Riverbender 🕸

WOOD RIVER — Sparks and smoke were reported at Bria of Wood River, a long-term care facility at 393 Edwardsville Road, prompting a prompt response from the Wood River Fire Department on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 4, 2025. At 3:01 p.m. Dec. 4, 2025, the Wood River Fire Department, located nearby, received the call and immediately dispatched firefighters to the scene. The East Alton Fire Department also responded to assist. Upon arrival, firefighters found that Bria staff had effectively managed

EDWARDSVILLE - Abstracts and Titles, Inc. is celebrating their 60th anniversary, and they couldn’t be prouder to call Madison County home. On Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, staff members and community leaders gathered at Abstracts and Titles at 205 N. Second Street in Edwardsville for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the milestone. As President Susan Engelke and Vice President Lisa Engelke — a mother-daughter duo — reflect on their journey, they look forward to continuing to hel

BOND COUNTY – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Pocahontas, Illinois man prosecuted by his office was sentenced to 26 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material and unlawfully possessing a weapon. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. Kyle A. Bradbury, 44,

HARDIN — On Tuesday, December 2, Illinois American Water started its Village of Hardin District standard maintenance program that includes testing and flushing fire hydrants in addition to a temporary change in water treatment. This proactive maintenance work supports continued delivery of quality water and fire protection to homes and businesses. These efforts are standard industry practices to keep the system operating efficiently. The maintenance program will continue for approximately

EDWARDSVILLE - Senior softball catcher Remi Werden of the Edwardsville High team signed a letter of intent to play for Lake Land College in Mattoon in a ceremony held at the auditorium of the Jon Davis Wrestling Center. Werden is a solid defensive catcher who also provides great leadership skills to the Tigers, and is expected to do the same for the Lakers in the spring of 2027. Last season, Werden was a key player for Edwardsville, hitting .302 with no home runs and nine RBIs, stealing three

GRANITE CITY – State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) and State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) have released the joint statement below following Thursday’s announcement to refire Blast Furnace B at Granite City Works: “Today’s news that Granite City Works will restart Blast Furnace B is the best possible news for the community, the workforce, and the global steel market. For months, we have been working, leaving no stone unturned, alongside local leaders

WASHINGTON, DC — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement in reaction to the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General’s report which confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put American servicemembers at greater risk by sharing sensitive information about military operations that obviously should have remained classified in unclassified, unsecure Signal chains: “The report confirms what anyone who has served in uniform

EAST ST. LOUIS - Firefighters are battling a heavy blaze Thursday afternoon, Dec. 4, 2025, in a commercial building in downtown East St. Louis, prompting authorities to close Missouri Avenue. The fire broke out in a multi-level brick building in the 400 block of Missouri Avenue. The Fairmont City Fire Department was dispatched and arrived at 1:21 p.m. Thursday, bringing the first ladder truck to the scene. East St. Louis Police confirmed that homeless individuals often seek shelter in the building

ST. LOUIS – The City of St. Louis Department of Human Services has extended the activation of Code Blue protocols through Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 9 a.m. The City of St. Louis and its partners currently have 285 emergency shelter beds in the city, with a surge capacity of up to 345. This is in addition to 400 year-round shelter beds. The City and its partners have been able to serve all individuals and families who sought shelter since the activation of Code Blue on Nov. 26 and will continue

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Detectives are investigating a double homicide after two adult males were found shot in a vehicle Wednesday night, Dec. 3, 2025, in the 12400 block of Horizon Village Drive. St. Louis County Police officers from the North County Precinct responded at 10:25 p.m. Dec. 3, 2025, following a ShotSpotter activation. Upon arrival, officers discovered two men suffering from gunshot wounds inside a motor vehicle. St. Louis County Police officials said one victim was pronounced

EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville voters will have a chance next spring to make their stance on video gambling known to city leaders. Edwardsville City Council members on Tuesday approved adding a non-binding referendum on the March 17, 2026 General Primary Election Ballot regarding video gambling in Edwardsville. The exact wording was amended after a lengthy discussion between council members and will appear on the ballot as follows: “ Shall the city of Edwardsville allow video gambling,

EDWARDSVILLE – Award-winning asbestos litigation firm, The Gori Law Firm, recently welcomed four new attorneys to its offices in Edwardsville, Illinois, and Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Mary Jo Guinn, Karey Lakin, and Madelyn Foster join the firm’s asbestos litigation and personal injury teams in Illinois, while Jeffrey Carey leads the firm’s expansion into the Missouri market. “Our growth is a testament to the outstanding services we continue to provide to our

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office sent a letter to rental car companies, reminding them that swapping or altering license plates is illegal and they can be held liable under Illinois law if their vehicles are used in this manner. Additionally, a cease-and-desist letter was issued to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, making it clear that all vehicles registered in Illinois, regardless of who is driving, must comply with state law. When the office’

EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Municipal Band will perform its annual Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 6, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic Wildey Theatre in downtown Edwardsville. The event is free and open to the public, with doors opening one hour prior to the performance at 6:00 p.m. This year's concert features a collaboration with 5th through 8th-grade band students from ECUSD 7, Edwardsville Catholic Schools, and Trinity Lutheran. These students will join the Municipal Band on stage,

EDWARDSVILLE – Greece, Iceland, Guatemala, El Salvador. These are just a few of the remote locations available for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s faculty-led travel study program. Locations such as Mexico City for sociology research and Peru for a course titled Honors, Business and International Studies are a sample of the opportunities SIUE’s faculty experts have on the 2026 schedule. Johanna Schmitz, PhD, professor of Theatre History in SIUE’s Department

ALTON/GODFREY - Great Rivers Choral Society will perform their annual holiday concert next weekend to help everybody feel the Christmas spirit. “Silver Glow: A Christmas Celebration” will encourage holiday cheer while reflecting on the choir’s silver anniversary. GRCS members noted their excitement to share their hard work with the community “I think everybody needs a little uplifting right now in this day and age,” said member Pat Stewart. “It'll be

PONTOON BEACH – An area man and woman face charges in connected felony cases after an alleged storage unit burglary in Pontoon Beach. Travis T. Pillman, 37, of Bunker Hill, and Ashley J. Fulmer, 29, of Kampsville, were both charged on Nov. 20, 2025 with two counts each of burglary, all Class 2 felonies. The two allegedly knowingly and without authority entered the same storage unit building in the 4000 block of Pontoon Road in Pontoon Beach with the intent to commit a theft on Oct. 2,

SPRINGFIELD — Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) is using AI to transform chance discoveries of early lung cancer into second chances for patients. Thanks to Eon Health’s AI-driven platform that scrutinizes radiologists’ notes to flag abnormalities unrelated to a lung cancer scan’s original purpose – aka “incidental” findings – patients are diagnosed with lung cancer before they even experience symptoms. Early detection is key to overcomin

COLLINSVILLE - During this past fall, 23,000 students from elementary, junior high and high schools around Illinois participated in a virtual audition process and of those auditions, more than 7,000 students were selected to participate in district festivals celebrating student musicians in bands, orchestras, choruses and jazz ensembles. Students in grades 7-12 who participated in the ILMEA District Festivals are also eligible to be selected into ILMEA’s Junior and Senior All-State Student

A December 4, 1925 article in the Alton Evening Telegraph announced that “Jake Schneider of the Broadway Market has a whole Buffalo on display at his market.” He had received it (already slaughtered) the day before. Schneider had purchased the buffalo (technically an American bison) from the famous Scotty Philip herd at Fort Pierre, South Dakota. After several days on display, the buffalo was skinned, cut up, and buffalo steak, buffalo roast, and “buffalo this and that”