. District judge sentenced a man from Texas to 57 months in federal prison after he admitted to transporting a kilogram of cocaine to Illinois. In addition to the prison sentence, Henry Garcia-Blanco, 28, of Irving, Texas, will serve three years of supervised release. “Increased accessibility to illicit drugs creates significant health risks for communities in southern Illinois, and the individuals found responsible for transporting large quantities of dangerous narcotics across our state lines will face time in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the efforts by the DEA to investigate and arrest offenders and help improve public safety.” In late 2021, DEA agents began an investigation after learning significant quantities of cocaine were being transported from Texas, through Illinois, and on to St. Louis, Missouri. On Dec. 10, 2021, a confidential source informed agents a drug courier was stuck in Effingham,

Continue Reading

ROXANA - Senior Ashton Noble stays busy these days. The three-sport athlete plays football and basketball, and most recently made a trip to the IHSA state track meet. At the state meet, Ashton has gotten used to success. That's why it was no surprise when he placed fourth in Class 2A in the discus with a toss of 162' 10.25". It was his third straight year reaching the podium in the event. In his junior season, he took second with his PR 167' 4.25" throw and in his sophomore season he finished third with a mark of 160' 4.75". For his continued success, Ashton is a Midwest Members Credit Union Athlete of the Month for the Shells. Ashton also competes in the shot put with a PR of 48' 8.25", a mark he set this season back on April 17th in the Roxana Relays. He will get to continue his track and field career at the college level when he attends Bellarmine University in the fall. In the winter, he's been a key part of the Shells' basketball team. Last season he racked up 215 points

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - After 18-year-old Edwardsville High School senior Anna Schmidt died from “a lethal amount of fentanyl,” a Facebook group was created in her honor, and a Facebook post was made to explain her story and warn others about the dangers of fentanyl. The Facebook group and page have since gathered lots of support, and a GoFundMe and merchandise page have been set up to support a scholarship fund in Anna’s memory. Anna’s mother, Aimee Covington, said the support she’s received from others moved by Anna’s story has resulted in a “whirlwind of emotions” for her. “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions,” Covington said. “Right now, I have 83 moms from all around that are reaching out to me and crying and calling and telling me how much we inspired them, because they didn’t know how to get their childrens’ story out because they were ashamed. “It hasn’t even been

Continue Reading

BETHALTO - In their last race together, senior Jackson Collman alongside junior teammates and best friends DJ Dutton, Justice Eldridge, and Lucas Naugle finished third place in the 4x800 meter race at the IHSA state track meet in Class 2A. For the surreal accomplishment, all four are Tom Lane State Farm Athletes of the Month for Civic Memorial High School. The meet last weekend held annually at Eastern Illinois University's blue track, saw the four Eagles run a time of 7:57.54 in the 4x800m, the first time the group has ever run under eight minutes. This achievement just goes to show how far these four have come. In the 2021 outdoor season, when Collman was a sophomore and Eldridge, Naugle, and Dutton were freshmen, the group ran a time of 8:45.42. Collman also qualified for the state meet in the two-mile, taking 14th with a time of 9:45.52. While Collman graduates and continues his running career into college at the University of Southern Indiana, the other three will return

Continue Reading

TROY - Junior Tashon Crockarell has been in the Triad High School track and field system but had a breakout season in 2022-23. He was able to qualify for the state track meet at Eastern Illinois University in three separate events. For his efforts, Tashon Crockarell is an Axes Physical Therapy Athlete of the Month for Triad High School. First, he took 10th at state in Class 2A in the high jump with a mark of 6' 0.75". His outdoor PR was 6' 2.75" which he recorded back on April 14th in the Mascoutah Military Classic. Crockarell was also a key part of both the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays, running the second leg of each race. Both of those relays qualified for state. Alongside Tristan Darby, Cory Warren, and Louis Yohannes, the group finished fourth in the 4x100m (42.28) and second in the 4x200m (1:28.09). After this season's success, Crockarell is poised to have another stellar year as a senior.

