Riverbender 🕸

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced two pieces of bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation—the Smarter Sentencing Act , to modernize federal drug sentencing policies, and the Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act , to provide judges additional flexibility when determining if pretrial detention is appropriate for those accused of nonviolent

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College has established a new Student Advisory Council (SAC) to help give students a platform on campus, and to provide the college’s president and executive team with student input on various matters affecting them. Student Trustee Jim Eck said the idea was born out of several informal sessions with President Ken Tzraska last fall, during which several students shared their positive learning experiences. “We are building on that

BETHALTO - Civic Memorial High School students presented a check to the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education to increase literacy in the community. During the Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 26, 2026, four members of the Educators Rising program at Civic Memorial spoke about their fundraising efforts to assist with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Madison County. Through several initiatives, students have raised money to help continue this program in

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today unveiled nearly $200,000 in Charitable Trust grants to 10 small nonprofits that help people stay in their homes and get job training. “We are helping people who need a helping hand at a time when so many folks are struggling due to higher costs and as our federal government yanks away lifelines,” Treasurer Frerichs said at a news conference at Rockford. “I’m proud to partner with nonprofit organizations

WOOD RIVER – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced traffic impacts near the Phillips 66 refinery’s north entrance along IL 143. Beginning March 2, local law enforcement will change the traffic signal located at IL 143 and the Schnuck’s entrance to red flash between the hours of 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. as well as 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., daily through April 18. These adjustments are necessary to facilitate safe, efficient traffic flow during shift

GRANITE CITY – 1st MidAmerica Credit Union announced its three recipients of the Granite City Community Unit School District #9 Teacher Grants for the 2025 Fall Semester at the February 24, 2026 GCSD9 School Board Meeting. 1st MidAmerica Credit Union Business Development Representative Martha Morse presented each honoree with a $250 grant. Below is a list of the three honorees and how the $250 grant will be used: Jessica Farris - Prather Elementary School Novel for all class reading

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today unveiled nearly $200,000 in Charitable Trust grants to 10 small nonprofits that help people stay in their homes and get job training. In Wood River, Riverbend Family Ministries will receive $20,000 from the grants. “The Charitable Trust program has been a transformative support for our work with families facing housing instability in Madison County,” said Rachel Craddick, executive director of Riverbend Family Ministries

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt introduced a new measure to increase access to life-saving mental health resources and strengthen suicide prevention efforts across the state. “What we’re doing is expanding suicide prevention education across the entire state,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “These are meaningful steps to address mental health proactively and compassionately.” Belt’s measure would require numerous public buildings across

EAST ALTON - East Alton students learned about unity through several Black History Month activities. On Feb. 25, 2026, the Black History Month celebrations concluded with an assembly at East Alton Middle School, where choir members sang songs and students performed a step routine. Fifth grade students at Eastwood Elementary completed a live museum project, and students across the district were encouraged to enter a poster contest. Angela Gray, the school social worker, and Karinsa Moline,

EDWARDSVILLE - Junior reserve forward Sire Borden has been among the first players off the bench this season for Edwardsville's boys basketball team, and he's made some critical contributions to the Tigers in their 22-7 season. Borden hit for six crucial points in a 48-43 overtime win over Staunton at Lucco-Jackson Gym on Feb. 3, and made some key defensive plays during the final part of regulation and in overtime. During a postgame interview, Borden felt the game was a must-win for the Tigers

MONROE COUNTY - A two-vehicle head-on collision that drew in a third car left one woman dead and three others injured Wednesday evening in Monroe County, authorities said. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report of a traffic crash with injuries at about 6:16 p.m. Feb. 25, 2026, near S. Rockport Road at West Stansifer Court. Preliminary evidence indicates a northbound Subaru crossed left of center into the southbound lane and collided head-on with a Kia,

WOOD RIVER - Emma Glenn, a senior at East Alton-Wood River High School, is being recognized for soccer, citing academic achievement and leadership as key factors in the honor. Glenn said she believes earning a 4.0 GPA in her last semester of high school “has made a huge impact on this award,” adding that she also considers herself “a good team leader.” Her girls' soccer coach is Diane Cox. Glenn is a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for th

PIASA - Carter Bacon’s steady rise through the season ended with a team-high scoring performance in Southwestern’s finale, offering a glimpse of what could be ahead for the Piasa Birds’ sophomore guard. Bacon scored 10 points on Feb. 25, 2026, in the Piasa Birds’ final game of the season against Staunton in the regional. The game was played as Bacon continued to show improvement throughout the season, according to coach Jason Darr. Bacon is also an Altonized Community

EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Lutheran High School girls cross country coach Kevin Reiseck watched sophomore Marion Hemmer emerge as the Knights’ No. 2 runner during the 2025 season, a rise he said was fueled by significant improvement and capped by a personal-record performance at the IHSA Class 1A Regional in Trenton. “She had an amazing year,” Reiseck said. “She improved a ton. She took off almost 2 minutes off her best time.” Hemmer has been named a BJ’s

EDWARDSVILLE - Senior guard Kyridas Orr was one of the most important players for the Alton High School girls' basketball team in 2025-2026. She was a very dependable player who was always in position to grab the big rebounds or make a big defensive play to help the Redbirds when they needed it the most. In the IHSA Class 4A regional final win at Edwardsville's Lucco-Jackson Gym on Feb. 20, a 49-33 win for the Redbirds over the host Tigers, Orr was there, pulling down the big rebound, or was

ALTON — Alton High School has announced junior Jayce DeGerlia as the latest Art Fahrner–Edward Jones Remarkable Redbird of the Month, recognizing her outstanding academic record, musical excellence, and leadership within the Redbird community. An accomplished second-generation Redbird musician, DeGerlia is known not only for her talent, but also for the upbeat attitude she brings to school each day. Teachers and classmates describe her as a positive force in the building —

EDWARDSVILLE - Drive-Your-Tractor-to-School Day was a big success at Edwardsville High School to conclude FFA Week. Agriculture students with the Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization drove their tractors through SIUE campus and Edwardsville to arrive at the high school on Friday morning, Feb. 27, 2026. Students could explore the tractors and learn more about agriculture by talking to their farming peers. “You feel like you own the road a little bit. You’ve got the flashing

GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, announced a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning for the area and urged residents not to burn as forecasters cited critical fire danger from low humidity, gusty southwesterly winds, and dry fuels. “For everyone’s situational awareness, the NWS has issued a ‘Red Flag Warning’ (Burn Ban) for our area today (Friday, 2/27/26) in effect from noon to 6 p.m. due to Critical Fire Danger from low humidity, gusty southwesterl

ALTON/GODFREY – Two local men have been charged in separate incidents of driving under the influence in Madison County. Sufian S. Shihadeh, 54, of Alton, was charged on Feb. 17, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and a Class A misdemeanor count of driving while under the influence. Shihadeh allegedly knowingly attempted to flee from an Alton Police officer who had signaled for Shihadeh to stop the vehicle he was driving on Feb.

ALTON/GODFREY – Two local residents face felony charges in separate Madison County cases of domestic battery. Elijah J. Green, 27, of Alton, was charged on Feb. 20, 2026 with a Class 2 felony count of aggravated domestic battery. Green allegedly knowingly committed an act of domestic battery on July 20, 2025, causing great bodily harm to a household or family member. The Alton Police Department presented the case against Green, who was ordered remanded to jail for his initial court appearance.