Riverbender 🕸

GODFREY – The Nature Institute (TNI) is celebrating 40 years of exploration! Discovery Day Camp, which started in 1982 with Aune Nelson as its benefactor, offers a premier nature camp experience for children in the riverbend area. Children hike the trails, play in the creek, and search for native plants and animals. This year TNI can increase attendance by 150 campers to a total of 650 campers. Educators are eager to serve even more families with superb outdoor experiences. Lauren Scull, Director of Education, and Dave Schiber, Environmental Educator, are excited to see all of the planning come together when campers, counselors, and junior counselors arrive for fun days of exploration and nature play. Lauren is especially excited for the new offerings this year including bringing the Bubble Bus to camp for the youngest campers and special guest speakers from the St. Louis Science Center, Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, and Treehouse Wildlife Center. “I am most excited

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ALTON - St. Mary's Catholic and Marquette Catholic students were out in large groups for Ash Wednesday services at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The full student participation in the Ash Wednesday service meant a lot to Rev. Paul M. Nguyen, OMV, of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the other parish priests. "We are very grateful that we are able to offer this traditional Catholic devotion for our students," he said. "Our St. Mary's Middle School students received ashes at a morning Mass held on their campus across town, and our Elementary School students received them at a mid-morning Mass in church. "The students respond very well to the ritual and more importantly what it symbolizes: the personal reform of life according to Jesus's teaching and example," he said. "We also welcomed the entire student body and faculty of Marquette Catholic High School, who nearly fill the seating capacity of the church." Nguyen said although several students who attend Marquette are not Catholic, "w

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department announced Friday afternoon that a 15-year-old female has been reported missing as a runaway. The father of Amyracle L. Hardimon, 15, said she left their home after a disagreement and has not been home since. He said she did not attend class Friday morning at Alton High School. "It is believed Amyracle is missing of her own volition," the Wood River Police said. "She was last seen wearing a red Alton High School sweatshirt and grey sweatpants." Amyracle's parents shared the photo with Wood River Police to share with parental permission. If anyone knows where Amyracle is, please contact the Wood River Police Department at 618-251-3114 or your local law enforcement.

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Lewis and Clark Community College’s broadcasting program, whose students operate the 89.9 FM WLCA radio station, is expanding into general and video podcasting with a series of studio upgrades. Mike Lemons, director of the broadcasting program, said this is an opportunity for students to learn in a more hands-on way about podcasting. “We’ve been teaching podcasting in our courses for a number of years now, but wanted to offer podcasting for any and all who wanted to take it, because audio and video content is important for all professions, really,” Lemons said. “So we felt podcasting could be a skill that’s important even for those outside of media, but for our radio students too.” Lemons also said this transition into podcasting is part of helping media students gain a more well-rounded skillset. “If we truly want to stay ahead and keep turning out quality students, they’re going to have to have more skills than just

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BUNKER HILL - Drake Scroggins has had a dream for a long time and it is not an easy one. Drake’s ambition since he was young is to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Drake has been nominated for the academy by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis. Drake is an outstanding honors student and said he has had this huge goal since sixth grade. Drake is the son of David and Laura Scroggins of Bunker Hill. Drake was complimentary of Rep. Davis's nomination and understanding his drive to be an Air Force cadet. “I will never forget getting the call from Congressman Davis,” Drake said. “It was a very proud moment to hear from him.” Recently, Drake played a pivotal role with a hat trick (three goals) for the East Alton-Wood River Mississippi Valley Conference Hockey Association team. He has been a member of the team for four years. The three goals and win in the post-season lifted his East Alton-Wood River squad. Drake said he would love to play hockey

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EDWARDSVILLE – How does one decide their career aspirations? With a vast array of professional paths available, it’s a daunting decision with major quality of life implications. For some, like Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) student Paige Summers, the way forward is defined by personal influences. Her calling became apparent through lived experience, and she has pursued it without hesitation. In spring 2015, Lisa Lubsch, PharmD, BCPPS, clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and pediatric pharmacy specialist with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, was among the healthcare team treating Summers who had been admitted to Cardinal Glennon for critically high blood pressure. Fast forward to September 2020 when Lubsch received the following message. “Dr. Lubsch, My name is Paige Summers and I am almost certain that I was one of your patients as a child at Cardinal Glennon Hospital.

