Riverbender 🕸

This morning starts off bitterly cold with temperatures near 8 degrees, feeling like 3 below zero. The sky is clear, and winds come from the west-northwest at 10 to 14 mph with gusts around 29 mph. By afternoon, conditions become mostly sunny with a high near 28 degrees. It will be breezy but not as cold as recent days. Evening lowers the temperature with clear skies remaining and a light breeze. Expect temperatures to drop to a low near 3 degrees, feeling like 3 below zero again overnight. Winds

GODFREY – Godfrey is one step closer to passing new regulations on video gaming within the village. Village Board members gave an “Ordinance Regulating Liquor and Gaming” a first reading at their Jan. 20, 2026 meeting , with a second reading and final vote set for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Currently, businesses holding Class A and Class N liquor licenses are eligible for video gaming licenses in Godfrey. Class A licenses apply to restaurants, while Class N licenses apply t

GLEN CARBON - State Senator Erica Harriss (56 th -Glen Carbon) has released the following statement following today’s closure announcement of Alton Steel: “I am truly shocked by today’s announcement. Just weeks ago, Alton Steel was actively hiring, and there were no indications that these jobs or this facility were at risk. Families built their plans and their futures around this work, and that sense of stability has been pulled out from under them without warning. “An

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) is collecting ‘Valentine’s for Veterans’ cards and drawings at his district office in Cahokia Heights. Representative Schmidt is encouraging students and residents of all ages to make Valentine cards with a special thank you, including well-wishes to veterans that served our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces. “I believe the small things we do for the men and women who served our country makes a big difference

ALTON – State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) released the following statement following news that Alton Steel Inc. plans to cease operations this week: “I am stunned to learn about Alton Steel’s decision to shut its doors. First and foremost, my concerns are with the over 250 employees whose lives are upended by this closure. I will engage with state and local partners to do everything I can to assist with job placement. "I am thankful for the 25 years that Alton Steel

ALTON/JERSEYVILLE - Denise Sparks of Sparks Junk Removal wants to see more choice in the trash industry. Sparks recently stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to talk about Jerseyville’s public forum held on Jan. 20, 2026, regarding the city’s curbside trash pickup . She commended Mayor Kevin Stork for “really listen to what the people had to say,” but emphasized that Jerseyville residents don’t want the city to enter into an exclusive

ALTON – Meeting participants at Alton City Hall may soon have less time to address the city’s elected officials. Alton Committee of the Whole members are set to consider a resolution at their next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 which would shorten the time limit for public comments from the current five minutes to three minutes per speaker. If more than 10 people sign up to make comments at the same meeting, each individual’s time would be limited further to just two

WORDEN/EDWARDSVILLE - Worden Elementary School students learned about sportsmanship in a schoolwide hockey tournament. On Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, Worden students faced off in their PE classes to see who would win the coveted hockey stick, which will hang in the hallway outside of the winners’ classroom for the remainder of the school year. But most importantly, the kids learned more about working together and supporting one another on and off the field. “You couldn’t have

EDWARDSVILLE — In accordance with Senate Bill 1523, Madison County Recorder, Linda Andreas, officially established a new Fraud Referral and Review Process aimed at enhancing the integrity and transparency of county recorder operations. This process will facilitate the review and referral of suspected fraud related to documents or election-related filings processed by the Recorder’s Office. SB 1523, which became effective January 1 st , 2026, mandates county recorders to implement

ALTON – Alton Steel Inc. announced on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, "with deep sadness" that it will cease operations effective this week. After nearly 25 years of steel production in Alton, the company faces insurmountable challenges, including aging infrastructure, intense market competition, and industry consolidation that make continued operation economically unsustainable. The closure will impact approximately 253 employees, plus contractors and vendors. “This is an incredibly

ALTON - Marshall Pfahler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, reported frigid temperatures across the region on Monday morning, Jan. 26, 2026. Alton recorded the lowest temperature at minus 6 degrees, with other areas experiencing similar cold conditions. According to Pfahler, Cahokia had a low of minus 1 degree, while St. Louis Lambert Airport and Millstadt both registered lows of minus 5 degrees. Wind chills further intensified the cold, dropping temperatures to

