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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was filled with new, smiling faces as first-year students began moving into their residence halls on Wednesday, Aug. 17. Move-in activities for first-year students continue Thursday, Aug. 18, with returning students arriving Friday-Saturday, Aug. 19-20. In total, more than 2,650 students will live in University Housing in fall 2022. “It has been a great day,” said University Housing Director Mallory Sidarous. “We are incredibly excited for this new class, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to help them through our move-in process and get settled in their new living spaces. The energy of our returning student volunteers and staff is carrying over to our new students. It is motivating and beautiful to see the campus filled with vibrancy ahead of the fall semester.” More than 200 volunteers, including faculty, staff and students, are helping streamline the move-in process. “Moving

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College is announcing its list of scholarship recipients for the 2022-2023 academic year, and it’s the biggest group to date. Of more than 400 applicants from throughout the college’s district this year, 155 students accepted awards for the academic year beginning next Monday, Aug. 22. Extending the scholarship deadline, the support of current and new donors, and the efforts of the Scholarship Awarding Committee aided the college in achieving one of the best scholarship awarding cycles experienced to date. “The Lewis and Clark Community College Financial Aid department and the Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation offer about 200 scholarships annually, with a value of more than $600,000, including opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and levels of academic achievement,” said L&C President Ken Trzaska. “This year, we are particularly excited to be able to make higher education more accessible

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EDWARDSVILLE – As families and friends plan their end-of-summer celebrations for Labor Day weekend, the Edwardsville Police Department is partnering with the Illinois State Police and law enforcement across the state to stop impaired driving and help save lives. “We’ll be out in force to keep impaired drivers off the roads with the goal of ensuring our community’s residents and visitors make it home safely once the parties end,” said Lt. Barry Jones. “If you’ll be celebrating, we urge you to plan ahead for a sober ride.” The high-visibility “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign runs from Aug. 19 through the early-morning hours of Sept. 6. During this period, law enforcement will be stepping up efforts focused on the impaired, unbuckled, and distracted drivers. Before the party starts, remember to designate a sober driver and don’t let friends or family members drive impaired. Other important tips

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ALTON - It has been some time since Alton High has been able to host a full field for the annual Andy Simpson Doubles Invitational, but on Saturday that will happen once again. The COVID-19 Pandemic slowed the tourney, but Director Jesse Macias has it back as good as ever this year with 11 team entries. The tourney is named for one of the biggest names in tennis and athletics in general in Alton - Antigone "Andy" Simpson. Simpson died in 2016, but she left a lasting legacy with her tennis contributions and work in the community. “No family could give more to our area in regards to tennis than the Simpsons, and Andy was a true angel in our community," Coach Macias said. "They generously helped build the tennis facilities at Lewis and Clark and Gordon Moore, but Andy also loved all things Alton and we appreciate the time and love she gave to everyone. This tournament is for her and I hope we have terrific competition and sportsmanship all day to make her proud.” "Andy,"

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Illinois Court in East St. Louis has announced that Mario A. Foster, of East St. Louis, was sentenced on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in federal court to 13 years in prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine. Following Foster’s release, he will spend three years on supervised release. Foster was also ordered to pay $200 in special assessments along with a $500 fine. According to court documents, Foster was stopped and arrested following a call to law enforcement regarding parental abduction. Law enforcement observed a 3-month-old infant sitting in a removable child safety seat. When the infant was removed from the seat, officers discovered the baby had been sitting on a baggy containing fentanyl and a baggie containing cocaine base. “Fentanyl’s deadliness is no secret,” said United States Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It is unfathomable that this defendant

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ALTON - AltonWorks Spokesperson Susan Ryan paid a visit to the new Riverbender.com Our Daily Show! to more elaborately discuss Governor Pritzker’s Monday announcement that $3 million from the Rebuild Illinois Grant will go to the Wedge Innovation Center Project in Downtown Alton. Listen to Our Daily Show! for the full interview with Susan Ryan, a spokesperson for AltonWorks. The show is live daily Monday - Friday from 9-11 a.m. on Riverbender.com. John Simmons is the AltonWorks CEO, and Jayne Simmons is the president. The Wedge Innovation Center will be designed as an accelerator, incubator, co-working space, and digital hub focused on social impact innovation and specializing in livability, clean tech, and climate tech to benefit everyday lives. The Wedge plan is to support early-stage, growth-driven companies through education, mentorship, and financing. It will house startups, space for individuals or teams, and more established companies that want to accelerate