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ALTON - Ten individuals were recognized at the Annual Black Honor Awards at the Living Word Church in Alton. Bishop Jessie Prather is the senior pastor. Honored were Elder Walter Washington, Monique Flulks, Evangelist La Trecia Brown, Marcus Mickles, Amy Connor, Larry Lee, Alton First Lady Sheila Goins, Alton Mayor David Goins, Lovie Ward, and Elder Dreyfus Harris. “We just celebrated the second year of the awards and this celebration was a huge success with the help of God,” event organizer Tameter Ward said. “We were blessed to give out awards to 10 different wonderful, amazing individuals. “I loved every bit about this celebration on this day because showing love is what I love to do.” Tameter said it is always better to give than receive and that is how she was brought up. “I am always proud to give back,” she said. “I also want to make people feel good about themselves.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) to introduce the Continued Waiver of Interest on State Unemployment Loans during the Pandemic Act . This legislation would extend the waiver of interest payments on federal unemployment loans during the pandemic to help Illinois and other states financially as they support their constituents and respond to the dual economic and health crises. The bill would extend the period of interest-free loans from September 6, 2021, to September 30, 2022. The provision is set up to be contiguous with the date of the lapse of the interest-free waiver, meaning there would be no gap in the relief to states. It would operate retroactively as if the interest-free nature had never expired. A further extension of the waiver on unemployment loan interest will improve state and business recovery in many states. “Illinoisans

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Rotary Club honored Edwardsville High School student Gavin Walls with the Student of the Month Award for the month of February. Gavin was nominated by Mr. Kelsey Pickering. Gavin is an Illinois State Scholar and achieved High Honor Roll. He also plays both football and soccer at Edwardsville High School. In his spare time, Gavin enjoys weightlifting and kicking footballs. Gavin plans to attend the Missouri State University after graduating from EHS. The Edwardsville Rotary Club recognizes a student each month September through April. Each May, Edwardsville High School staff chooses one of the monthly winners to receive the $1,500 Edwardsville High School Rotary Scholarship. The awards have been given since 1996 and the Edwardsville Rotary Club has given out over $28,000 in scholarships to date.

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– U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after President Biden and the Department of Homeland Security announced that Ukrainians in the U.S. can receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS): “I’m glad that President Biden made this important decision that I called for to ensure Ukrainians, with their homeland under attack from Russia, can safely remain in our country. This is yet another sign that our nation remains united with the people of Ukraine and the rest of the free world against Vladimir Putin’s unjustified and unjustifiable war of choice.” Earlier this week, Duckworth called on the Biden Administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ukrainians in the U.S. following the Russian military invasion. She also spoke on the Senate floor to express her support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in Illinois and abroad amid Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.

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EAST ALTON – Volunteers are needed to help to remove bush honeysuckle at Piasa Bird Park in Alton, Illinois from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday, March 24. Free lunch and necessary tools will be provided to volunteers. The volunteer day is being hosted by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC SM ) in partnership with the Lewis and Clark Community College Restoration Ecology program, the Three Rivers Project of Sierra Club Illinois and the City of Alton. This project is supported by Trees Forever. Normally a spot to enjoy the river, experience local wildlife and learn the history of the legendary Piasa Bird, Piasa Bird Park is currently overrun with bush honeysuckle, an invasive plant species that hinders the growth of native trees and shrubs. “Participants will learn about habitat restoration efforts taking place in the local community,” Director of Environmental Education Sarah Fisher said. “Cleaning up the Piasa Park an

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URBANA – Any homeowner who has suffered from flood waters in the yard will find getting the lawn back can take some time. Several factors impact the amount of damage and the recovery, including what kind of grass, what season, and how long the area stayed flooded. Temperature and tolerance Water temperature controls how long grasses can stay submerged and survive, according to Bruce Branham, University of Illinois professor and faculty Extension specialist. “Spring flooding with cold water often results in minimal damage. Summer flooding with warm water can cause rapid turf death if submerged more than a day or two. Turf grasses vary significantly in their tolerance to flooding. Fine fescues have poor submersion tolerance and can be killed in as little as a day of submersion under warm water. On the other hand, creeping bentgrass has excellent submersion tolerance and can tolerate several days of flooding. Kentucky bluegrass has medium submersion tolerance while perennial

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SPRINGFIELD - The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois announced March 1, plans to establish The Evermode Institute, a new center for Catholic spiritual and intellectual formation in Springfield, and that the institute will include priests from the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, who will establish a new community there. In what will be located at the site of the former Chiara Center on the grounds of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in Springfield, The Evermode Institute will focus on formation for Catholics, offering programming for both ordained and lay teachers of the faith such as catechists, Parish School of Religion teachers (PSR), Catholic school teachers, and other groups who teach the faith. Several priests from the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, based in Orange, Calif., will move to the property with the necessary preliminary steps being taken this summer. Serving at The Evermode Institute will be their primary apostolate. A date for when

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SPRINGFIELD - The Pritzker administration applauds the federal announcement of new nursing home accountability measures that President Biden highlighted during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has been working with Illinois nursing home associations, organizations representing workers and other interested parties for more than two years on long-needed nursing home rate reform that directly ties new money for long-term care facilities to their performance and the quality of care for residents. HFS pays for the care of about 45,000 Illinoisans in nursing homes across the state and believes their care and safety is of utmost importance. The federal push for increased accountability underscores how urgently change is needed. As President Biden’s proposal highlighted, public funds continue to flow to nursing homes while too many of these facilities are providing a poor quality of care and are understaffed, which can mea

