Riverbender 🕸

This story would have been better for the February issue of The Buzz since we got a major snow storm the day after we finished delivery. But I didn’t know the forecast enough in advance. And it was, in fact, that snowstorm that brought these memories back to life in my mind, and made me decide to share them with you. For the sake of the story, it would be nice if we had a major snowfall in March - which conceivably could happen but it won’t this year. Weather.com says temps will range from 46-61 degrees this month. And I won’t complain about that. The snowfall on Feb 2-3 this year in this area of Illinois ranged from 10-15 inches, depending on where you live. I think we got about a foot here at our house. The second day high winds caused drifts on already cleared roads and parking lots. We can see the interstate from our house and if I recall correctly, this is the first time I saw that interstate with almost zero traffic for that long of a period. People buckled down

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March is Women’s History Month. What better place to start than with a new book from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyle, one of our most esteemed living fiction writers. Some may remember her great novels from years ago: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant , The Accidental Tourist , and Breathing Lessons , among many others. Baltimore has been her principal location for her fiction as it is in her newest book, French Braid . Beginning with a family vacation in 1959, Tyler takes us along on a brilliantly perceptive journey deep into one family’s foibles from a boyfriend with a red Chevy in the 1950s to a longed-for reunion with a grandchild in our pandemic present. Margaret Atwood, celebrated as the author of The Handmaid’s Tale , offers us nearly two decades of her musings in Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces , 2004-2021. In more than 50 pieces, Atwood aims her prodigious intellect and impish humor at the world, taking us on a roller-coaster

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(Note: This is released by Associate Judge Ryan Jumper) EDWARDSVILLE - Following the announcement by Circuit Judge William A. (Bill) Mudge that he will not seek retention, I am excited to announce that I will seek to fill that vacancy in the upcoming 2022 elections. Let me be the first to congratulate Judge Mudge on his distinguished career as a public servant, and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. It has been fifty years since Clayton Williams was first appointed an associate judge in Madison County, since that time there has not been a single black circuit judge or county-wide officeholder. Although my candidacy is historic, I’m not running just to be the first black anything, I’m running because the 3rd Circuit needs good smart people who care about and invest in this county to join its leadership. I’ve spent my career both in private practice and on the bench working with principled friends from all backgrounds and know that whatever

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COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police District 11 Troopers continue to investigate a shooting that occurred Thursday morning near East St. Louis. State troopers were dispatched to a single unit crash on the ramp from Interstate 70 eastbound to Interstate 64 eastbound. While Troopers were responding to the scene, the victim, a 49-year-old male from St. Louis, MO., called District 11 telecommunicators. He advised that as he was traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 near Milepost 3 in St. Clair County, a black male in a dark-colored vehicle fired an unknown number of shots at his vehicle. The victim fled from the suspect vehicle and subsequently crashed into the concrete median at the above location. The suspect vehicle also fled the scene. There were no injuries to the driver or defects in the vehicle. The investigation is still open and ongoing. There is no further information available at this time. ISP Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 6 agents and ISP Crime Scene

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James Heinemeier, co-owner and co-founder of J & P’s Edelweiss antique store in Alton along with his wife Patricia, is looking to close the store later this year and retire after 20 years in business. J & P’s Edelweiss is having a large clearance sale to help Heinemeier reach his goal of emptying the store’s packed shelves by this October. Right now, all items are 20% off until the end of March - on April 1, that discount will increase to 25%. This May, all items will be 30% off and any remaining items after that point will be sold at auction. Heinemeier got into the antique business by selling antiques at booths in local antique stores, eventually opening his first antique shop in the Mineral Springs Mall in the 1990s. He bought the old Alton Tire Sales Co. building at 435 East Broadway in 2002 and opened J & P’s Edelweiss - since then, his collection has expanded considerably. “To understand my store, words can’t do it - you need to come

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SEE VIDEO: EDWARDSVILLE - The new Essential Venue business in Trace on the Parkway in Edwardsville had a well-attended grand opening hosted by the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce this week. A full video of the ribbon cut is included at the top of the article. Owner Danyel Harrell is the mastermind behind the new event venue in Edwardsville, located at 6170 Bennett Drive, Suite C, Edwardsville. A Grand Opening Community Meet & Greet is set from noon to 4 p.m. for Saturday, March 12. She said at the ribbon cut that Essential Venue (EV) is open to nearly any type of gathering from baby showers, retirement parties, private dinners, before and after prom ceremonies, luncheons and is space capable of hosting a wide variety of events. “It is a micro-event space,” Harrell said. “It doesn’t seat as many as a large event space. It will seat about 60 people for a network or social event or 80 in a smaller event.” Harrell stressed Event Venue