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EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Clerk Recorder, Debbie Ming-Mendoza, is seeking ARPA funds to preserve over one million documents which date back to the 1800’s. These documents include birth, marriage, and death records of Madison County residents. Mendoza said, “American Rescue Plan Act funds were requested for consideration last year, but were not granted. With Madison County receiving a second installment of funding, now is the time to move forward with this preservation initiative.” This project would entail digitizing the historical material. Once the documents are in electronic form they become more disaster proof. The general public could also have greater access to their personal historical records through on-line access. Mendoza, explained: “The current condition of some of the paper documents are so brittle and aged, it is difficult handling them when the residents request to review them or in need of a copy. Also, the ink on some documents is

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EAST ST. LOUIS - The U.S. District Court in East St. Louis announced on Thursday that Mary M. Thornhill, 36, of Knoxville, Tenn., was sentenced on Wednesday, August 17, to 34 months in prison for her involvement in a bank fraud scheme that targeted female victims in Southern Illinois. The group targeted banks located in the Metro East, including those in Glen Carbon and Wood River. In July 2021, Thornhill conspired with others to cash stolen checks and fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions using stolen IDs — including driver’s licenses —belonging to real individuals living in Southern Illinois. Thornhill admitted that on July 19, 2021, she and Mills went to Regions Bank in Glen Carbon, and successfully cashed a check made payable to a person whose identity had been stolen. Thornhill and Mills were arrested by officers with the Glen Carbon Police Department within minutes of leaving Regions. At the time of her guilty plea, Thornhill admitted that members

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ALTON - Alton Police and Fire Departments responded to a serious two-vehicle traffic crash at 10:55 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of College Avenue and Homer Adams Parkway in Alton. Alton Deputy Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the following about the accident: "One vehicle, a brown, 2016 Kia passenger car was eastbound on College Avenue at the traffic light. Unit two, a white, 2007 Chevrolet passenger car was traveling north onto College Avenue from Homer Adams Parkway off of the exit ramp into the intersection. Both drivers of their respective vehicles were transported to Alton Memorial Hospital by ambulance. Both drivers were in stable condition." The Alton Police Department traffic division is handling the investigation and the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

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ALTON - The successful Alton Food Truck Festival sponsored by Sauce Magazine will return to Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. This year’s festival will feature twenty different food trucks offering a wide variety of enticing food options and musical entertainment by fan-favorite Groove Thang. Food trucks participating in the 2022 Alton Food Truck Festival are: Cajun Seduction Cheese Shack CinnaCrush Destination Desserts Doughboys Farmtruk Fire & Ice G Burrito Jaaise Grubb Pig On A Wing Scoops & More Spud Shack Street Cheff Sugarfire The Sweet Divine The Sweet Side TreauX’s Cajun BBQ Tuk Tuk Thai Wok and Roll Zacchi “This year’s Alton Food Truck Festival is shaping up to be the best one yet,” said Dan Herkert, Amphitheater Commission Chair. “This is one of the most popular events each season at Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater, and we expect another great crowd this year.” “We

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GLEN CARBON – The former Village of Glen Carbon Mayor Ronald J. “Ronnie” Foster Sr. passed away at 2:03 pm on Tues., Aug. 16 at the age of 86 at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. Born and raised in Glen Carbon, he served as mayor from 1981-2001 and spent 16 years as a Village Trustee. In his honor, Village Hall will install bunting to recognize his enormous contributions to the community. During his tenure, Ronald Foster made significant accomplishments as the Mayor of Glen Carbon. He completed a major sanitary sewer project and a joint water agreement with Edwardsville, obtained funds to reconstruct Meridian and Glen Crossing roads, established the Historical Preservation Commission, and was the driving force behind the Illinois Central Railroad Right of Way which now represents the Ronald J. Foster Heritage Bike Trail. With Mayor Foster’s vision, the trail system which we know and love today became an integral part of the community. Other substantial contributions

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HARTFORD - Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn on Wednesday morning identified a Bethalto man who tragically lost his life following a two-vehicle crash that occurred Tuesday afternoon on Illinois State Route 3 at 7 th Street in Hartford. A 9-1-1 call on the accident came in at approximately 4:11 p.m. The victim was the restrained driver and sole occupant of a 2007 Nissan Titan that was southbound on Illinois Route 3 when for reasons unknown turned east onto 7 th Street into the path of an oncoming northbound vehicle where it was struck on the passenger side in a “T” bone fashion. The victim in the fatal crash was identified as Jeffrey R. Hasenjaeger, 63, of Bethalto. Hasenjaeger was pronounced deceased at the scene by Madison County Coroner’s Office Investigator Shelbi Frakes at 5:05 p.m., August 16, 2022. A preliminary investigation shows blunt force chest and abdominal trauma as the cause of death. A final cause of death will not be issued until the

