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ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Two people are in custody after a child’s remains were found buried Wednesday in a wooded area in Stookey Township outside Belleville, Illinois, in a case authorities said is believed to be connected to a parental kidnapping investigation involving St. Louis Police and Desloge, Mo., Police. Photos of the suspects in the kidnapping case have been released and are shown above. The child's remains were found after a multi-agency search on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Officials

ALTON/GODFREY – Fans of music, film, and history won’t want to miss the next event offerings from Hayner Library this summer. Mary Cordes with the Hayner Public Library District outlined a few of their exciting upcoming events during the latest “ Beyond the Shelves” segment on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . Music lovers can experience a blend of Celtic and American sounds at an upcoming free concert in Godfrey. “Switchback: A Celebration of American Root

EDWARDSVILLE - A man was sentenced Thursday to 115 years in prison after abducting a woman at knifepoint outside a Collinsville Starbucks and sexually assaulting her. Judge Berkley handed down the sentence. Timothy Dubois Jr. was found guilty in May on 10 charges following a three-day trial in which jurors heard testimony from the victim and watched portions of Dubois’ confession tape. He must serve 85% of his sentence. Investigators said the 21-year-old victim was sitting alone in her

GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon Police have charged a village resident with battering a 12-year-old child. The 33-year-old Glen Carbon woman faces one count each of aggravated battery (a Class 3 felony) and domestic battery (a Class A misdemeanor) filed in Madison County court on July 2, 2026. The woman allegedly knowingly struck a 12-year-old child on the face with a belt on May 26, 2026, causing bruising and bodily harm. The Glen Carbon Police Department presented the case to prosecutors,

ALTON - Ashley Trail, a 24-year-old Alton native, is set to appear on the 90-minute season premiere of CBS' "Big Brother" on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 7 p.m. Central Time, as one of the first 14 houseguests introduced by host Julie Chen Moonves. Trail was born and raised in Alton and now lives in Chicago. She works for Barstool Sports as the weather girl for the show and also does some bartending at a popular bar in Chicago. She is also an Alton High graduate. On the "Big Brother" site, Trail

EDWARDSVILLE - Tyhlee Simms was a junior forward and a co-author of a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of girls' basketball at Granite City High School, helping the Warriors to a 21-10 record in the regular season in 2025-2026. She is a Stillwater Senior Living Female Athlete Of The Month. A year ago, the Warriors went 12-17, and in 2023-24, Granite finished at 2-25. The Granite City School Board of Education hired veteran coach Ron Twichell to head the program, and he has played a significan

Leaving for college or the workforce is one of the most momentous times in a young person’s life. But it’s stressful for parents too. Imagine dropping your only child off three states away, becoming an empty nester in the process. You’d probably shed a tear too. Sara Bennett, a psychotherapist at OSF HealthCare, reminds you: these feelings are normal, and you’re not alone. “Anytime we have an adjustment period, it’s hard. We have a lot of mixed emotions,”

ALTON - The Alton Police Department announced on Thursday, July 9, 2026, that it is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies in a statewide enforcement effort to reduce speeding and improve traffic safety. Throughout the month, motorists can expect increased patrols focused on speeding and other traffic violations, according to the department. The effort will include intensified enforcement of posted speed

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is launching Licensed Certified Professional Midwife (LCPM) services for Illinois Medicaid customers. The new provider type will allow midwives to serve Medicaid customers by attending births that take place outside of hospitals via home and birth center settings. Professional Midwives are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). “I am fully committed to making Illinois the best

ROLLA, Mo. - The Concrete Canoe Design Team at Missouri University of Science and Technology placed second at their first trip to the American Society of Civil Engineers Civil Engineering Student Championship, held June 25-27 in Fairmont, West Virginia. The team competed against 25 other teams from across the U.S., as well as teams from Canada, China, and India. Students who traveled to the competition include: * Drew Angle, a junior in civil engineering from Glen Carbon, Illinois * Kellen

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and nine of their Senate colleagues in submitting public comment to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to demand OMB rescind a proposed rule, broadly titled “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance” , that could alter how nearly all federal agencies administer grants and financial agreements. The proposed change would give more

ST. LOUIS — The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, in collaboration with MCORE Foundation, will host a free cardiac screening event July 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Center for youth ages 12–22. This initiative aims to raise awareness about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and provide potentially life-saving preventive screenings to identify undetected heart conditions. Participants will receive non-invasive electrocardiograms (ECGs) and limited echocardiograms performed by registered sonographer

CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) announced disaster tax relief for individuals and businesses in 11 counties affected by severe storms, tornadoes, heavy rainfall, straight-line winds, and flooding between March 10, 2026, and June 21, 2026. “In the wake of these devastating storms, my administration is ensuring that impacted residents and businesses have the support they need to recover,” said Governor JB Pritzker . “By

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced nighttime ramp closures at the Interstate 64 and Illinois 159 interchange in St. Clair County. Beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 2026, the northbound Illinois 159 ramp to westbound I-64 will close. The ramp is expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Friday, July 10, weather permitting. The ramp will close again beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, July 10, and is expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, July 13, weather permitting.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation and Capital Development Board were joined today by local officials and industry leaders to celebrate the completion of the new $63 million Materials Testing and Research Center. The cutting-edge facility, on the grounds of IDOT’s headquarters next to the Harry R. Hanley Building, will continue to propel the state in the field of highway construction materials and keep Illinois at the forefront of industry research, while

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a bipartisan $45 million multistate settlement with Block Inc., the company behind the popular peer-to-peer payments app Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that Block misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, failed to protect users from fraud on the platform, and didn't provide fraud protection and resolution required by law. “Block told Cash App users their money was safe and falsely implied that the app

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that applications are being accepted for new partners to administer the popular Cycle Rider Safety Training Program. Recent changes in state law have expanded the pool of eligible providers that can offer the training supported through Illinois motorcycle registration license endorsement fees. The official Notice of Funding Opportunity, with rules, frequently asked questions and contact information, is available by

SPRINGFIELD – The vacant property in downtown Springfield known as the “Y Block” would be transformed into a public park and venue space featuring native landscapes, a natural limestone amphitheater, shade and a play area for children under a joint initiative of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the City of Springfield. Transfer of the property from the City of Springfield to IDNR appeared on first reading before the Springfield City Council on Tuesday,

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a coalition of five attorneys general, today announced a settlement in their antitrust lawsuit against Deere and Company (Deere), resolving allegations the farm equipment manufacturer used unlawful practices to limit the ability of farmers and independent repair providers to perform repairs on Deere farm equipment. “For years, Deere refused to give farmers the right to repair

ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Investigators with the Desloge, Mo., Police Department discovered remains believed to be those of a small child while executing a search warrant July 8, 2026, in Stookey Township, Ill., authorities said, in a case that began with a parental kidnapping report filed last month. The remains were found in St. Clair County, Ill. Stookey Township is an unincorporated part of Belleville just west of downtown Belleville. The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office has not yet positively