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Scott Reinhardt II, age 36, to 25 years in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime on supervised release for the production of child pornography. Reinhardt previously pleaded guilty in December 2021. According to the plea agreement, between the dates of February 1, 2020, and December 13, 2020, in Jefferson County, Missouri, Reinhardt sexually abused the victim, who was under the age of ten at the time. Reinhardt used his cellular telephone to video record and produce images of his sexual abuse of the victim. Reinhardt also used the same cellular telephone to secretly record a second minor female victim while nude in the bathroom of the residence he shared with the victims’ mother. Reinhardt had been previously convicted on November 12, 2014, of one count of statutory rape second degree and two counts of statutory sodomy second degree for sexual contact perpetrated against a minor, who was

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CALHOUN COUNTY - Rashad L. Stewart, 18, of the 100 block of South Pence Street in East Alton, was taken into custody Thursday, March 10, 2022, on a felony warrant of Aggravated Battery With A Firearm. Wood River Police Department Chief Brad Wells said Stewart was taken into custody by Detectives with the Wood River Police Department, the U. S. Marshall’s Office, and Deputies with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Stewart was taken into custody during a search for him this morning, at approximately 9 a.m., in the 400 block of Porcupine Lane, Hamburg, Illinois. At 11:35 p.m. on February 13, 2022, the Wood River Police Department received a 911 call from the 300 block of Bonita Street for a male who had been shot in the chest. Officers were dispatched. The male victim was treated at the scene and transported to a St. Louis area hospital. The victim was speaking with officers prior to being transported. As a result of the investigation, officers were able to determine Stewart

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JERSEYVILLE – A local man had a very lucky day on Thursday, March 10, when a visit to a local gas station turned into big winnings on the video gaming machines. Eldon Medford, general manager for Medford Food Mart said, “We really enjoy seeing our customers win big, but this is the largest one we have ever seen.” The winnings for the man who wanted to remain anonymous totaled over $15,000 between three different payout slips. The first two totaled around $3,500 and the big hit was a single payout of $11,681.50 shortly after the first two. Medford said the man was very excited and didn’t mind the wait for the state to show up to hand pay the winnings and that He didn’t specify what he plans to do with the winnings but it’s great to see. Medford Food Mart is partnered with Accel Entertainment for its video gaming program and is the local leader in the area in terms of video gaming volume. Medford Food Mart is a family-owned business based out of Jerseyville.

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), received notice from USDA Wildlife Services of the first confirmed highly pathogenic Eurasian H5 Avian Influenza (Avian Flu) in a wild bird in Illinois for 2022. Three Canada geese, located in Will County were submitted for sampling on March 2, 2022. The findings were confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory on March 10. Wild bird detections have been occurring throughout early 2022 and many states have also experienced detections in domestic poultry recently. While Illinois has not seen any Avian Flu in backyard or commercial poultry within the state this year, this finding demonstrates that the virus is present and may be circulating within the wild bird population in Illinois. Anyone that owns birds or is involved with poultry production, whether on a small or commercial level

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is requesting President Joe Biden directs Attorney General Merrick Garland to establish and chair a Gasoline Price Gouging Enforcement Task Force to carefully monitor and investigate oil and gas markets for potential violations of criminal or civil laws, including gasoline price gouging, that inflict financial harm on hard-working American families at the pump and result in higher prices for all, as businesses pass on higher operating costs to customers. In part, Duckworth wrote: “Whether from price manipulation or fraud in the commodities market, the United States Government must prioritize protecting American consumers from suffering financial harm as a result of oil and gas executives taking advantage of a deadly global pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s unjustified and unlawful brutal war of aggression against Ukraine to increase corporate profits on the backs of consumers. Establishing a task force consisting o

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EDWARDSVILLE - Junior Leticia Bennasar Lluy of Metro East Lutheran High School had a big season this year, averaging 9.2 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Knights. Leticia is the Metro East Lutheran High School Female Athlete of the Month. She said she would like to thank her parents for always helping her, taking her to basketball practices and games. "I also want to thank my coach Sonia Pons, from Spain for always making me work hard and not giving up and for trusting me as a player," she said. "And thanks to Mr. Stock for coaching me this season and making this a great basketball season for me." Leticia averaged 3.5 blocks per game during this season, 9.2 points per game, and 8.1 rebounds per game. "I also think that I had a lot of dedication for the team, going to all the games and practices," she said. "I’ve been playing basketball for 12 years now; I started when I was 4. The things that I like the most about basketball are that I got to meet a lot

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House of Representatives adopted a resolution sponsored by State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) on Thursday to honor the life of South Roxana Fire Chief Todd Werner. “Chief Werner dedicated his life to public service in Madison County by serving as a first responder. His selfless commitment to the community won’t be forgotten,” said Rep. Elik. “After talking with other first responders in the county, it became evident that Chief Werner made a positive impact on the people who were fortunate to call him a friend.” Chief Werner worked in the fire service for 30 years. He joined the South Roxana Fire Department in 1996 and became the Fire Chief in 2013. Chief Werner had been employed by the Madison County Sheriff's Office for the last three years before his passing on July 1, 2021, at the age of 48. Werner was a member of the South Roxana Dad's Club and the Madison County Emergency Management Association; at the time of

