Riverbender 🕸

EDWARDSVILLE - Liberty Middle School eighth graders had the chance to build mini cars as a physics lesson. Science teacher Anna Harris explained that students used CDs, water bottles, rubber bands, balloons and other “junk” materials to build the cars, which they then tested to see how far the cars could go. While the goal was to learn basic physics, like Newton’s Laws of Motion, the students and Harris had a lot of fun with the unique project. “I definitely think

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - Charges were filed Monday against a 19-year-old St. Louis man in connection with the fatal shooting of Lionel Steed during an attempted robbery in St. Louis County, authorities said. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said March 23, 2026, it issued charges against Ta’Rez Roberson, 19, of the 2000 block of Jenner Lane in St. Louis, Missouri, 63138. Roberson is charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts

CHICAGO – On Thursday, March 26, 2026, Governor JB Pritzker denounced President Trump’s threat on Truth Social to deploy the National Guard to America’s airports instead of paying hardworking Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees. After refusing no-strings-attached funding for TSA workers , President Trump is instead again threatening to federalize National Guard troops against the wishes of Governors and make taxpayers bear the brunt of the costs. “Pullin

GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey issued a temporary road closure notice Thursday morning, March 26, 2026, after a report of downed power lines and a pole near the 800 block of Taylor Avenue, with emergency services and Ameren Illinois responding to the scene. The notice was issued at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2026. “There is a report of power lines and a pole down across the road near the 800 block of Taylor Avenue in Godfrey. Emergency services are already on the scene, and Amere

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a former St. Louis County, Missouri, pediatrician to 20 years in prison for prescribing pain pills and other controlled substances in exchange for sex acts, nude photos, or cash. From at least 2014 through May of 2023, Craig A. Spiegel, now 70, exploited his position to obtain cash, sexual acts or sexual photographs from at least 19 patients, many of whom he began treating as children. Spiegel illegally distributed an

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Clarence Birkhead, Sheriff of Durham County, North Carolina, about the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign and its impact on local law enforcement. Durbin first asked Sheriff Birkhead about how immigration enforcement can erode trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias issued another warning to Illinois residents about a surge in text-message scams impersonating the DMV and demanding payment and personal information. To raise public awareness, Giannoulias launched a statewide consumer protection campaign – Don’t Click. It’s a Trick – urging Illinoisans not to click on any links. Giannoulias emphasized that neither the Secretary of State’s office nor the DMV ever send text

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and their Democratic colleagues in releasing new data obtained from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealing that the Trump Administration has attempted to deport hundreds of Veterans and their family members after promising immigration protections at the time of recruitment. The new data also reveals that, in some

ALTON – Plans to operate a waste-to-energy facility in Alton are on hold as city officials seek answers on its potential environmental impacts. At their March 25, 2026 meeting, Alton City Council members agreed to postpone a request for a special use permit from Anzu Power to operate a petroleum product manufacturing facility at 8 Cut Street, near the former site of Alton Steel. Orion Bailey with Anzu Power gave a presentation at the meeting highlighting several alleged benefits of

EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that westbound Interstate 64 will be reduced to one lane between Ninth Street and the westbound I-55 merge in St. Clair County for bridge maintenance. The lane closures will occur at the following times: Wednesday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beginning Friday, April 3, at 9 a.m. through Sunday, April 5, at 9 p.m. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged

ALTON - Community members can support local beautification efforts through upcoming events sponsored by Pride Inc. As an organization, Pride Inc. works with the Alton and Godfrey communities to maintain garden beds, pick up litter, and advocate for beautification. People can support their work by donating to them during their 7–11 a.m. roadblock on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Humbert Road and Tolle Lane, followed by their Citywide Litter Cleanup from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday,

JERSEY - Three Jersey Community High School students have been invited to the Illinois State Capitol to serve on the Illinois Senate Student Advisory Committee, according to Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100. The students — Cloud Sutton, Madalyn Bodenbach, and Rayven Utterback are shown in Springfield participating on the advisory committee. Serving on the statewide committee will leave a lasting positive impact on all three Jersey students.

CHICAGO — An Illinois iLottery player is celebrating a big win after a casual at-home play landed her an $800,000 Lucky Day Lotto ® jackpot.The winner, who chose to remain anonymous under the name ‘Jenny,’ purchased her winning ticket using a meaningful set of numbers—her children’s birthdays. “My usual numbers are always a combination of my birthday and my kids’ birthdays,” Jenny said. “I was in complete shock when I saw I

MONROE COUNTY - The Monroe County State's Attorney's Office has issued felony charges against a Millstadt man following an investigation into an October 2025 head-on crash in the unincorporated Columbia area that killed a Waterloo woman, authorities said. The sheriff’s department said on March 25, 2026, that its investigation into the crash on Bluff Road just south of Bottom Road was complete and that charges had been filed against one of the drivers involved. Deputies, along with Columbia

SPRINGFIELD - State Representatives Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) and Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) held a press conference today, alongside Principal Darla Wall from Annette Officer Elementary School in East St. Louis to discuss their support for a Kindergarten requirement. HB 4253 , filed by Rep. Schmidt and co-sponsored by Rep. Schweizer, would require all students in Illinois to enroll in kindergarten to learn essential skills in reading, writing, and mathematics before entering 1st

Green shows up on “progress” bars, in health logos, on money apps, and on signs that say “Go.” That’s not an accident. For most people, green doesn’t just look pleasant—it feels like things are moving forward. Humans associate green with growth because our brains learned, over a long time, that green often meant “life is working.” Food is more likely nearby. Water is more likely close. The environment is more likely safe enough to stay

On March 26, 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington, D.C., ending three decades of open war between the two countries. The agreement mattered immediately because it reduced the risk of another large regional conflict and set formal rules for borders, diplomacy, and security. It still matters today because it became one of the most durable state-to-state peace deals in the modern Middle East, showing how long-running disputes can shift when leaders accept difficult compromises

CASEYVILLE - Caseyville Police said they arrested a man wanted in connection with an attempted homicide investigation in Shelby County, Tennessee, after tracking him from a motel in Caseyville to a bank in Cahokia Heights and later finding suspected cannabis and a loaded handgun in belongings left in an Uber driver’s vehicle. Officers were dispatched Feb. 23, 2026, to the Quality Inn in Caseyville “in reference to a phone ping indicating the location of a subject wanted for charges

HOLIDAY SHORES — The Holiday Shores Fire Department responded to a fully involved house fire just before 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning in the 1800 block of Sextant Dr. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the home was already fully engulfed in flames. “There was a single occupant in the house. The occupant heard a loud pop, and as they were leaving, the back of the house was on fire,” said Holiday Shores Fire Chief Jim O’Brien. “It appears the fire may have

ALTON – Alton is moving forward with allowing liquor sales to start one hour earlier on Sunday mornings. City Council members approved a resolution on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 to introduce an ordinance to allow liquor license holders to start selling alcohol at 8 a.m. on Sundays, one hour earlier than the city’s current start time of 9 a.m. This follows a request from a local golf course which aims to use the earlier start times to book 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. tee off times for Sunday