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CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today announced the allocation of a $54 million increase in funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant as authorized by the Governor in the FY2023 state budget. The funds, which reflect a 10% increase in the overall Early Childhood Block Grant budget, will serve 4,500 additional Illinois students, adding to the more than 112,190 children who receive early childhood learning supports through state funded programs. “Supporting children from pregnancy to toddlerhood to preschool is one of my administration’s top priorities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And in Illinois, every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and succeed, regardless of their family’s socio-economic status. So we are investing millions to strengthen our early childhood education system—empowering families, teachers, and childcare workers to build the foundation for the next generation of young

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EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Lutheran High School has opened the 2022-2023 school year with the highest enrollment that it has had in the past eight years. MELHS begins the year with 215 students, up from 175 last year. MELHS Principal Dr. Jay Krause said the school is fully staffed and completing its first full week. He said MELHS remained in person throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. MELHS has been a fixture in Edwardsville for 43 years. "We have our largest freshman class ever this year with 60 in it," he said. "We also received a fair number of transfers, around 15-20 this year. We are moving in the right direction." Dr. Krause said he believes MELHS is definitely moving in the "right direction." He said he has stayed in contact with Father McGivney Catholic and Maryville Christian frequently and he said both have told him they are doing quite well with enrollment, a positive sign for each of the private schools in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon-Maryville area. The Back To School

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EDWARDSVILLE - Chapman Street will be closed for milling and resurfacing beginning Monday, August 22, through Thursday, August 25, weather permitting. During that period, the roadway will be closed to all traffic between North Buchanan Street and Illinois Route 157. The intersection of North Fillmore Street and Chapman also will be closed, and closures will be in place at the side roads of Leverette Lane, Hickory Street, Lindley Avenue, Mill Street, State Street, St. Andrews Avenue, and Home Avenue. The closure will be in effect each day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists will be required to use alternate routes. During those hours, residents will be required to park on side streets and utilize the sidewalks for access to their vehicles and homes. The City appreciates the cooperation of all residents during this process. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

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ST. LOUIS - In collaboration with the City of St. Louis, the Saint Louis Mental Health Board (MHB) has opened an application process for childcare providers in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency with $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Childcare providers delivering high-quality care in the City of St. Louis are encouraged to apply for this one-time grant to help stabilize the early childhood provider community. “Without additional funding for childcare providers, Missouri’s most vulnerable children and families will not have access to affordable quality childcare,” stated Cassandra Kaufman, Executive Director of Saint Louis MHB. “This is an opportunity for providers to get the support they need while supporting St. Louis working families in need of child care.” Eligible providers may apply for up to $49,500 of funding. Applications and more information are available at https://tinyurl.com/STL-CIty-EC-ARPA . Th

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, has reached an agreement in principle with opioid maker Endo International PLC (Endo) and its lenders that would provide up to $450 million to participating states and local governments. The agreement would also ban promotion of Endo’s opioids and require Endo to turn over millions of documents related to its role in the opioid crisis for publication in a public online archive. The agreement in principle with Endo, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday night in the Southern District of New York, resolves allegations that Endo boosted opioid sales using deceptive marketing that downplayed the risk of addiction and overstated the benefits. “Opioid manufacturers like Endo sacrificed the health and safety of Illinois residents for their own financial gain,” Raoul said. “Their actions played a key role in the over-prescription, misuse, abuse,

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District #9 made a video recap from the first day of the 2022-23 school year for 1st through 12th grade.

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O'FALLON, IL - August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and HSHS Medical Group are reminding the community that immunizations are important for people of all ages. National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) was established to encourage people to stay up to date on vaccines recommended for them. NIAM also encourages parents to make sure their children are vaccinated and ready for the upcoming school year. “Vaccinations are important for people of all stages of life,” said Dr. Amy Redmer, a family medicine physician with HSHS Medical Group. “Whether that be during infancy, pregnancy or as an adult, keeping up to date with your vaccinations protects your health now and in the future.” In addition to routine vaccinations, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense against this illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the benefit of receiving your COVID-19 vaccination i

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ALTON - The Caring Circle Cancer Education and Support Group for women with cancer will be held on Saturday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to Noon, at OSF Moeller Cancer Center on the campus of OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center. Held on the third Saturday of every month, the support group offers women with cancer a chance to connect with other women about their experiences. The group is facilitated by Karen Boyd, R.N., oncology nurse navigator, and Heather Chambers, R.M.A., breast health navigator, experienced cancer care professionals from OSF Saint Anthony’s. For more information or to register, contact Karen Boyd at (618) 433-7609 or Heather Chambers at (618) 474-6791. To RSVP online, visit? osfsaintanthonys.org? and click on View Classes & Events.

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