Continue Reading

SOUTH ROXANA - A 28-year-old Maryville man died in a motorcycle-passenger vehicle traffic crash at 3:31 p.m. on June 1, at Illinois 111 and Lakefront Drive. The driver of the motorcycle - Charles Taylor - was pronounced dead at a local hospital. South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said the driver of the other vehicle fled the scene of the accident launching an investigation into the incident. "The outstanding work of Wood River Police Department Dispatcher, Mindee Pence, provided valuable investigative information that helped expedite the case," he said. "At around 1251 hours, the driver and vehicle were located, and the driver was taken into custody regarding the incident. The name of the other driver is being withheld until the application of formal charges is sought. "It took many individuals from various agencies to assist in bringing this case to a swift conclusion. The Edwardsville Police and Fire, I.S.P. Traffic Reconstructionist, Madison County Coroner, S.J. Morrison from Madiso

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE/BERKELY, MO. - Berkeley, Mo., Police and SIUE Police are investigating an alleged kidnapping/sexual assault of a female victim. An e-Lert was issued early Saturday morning about the case. The kidnapping allegedly occurred late Friday on the SIUE campus. The e-Lert said a woman was taken from Cougar Village by a known acquaintance and driven to north St. Louis. The Berkeley Police later confirmed this information. SIUE's e-Lert system is a text messaging service used to quickly notify faculty, staff, and student cell phones when an urgent situation occurs. The e-Lert described the suspect as about 6-foot-1 inches tall and described as a “light-skinned black male” with short hair and a patchy beard. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a gray or silver Hyundai four-door sedan, possibly with mild front-end damage." The SIUE Communications Department on Thursday released the following information: "The SIUE campus police are working with the victim and

Continue Reading

CARROLLTON – June 1 – Twenty-three graduating seniors were awarded a total of 47 scholarship grants at the Carrollton High School graduation held May 19, 2023. The total awards amounted to $39,200. Grant recipients, the school they plan to attend and the name of their awards are: Julia Alexander – school selection pending – Donna Riechmann Scholarship and Mary E. Harland Scholarship. Bryson Baumgartner – Lewis & Clark Community College – Mike Kiger Memorial Scholarship. Matthew Beiermann – Western Illinois University – Thomas Hough Scholarship and Hawk Pride Scholarship. Morgan Blasa – Lewis & Clark CC – Sarah Jane Tapp Goodman Memorial Scholarship and Eldred American Legion Auxiliary Post 1135 Scholarship. Kaiden Breckon – Western Illinois University – Mary E. Harland Scholarship. Jaelynn Camden – SIU Edwardsville – Col. William Jr. and Jane Stendeback Memorial Scholarship, Mary E. Harland Scholarshi

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim is encouraging Illinois residents to use caution when outdoors as air quality conditions are expected to be in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category for Friday, June 2, according to the national Air Quality Index. The Illinois EPA has issued an air quality forecast of “Orange” or “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” for all of Illinois for June 2nd. Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from vehicles, power plants, and other industrial sources, react in the presence of sunlight. As a result of current ground-level ozone levels and anticipated weather conditions, the air quality is forecasted to be “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” in many regions today, and statewide tomorrow. These conditions pose a potential health hazard to sensitive populations, including individuals with respiratory or pulmonary

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first three batches of mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile virus in Illinois in 2023, both in Cook County. The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District collected a positive batch of mosquitoes in Evanston on May 30 and the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District collected two positive mosquito batches on May 31 in Park Ridge. The first positive mosquito pool in 2022 was reported on May 24th in Roselle in DuPage County. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported so far this year. “The reports about the first batches of mosquitoes with West Nile virus is a good reminder that this is the time of year when Illinois residents should begin protecting themselves from vector-borne diseases,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “We urge everyone - and especially older people and those with weakened immune systems - to take precautions to protect themselves and their families from

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - A Madison County jury deliberated just 40 minutes Thursday before finding a man guilty of first-degree murder for intentionally striking a woman with his pickup along a highway in Pontoon Beach. The jury convicted Richard D. Mayor, 60, in connection with the death of Lisa M. Dunnavant-Polach, 46, on Feb. 21, 2023. The two had been in a relationship but became involved in a dispute. Mayor and Dunnavant-Polach were residents of East St. Louis. Evidence and testimony showed that Dunnavant-Polach was on foot along Illinois Route 111 and trying to evade Mayor, who was driving a pickup. The driver of a tractor-trailer, seeing that the victim was in distress, pulled over to help her. As Dunnavant-Polach tried to get into the semi, she was hit by Mayor’s pickup. The driver of the semi, a former Marine, testified that he pulled the microphone wire off his CB radio and used it to tie a tourniquet on the victim’s severed leg. Despite her injuries, Dunnavant-Polach wa

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE - The 2023 Jersey Community High School PAC scholarship recipients were recently announced. The winners are front row (l to r) - Don Snyders, Kendall Davis, Elaina Walsh, Anna Fink, and Cate Breden. Back row (l to r) Drake Goetten, Colton Gavaza, Logan Meisner, Tanner Brunaugh, Kari Krueger, Chloe Kallal.

