Riverbender 🕸

ALTON — A bicyclist was seriously injured Thursday evening, Nov. 20, 2025, after apparently striking the back of a parked vehicle in the 1200 block of Main Street, according to local authorities. The Alton Fire and Police Departments received a call about the incident at 5:31 p.m. on Nov. 20. The bicyclist was transported by ambulance to a hospital in St. Louis with serious injuries. Due to weather conditions, air transport was not possible. Officials have not released further information

CARLYLE - Carlyle Police Chief Mark Pingsterhaus has been placed on paid suspension amid an FBI investigation into the city’s police department, the City of Carlyle has announced on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. The City of Carlyle confirmed it was notified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Nov. 19, 2025, that an inquiry was underway involving the police department. The following day, Chief Pingsterhaus was suspended until further notice. As of Thursday, no charges have been filed, the

COLLINSVILLE - State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) teamed up with Meridian of Illinois to support local residents this holiday season by distributing 100 free Thanksgiving turkeys to the Collinsville Food Pantry on Thursday. “Our goal is to make sure everyone in the 56th District has access to a nutritious meal this Thanksgiving,” said Senator Harriss. “Partnering with Meridian and the Collinsville Food Pantry allows us to provide support to our community members wh

COLLINSVILLE – Two women from Collinsville face felony charges after allegedly stealing a gold coin and gaming console in separate Madison County cases. Deleriana Z. McLemore, 19, of Collinsville, was charged with two counts of theft, both Class 3 felonies, on Nov. 13, 2025. McLemore is accused of knowingly exerting unauthorized control over a gold coin worth over $500 which was property of another individual, knowing the coin had been stolen, on Aug. 19, 2025. The Bethalto Police

KEY POINTS: The CDC website has been changed to add false linkages between vaccines and autism Numerous studies have shown there is no link between the two, and suggesting otherwise only creates unnecessary fear and mistrust Vaccines are safe and effective protection against serious, preventable illnesses SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today released the following statement from Director Dr. Sameer Vohra in response to changes made on the Centers

JERSEYVILLE - Community members are encouraged to enjoy “A Feast for the Ears” at Jersey Community High School’s upcoming Rocksgiving concert. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, community members can enjoy music by the high school’s guitar lab. Students will play music by AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Alice in Chains, and other famous bands, including the Riverbend’s own Judge Nothing. “These kids have got great taste in music,” said Nikki Mooney, a parent

EDWARDSVILLE – Tuesday marked an eventful evening for the Edwardsville Fire Department, with a new firefighter sworn in and a current firefighter promoted. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, longtime Firefighter Joey Cruz was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, while Jacob Hatcher was officially sworn in as the department’s newest firefighter and paramedic. Cruz was honored at the last City Council meeting with an Employee Excellence Award for giving an educational fire

ALTON - The community is invited to Lincoln-Douglas Square for the 32nd annual Community Tree Lighting. Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, with the arrival of Santa Claus. You can enjoy caroling, cookies, hot cocoa and speeches until 6:45 p.m., when Mayor David Goins turns on the lights on the tree. The free community event aims to bring people together, collect donations for The Salvation Army, and foster holiday spirit. “There’s all kinds of fun and

GRANITE CITY – Two area men were charged on the same day with knowingly possessing stolen vehicles, yielding felonies against both in Madison County. Jason R. Warden Sr., 45, of Granite City, was charged on. Nov. 13, 2025, with a Class 2 felony count of offenses related to motor vehicles. On Oct. 27, 2025, Warden allegedly possessed a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox bearing an Illinois vehicle registration number, which he was not entitled to possess, while knowing the vehicle to have been stolen.

ALTON - First Presbyterian Church will host the first concert in its “Music at the Riverbend” series this weekend. At 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, community members can gather at First Presbyterian for “An Autumn Serenade,” a free concert featuring musicians from across the region. The church will host several concerts throughout the next few months. Music Director Mark Brooks is looking forward to kicking off the experience on Sunday. “We’re really

O’FALLON, IL. — The hospice team of HSHS Home Care invites community members to join them at a candlelight memorial on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. in the HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Chapel, 1 St. Elizabeth's Blvd., O’Fallon. The service will be a time to honor and remember during the holiday season the memory of loved ones lost. Everyone attending is invited to bring a photo of their loved one for the memorial board during the event. Other candlelight memorials

JERSEYVILLE – Emergency agencies from Jersey and Calhoun Counties are inviting the public next week to share their concerns, learn about available assistance, and more following severe storms and flooding earlier this year. The City of Jerseyville announced Thursday morning that the Jersey and Calhoun County Emergency Management Agencies and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency have prepared a “Multiagency Resource Center” (MARC) which opens to the public on Tuesday,

WASHINGTON – As open enrollment for 2026 individual market health insurance plans has begun and Americans across the country are facing astronomic increases in their monthly premiums for next year, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor about the health care affordability crisis, which has been manufactured by congressional Republicans as they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. These tax credits lower

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. He began by commenting on the Trump Administration’s judicial nominees who received a “Not Qualified” rating from the American Bar Association (ABA). Durbin then condemned President Trump’s blanket pardon of the January 6 rioters, some of whom have

DUPO – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that both northbound and southbound Illinois 3 will be reduced to one lane from Stolle Road to Interstate 255 in St. Clair County beginning, weather permitting, Friday, Nov. 21, for pavement patching. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to detour signs in work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and

ST. CLAIR COUNTY - A 35-year-old Collinsville woman died Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, 2025, in a four-vehicle crash in a construction zone on Interstate 64 in O’Fallon, the St. Clair County Coroner's Office said. Courtney Brannon was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 8 a.m. Tuesday in the eastbound lanes of I-64 near mile marker 14, close to the U.S. 50 exit, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye and Illinois State Police. Brannon was driving a Ford

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation, the FSMA Fee Technical Corrections Act , to make it easier for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct food safety inspections and recalls by collecting fees from food manufacturers and importers in order to better support the agency’s efforts to prevent foodborne illnesses. In 2010, Durbin led Congress in passing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to expand FDA’s mission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee—and U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced two bipartisan bills aimed to help strengthen aviation safety and support our aviation workforce by fostering transparency surrounding medication guidelines, improving access to mental health care and protecting job security for our nation’s

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting public comment through Jan. 31, 2026, about the abandoned mine lands reclamation projects that have been selected for work through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). IDNR’s Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Division has applied for $75.7 million for land and water reclamation work at 44 abandoned mine sites throughout Illinois to reclaim in the next five years. IDNR will continue to be eligible

JERSEYVILLE - Orchardist Charles Godar’s Jerseyville cooper shop suffered catastrophic fire damage on the night of November 16, 1925. For the past few months, there had been multiple break-in attempts, and Godar had replaced broken padlocks several times. No one connected with the cooper shop was there when the fire began, and authorities believed it was arson: “it was supposed that either by accident or design the person responsible for the repeated removals of padlocks caused