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EDWARDSVILLE - A prosecutor Wednesday said he may introduce evidence of the blood of murder victim Michael Ladd on the boot of Zachary Capers when the case comes to trial, but Capers' attorney indicated she may introduce an alibi defense and suggest an alternative suspect. Assistant State’s Attorney Jake Harlow said DNA analysis showed Michael Ladd’s blood on the heel of a boot that Capers wore. He argued at an evidence hearing before Associate Judge Neil Schroeder. Public Defender Mary Copeland told the judge she may suggest an alternative suspect. She said six people were interviewed after the death of Michael Ladd, 79, and Dr. Lois Ladd, 68, both of Edwardsville. The two were found stabbed to death at their residence on March 18, 2019. An employee of Lois Ladd had reported that she had not appeared at her office, as usual. Copeland argued that several associates of Michael Ladd’s construction company speculated that another man had killed the two

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ST LOUIS, MO. — Daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 13, and the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis reminds everyone to TURN your clocks forward one hour and TEST your smoke alarms. Did you know working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half? That’s why it’s critical to “Turn and Test” and take these lifesaving steps to stay safe from home fires — the nation’s most frequent disaster: Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it. Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. That’s because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Check the date of your smoke alarms and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Practice your two-minute escape plan . Make sure everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes

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ALTON — The Southwest Illinois Division of United Way of Greater St. Louis recently awarded Kids Corner and Refuge, two nonprofits that serve Madison County, Ill, with a total of $14,000 through the Carol F. Martin Trust Grant Fund. A $4,000 grant awarded to Kids Corner will help them fund programs for children who have been displaced because of parent separation, and a $10,000 grant awarded to Refuge will support programs that prevent childhood exposure to violence and abuse. “United Way of Greater St. Louis is proud to support Kids Corner and Refuge as they focus on the well-being of children and families in our community,” said Maura Wuellner, director of the Southwest Illinois Division of United Way. “United Way is able to invest in the varying needs of our community because of the generosity and support of our donors, volunteers, and community.” Kids Corner is managed by the Children’s First Foundation whose goal is to prepare families

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ALTON - The board of directors of Marquette Catholic High School is pleased to announce Tim Harmon as principal for the 2022-23 school year. Harmon currently serves as interim principal. The board of directors has also removed the “interim” status, effective immediately. “In a short period of time, Tim has shown extraordinary leadership in representing the school,” said Board President David Bartosiak. “His willingness to serve Marquette Catholic is great news for the students, parents, faculty, and staff. We believe he is absolutely the right person to lead the Marquette family at this time.” Harmon holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Harmon is a ten-year veteran of Marquette Catholic, where he started in the social studies department in 2012. He is regarded and respected as a talented teacher by both parents and students, and he will continue to teach two sections of Honors U.S.

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced on Thursday that Erin Arras, 46, of Belleville, pled guilty to one count of aggravated driving while under the influence causing death stemming from an automobile accident in September 2020 in Alton. On September 7, 2020, first responders responded to an accident on West Broadway in Alton involving Arras’s vehicle and a motorcycle. One of the motorcycle’s passengers died as a result of the accident, and the other sustained serious injuries. Arras presented signs of intoxication, and toxicology reports showed her blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit. Following the accident, Arras was charged with one count of aggravated driving while under the influence causing death, a Class 2 Enhanced felony. In exchange for her guilty plea, Arras was sentenced to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Haine thanked the Alton Police Department, Illinois State Police, and Assistant

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SPRINGFIELD — St. Patrick’s Day means parades, parties and lots of green for communities throughout Illinois. If your celebratory green will go beyond your favorite St. Paddy’s Day T-shirt and hat to include alcohol or cannabis, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and local law enforcement remind you to plan ahead for a sober ride home. “If you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, make your own luck by designating a sober driver or deciding how you’ll get home safely before you leave the house,” said Cynthia Watters, IDOT’s bureau chief of Safety Programs and Engineering. “Too many people wait until after they’ve become impaired to figure out how they’ll get home, but by then it’s too late to make a coherent decision.” The St. Patrick’s Day enforcement effort runs from March 11 through the early-morning hours of March 18. Throughout this period, the Illinois State Police

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JERSEYVILLE - Sara Poletti and Kate Jones were selected as the District FFA Proficiency Winners in Agricultural Sales Placement and Small Animal Production and Care. Sara Poletti and Kate Jones are members of the Jerseyville FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA. Illinois FFA recognizes students in forty-seven different areas based on their work-based learning, also known as Supervised Agricultural Experiences or SAE. FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through record keeping, leadership, and scholastic achievement may be considered for this award. SAEs allow students to learn by doing by either owning and operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business, or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results. A committee of agriculture industry representatives and teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area selected Sara Poletti as the District 3 Winner in

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