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – Deb Wudtke, biology and life science teacher at Metro-East Lutheran High School, has been selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its Science Ambassador Fellowship. This fellowship is the only program of its kind offered by the CDC for STEM teachers interested in bringing public health sciences into their classrooms. The competitive program includes a 5-day summer course at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta and a 1-year distance-based professional development opportunity. Wudtke said she has long been interested in the topic of public health and its impact on day-to-day life, but especially now coming out of the pandemic. “Students need to have more of a basic understanding of what public health is all about now,” she said. “They are bombarded by the media with information about it. They are affected by it. They need to be educated about it.” Through the fellowship, Wudtke will collaborate with CDC experts

Continue Reading

GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic High School celebrated its 2023 graduating class recently at a Sunday ceremony. Below are major accomplishments for the school. Major Accomplishments by the Class of 2023: Top Students based on Academics – Alphabetical order – Daniel Gierer, Lauren Jones, Margaret Klusas, Evan Schrage, Sophia Tutt. 7,962 Service Hours completed over four years. Attended over 160 all-school Masses. Average ACT - 23. 16 Illinois State Scholars, placing them in the top 5% nationally. The average GPA is 3.99. Graduates were accepted by 161 colleges and universities. $18 million dollars in scholarship offers – an average of $260,000 per student.

Continue Reading

ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District held a groundbreaking ceremony recently for the design and construction of a new 1,200 ft. x 110 ft. lock chamber adjacent to the existing 600 ft. x 110 ft. lock chamber in Winfield, Mo. The original Lock 25 opened May 18, 1939, as the third to the last lock built in the Mississippi River system and passes approximately 23 million tons of commercial commodities through annually. Eighty-four years later, the St. Louis District along with several dignitaries held the official kick off to welcome the new construction of the additional lock chamber that will allow for two-way traffic and the construction of a fish passage structure at Lock 22 in Saverton, Mo. Located in Winfield, Mo. (45 miles north of St. Louis), Lock and Dam 25 was selected for upgrades due to its location through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2022. The $829 million funding for the Mississippi River

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville Police Department today announced on Thursday it issued 142 citations during the recent Memorial Day “Click It or Ticket” enforcement period, including 10 DUI arrests. “Through the Memorial Day enforcement campaign, we helped make Illinois roads safer and spread the word that seat belts and child safety restraints save lives,” said Lt. Brandn Whittaker. While Illinois’ 2022 seat belt compliance rate was 93%, unbelted occupants still account for more than half of those killed in traffic crashes. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign aims to change the behavior of the millions of people who don’t buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every vehicle occupant was properly restrained when traveling. Lt. Whittaker also shared these other stats during the May 19-30 enforcement period, the Edwardsville Police took the following actions: 1 child car seat citation 5 Seat belt violations

Continue Reading

ALTON - The City of Alton was recently notified by Good Energy, Alton’s consultant, that Ameren Illinois has established its new residential electric rate for city customers, which took effect June 1st. The new Ameren BGS1 Residential rate is $0.08162, compared to the City’s Program base rate of $0.1220. City residents should know that the newly filed rate can return to an upward swing anytime during that period. City officials said their goal was to give Alton residents an alternative to Ameren's utility rates. The previous program period, which ended in December 2022, secured fixed base rates of $0.0429 for nearly 8 months while Ameren's rates were peaking at well over $0.12 cents, saving the residents over $0.08 cents per kilowatt hour used. The average user was saving $65 per month during that time and many larger users were saving more. The new rates are lower than Alton’s current municipal electrical aggregation contract with Constellation New Energy which i

Continue Reading

MOUNT VERNON – Governor JB Pritzker, Manner Polymers, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today joined local leaders and partners to announce Manner Polymers’ new manufacturing facility in Mount Vernon. Known as an industry manufacturing leader in polymer compounds, Manner Polymers’ new state-of-the-art Illinois facility will manufacture a wide array of PVC compounds, including automotive PVC compounds for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and components for solar panels. The facility will be powered by a 15-acre solar field located on site. Bolstered by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) incentive package, Manner Polymers plans to invest $54 million and create more than 60 jobs for the Southern Illinois region. “I couldn’t be prouder to announce that Manner Polymers has selected Illinois for their new 80,000 square foot, 100% solar-powered facility to manufacture electric vehicle PVC compounds,

Continue Reading