CENTERVILLE - Centreville, Illinois, recorded the highest total from weather watchers this past weekend at 10.5 inches, according to Marshall Pfahler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Centreville is a community in St. Clair County. Nearby communities in Illinois also saw substantial snowfall: Columbia received 9.5 inches, Collinsville and Edwardsville each reported 8.5 inches, Granite City had 7.8 inches, Swansea measured 7.7 inches, and Godfrey reported 7.3 inches. An official

HARDIN - On January 23, 2026, Zach Hardin was officially appointed Sheriff of Calhoun County, Illinois, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Sheriff William “Bill” Heffington. The appointment was made during a Special Meeting of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners held at the Calhoun County Government Building in Hardin, Illinois. A quorum of the Board was present and unanimously approved the motion to appoint Hardin to the Office of Sheriff of Calhoun County. The

TROY, IL — The Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce invites the community to light up the night at GloBingo 2026, happening Friday, March 13, 2026, at the Tri-Township Activity Center in Troy. The event will feature GloBingo, a high-energy, glow-themed bingo experience provided by Tribout Distributors, transforming Friday the 13th into a lucky night full of fun, prizes, and excitement. GloBingo 2026 is proudly sponsored by Troy Car Care and Edward Jones (Linda Manley), whos

GRAFTON — The City of Grafton finalized the purchase of the Grafton Ferry from the Calhoun Ferry Company (CFC) on Wednesday, January 20, 2026, following unanimous City Council approval the previous day. Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow met with ferry owners Denise Knight and Vincent Baalman to complete the transaction, marking a significant step toward establishing full-time, year-round ferry service between Grafton, Illinois, and St. Charles, Missouri. The signing ceremony took place in Grafton

ST. CLAIR COUNTY - St. Clair County emergency and road crews are actively responding to winter weather conditions by keeping residents informed and working to maintain safe roadways. The St. Clair County Emergency Management agency has been providing timely updates about weather developments. Meanwhile, the county’s road crews have been loading more salt and working around the clock to treat and clear the roads. St. Clair County Emergency Management officials urge drivers to give snow

FIELDON – Felony charges have been filed in Jersey County against a Litchfield man after an alleged domestic battery incident in Fieldon. Steve F. Johnson, 39, of Litchfield, Ill., was charged on Jan. 20, 2026 with a Class 2 felony count of aggravated domestic battery and a Class 4 felony count of unlawful restraint. Johnson allegedly intentionally committed an act of domestic battery against an individual victim on Jan. 18, 2026. On the same date, he reportedly unlawfully refused to

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — An adult male died in a house fire Friday night, Jan. 23, 2026, in the 3600 block of Paule Avenue, St. Louis County police said. Officers from the South County Precinct responded at 10:20 p.m. on Jan. 23 to assist another agency with the fire. Upon arrival, they found the fire was no longer active, but were informed a resident remained inside the home. Officers located the victim inside, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives from the Bureau of Crimes

ALTON/BELLEVILLE - Illinois Department of Transportation personnel have been actively managing snow and icy conditions on state roadways for more than 50 hours as of Monday morning, Jan. 26, 2026, according to Joe Monroe, IDOT operations engineer. In an interview around 10 a.m. on Monday, Monroe said the team has deployed its full arsenal of snow-fighting equipment and materials, including salt, hot brine, and calcium chloride, to address the winter weather challenges. Temperatures were recorded

WORDEN/EDWARDSVILLE - Worden Elementary School students came together to collect and recycle shoes. The school’s Green Earth Club, led by STEM teacher Gretchen Hertz, works hard to complete projects that benefit the environment while giving leadership opportunities to students. Throughout the month of January, students collected 91 pairs of shoes, which will be recycled into new shoes for residents of impoverished countries or turned into playground mulch. “I think we’re