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ST. LOUIS - Sew Hope STL, a new and first-of-its-kind community sewing room is opening in North County on March 4. The 2,600 square foot creative space is a place where kids and adults can come learn how to sew, quilt, and explore their creativity. The idea is to create a gathering space for individuals of various ages, and backgrounds to come together under one commonality (creating things with their hands) and learn from each other. The investment amount was $15,000.00 in start-up funds and over $3,000.00 donated of fabric, sewing notions, and supplies by area sewing nonprofits. Owner Kacie Starr Long says of the space, “We often hear about food deserts in urban communities but what about creative deserts? We have lacked vibrant spaces where people can create, interact and explore their creativity by using their hands and God-given talents. With the introduction of Sew Hope, we now have that space." The new attraction will employ (will employ one Executive Director and b

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ST. LOUIS - Temps are rising, days are getting longer, people are getting back out and about – and Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis announced registration is now open for the CMT Ten Toe Express®. This award-winning program helps older adults and other interested individuals lead healthier lives by linking activity, sociability and exercise with the use of MetroLink and MetroBus. The spring session is 12 weeks long, running from April 6 through the end of June and costs $10 to participate. Registration can be completed at www.cmt-stl.org or at one of the many in-person registrations events being held community wide. The Ten Toe Express® program features weekly guided Ten Toe Express Walking Tours, allowing walkers to be part of a group as they become familiar with the transit system and how to utilize it to get to attractions regionwide. These walks, led by trained, volunteer walk leaders, range in length from 0.3 to 5 miles, depending on the group

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PONTOON BEACH/ALTON/GODFREY - Ameren Illinois customers in and around Madison County will see energy at work firsthand throughout the spring and well into the fall as crews replace vintage steel pipeline and natural gas services with modern, corrosion-resistant polyethylene material. Crews working on behalf of Ameren Illinois will replace more than five miles of natural gas pipeline and nearly 375 individual customers' natural gas services. The total investment for these projects is $8.2 million and all should be completed by the end of the year, weather pending. Communities include: Pontoon Beach – Crews will start working in July at the Gateway Tradeport to upgrade a high-pressured natural gas pipeline to provide additional capacity to the natural gas system to meet current and future development for the Pontoon Beach area. Total project investment is $3.1 million. Alton – In March, crews will begin work in two neighborhoods starting on State Street. They will

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COLLINSVILLE – The Collinsville Police Department (CPD) requested the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 6 to investigate an officer-involved shooting (OIS) in the 100 block of Arnold Street in Collinsville. Illinois State Police said on Thursday that at approximately 8:36 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, Collinsville Police Department responded to a residence in the 100 block of Arnold Street location for a reported home invasion. When officers arrived, they observed Kevin C. Steinhauer, a 45-year-old male from East Carondelet, Illinois, inside the residence with a firearm. "Reportedly, after repeated orders from the officers to drop the weapon, Steinhauer opened the door and fired at the officers," ISP said. "Officers returned fire and struck Steinhauer. Officers attempted to render aid, however, Steinhauer succumbed to his injuries at the scene. No officers were injured in the incident. ISP said the investigation is still ongoing and

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Illinois State Police District 11 has released information about a single-vehicle fatal traffic crash in St. Clair County involving an Ava, IL., man. The incident occurred at 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Jason C. Mayes, 47, died from injuries suffered in the crash. The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by the Illinois State Police District 11: WHAT: Single-Vehicle Fatal Traffic Crash WHERE: I-55 northbound milepost 20, near Collinsville, St. Clair County WHEN: 7:35 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2022. DRIVER: Unit 1 – Jason C. Mayes, a 47-year-old-male of Ava, IL – Fatally Injured VEHICLE: Unit 1 – Red 2005 GMC Truck pulling a trailer PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigative details indicate the following occurred: Unit 1 was traveling northbound on I-55 at milepost 20, near Collinsville. Unit 1 left the roadway to the right for unknown reasons, struck a light pole, and rolled multiple times. The driver

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SPRINGFIELD – The indoor mask mandate has expired in Illinois and State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) along with State Representatives Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); and Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) are calling on House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch to end the mandate on the House floor. “Today, we again entered the Illinois House chamber without a mask and again we were escorted off the House floor. While the indoor mask mandate in Illinois is over; it is very much alive in the Illinois House of Representatives. We are told the indoor mask mandate is no longer necessary and so it is being lifted statewide, and according to the CDC, mask requirements are no longer necessary for most of the country. So, why is the Illinois House keeping the mask mandate in place? The reason is simple. Control. The authoritarian leftists have turned masks into a symbol of subjugation. They are keeping the mask rule simply because they can. The majority party has no data to back

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