Riverbender 🕸

Chocolate didn’t become “romantic” because it’s sweet. It became romantic because people learned to treat it like a message. Hand someone a small box tied with a ribbon and you’re not just giving candy. You’re sending a signal: I noticed you. I chose this. I want you to feel good. That idea—chocolate as a personal, meaningful gift—took centuries to form. It was shaped by medicine, money, advertising, and a few powerful cultural habits that still

On February 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II after the death of her father, King George VI. The change happened suddenly, while she was traveling in Kenya, and it set in motion one of the longest and most closely watched reigns in modern history. At the time, it mattered because Britain and many other countries were still recovering from World War II and adjusting to a rapidly changing world. A new monarch became a symbol of continuity during an era of rebuilding, decolonization,

Friday morning starts chilly with clear skies and a low near 21 degrees. The day will be mostly sunny and breezy with northwest winds gusting up to 32 mph. Temperatures rise to a high of around 44 degrees in the afternoon, but it will feel colder in the wind. By evening, skies stay clear as temperatures drop back to the low 20s overnight with north winds easing moderately. Saturday will be sunny again but cooler with a high around 37 degrees and a low near 26. Winds will be light from the east-southeast

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host the 62nd Annual Lincoln Laureates Convocation and Investiture, where Governor JB Pritzker will confer the state’s highest civilian honor for professional achievement and public service to five distinguished Illinois residents. Hosted by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois , the next cohort of Lincoln Laureates will receive the Order of Lincoln the evening of Saturday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m. in SIUE’s Dunham Hall Theater,

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit supporting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in defending its “Building for the Future Through Electric Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation” order. The order requires electric transmission providers to engage in long-term planning for regional transmission facilities and consider evolving demand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now leading the investigation into the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is demanding U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel to immediately remove any Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents from the investigation. Duckworth’s letter follows the news that HSI agents were originally

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing on fraud in Minnesota. As Durbin made clear in his opening remarks, today’s hearing failed to examine the full breadth of fraud occurring in the United States, including within the Trump Administration. Rather, the Subcommittee use

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the leadership of Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi one year since her confirmation by the U.S. Senate. “A year ago, the United States Senate voted to confirm Pam Bondi as Attorney General. As I said during her confirmation hearing last year, the Attorney General must be

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with the leadership and members of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities (FIICU), which represents 54 private non-profit colleges across Illinois. During their meeting, Durbin and Duckworth spoke about the Trump Administration’s continued attacks on higher education, including limitations on financial support for students and pushing policies that

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, filed a comment letter opposing a federal proposal to eliminate minimum staffing standards and other comprehensive regulations for long-term health care facilities. “These standards increase access to long-term care, protect vulnerable patients, improve care and help to prevent fraud,” Raoul said. “I urge this administration to ensure that minimum staffing requirements are in place,

EDWARDSVILLE - Metro-East Lutheran’s boys basketball team has had a big week. The Knights picked up back-to-back wins this week, defeating Father McGivney Catholic on Tuesday and Southwestern on Wednesday, and will host rival Maryville Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The boys' team stands as Spencer Homes Male Athletes of the Month for MELHS. Metro-East Lutheran led all the way in a 56-42 Gateway Metro Conference upset over Father McGivney at Hooks Gym. Father McGivney scored 14 points

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Dining Services and the Morris University Center/Student Success Center announces the grand opening of Chimega Mart, a cutting-edge, cashierless convenience store located on the second floor of the Student Success Center. Chimega Mart is the newest addition to the Student Success Center and represents an innovative step forward in campus dining and retail convenience. Powered by Amazon Just Walk Out Technology, Chimega Mart allows

JERSEYVILLE – In conjunction with Jerseyville Banking Center, J.C.H.S. has selected their “Students of the Month”. The recipients for the month of January are Hailee Brown (11) (left) & Cecelia Alexander (10) (right). The selection of a “Student of the Month” is based upon the number of F.O.C.U.S. nominations, which a student receives for a given month. F.O.C.U.S. (Finding One Clearly Unique Student) is a program, which acknowledges a student each week for academics

O'FALLON, Ill. - O’Fallon Police Chief Kirk Brueggeman said he is seeking to clarify information about an officer-involved shooting in August. In a message from Chief Brueggeman, the O’Fallon Police Department said Officer Brett Johnson responded Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, to what the chief described as “a serious domestic disturbance involving a male armed with a knife who was actively attacking two family members.” Brueggeman said Johnson arrived at a residence

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Tracey Mann (KS-01) introduced the More Behavioral Health Providers Act to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder care in areas struggling with a shortage of mental health professionals. The bipartisan legislation would expand eligibility for incentives under Medicare’s Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Physician Bonus Program to include physician assistants, nurse practitioners,

COLLINSVILLE - Community members can enjoy a sweet night while supporting a local church’s work. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, St. John’s United Church of Christ will host their annual “Death By Chocolate” fundraiser, complete with a silent auction, live music, and plenty of treats. Attendees can enjoy a variety of chocolate-based foods while raising money for St. John’s soup kitchen, after-school program, and music ministry. “You can’t go

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to hold a hearing with Trump Administration witnesses as Congress debates the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) . The request follows a recent Committee hearing on the topic—without any Trump Administration officials present.

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general, four cities and one county on Wednesday in submitting a comment letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opposing its proposal to weaken corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks. Historically, the NHTSA’s standards have reduced consumer costs by improving fuel efficiency for vehicles and decreasing gasoline demand. However,

CHICAGO — The Illinois Lottery today announced it has been re-certified at Level 4 – the highest possible standard – under the World Lottery Association's (WLA) Responsible Gaming Framework, reaffirming its commitment to player protection and responsible gaming practices. The WLA Responsible Gaming Framework is the global lottery industry's most comprehensive and rigorous certification program, evaluating lotteries across 10 core principles including research, employee training,

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, along with a bipartisan group of Senators hosted the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT),