Riverbender 🕸

WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Business Alliance and the City of Wood River hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday November 18th to celebrate the opening of Pfund Construction in Downtown Wood River. The event marked not only the launch of a new business location, but also a step forward in the ongoing revitalization of the downtown district. Located within a historic building that had long remained in disrepair, Pfund Construction has breathed new life into the space bringing craftsmanship,

SPRINGFIELD – Please attribute the following message to Karl Goeke, president of the Illinois Education Association: “Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and parsing its duties out to various agencies allows our neediest students and all students’ rights to be ignored. It’s insulting, frankly, that this plan would be presented during American Education Week, a week founded in 1919 by the National Education Association and the American Legion to seek ways

COLLINSVILLE - The Collinsville High School Student Advisory/Rotary Interact Club recently completed its mission to provide a headstone for late Collinsville educator Everett Singleton, who died in 1970. Singleton, who was inducted into the Kahok Hall of Fame in 2024, was a well-known Collinsville educator whose story spans the period of segregation and desegregation in the community. When CHS students in the Student Advisory/Rotary Interact Club learned that Singleton’s grave in St. John

ALTON – An Alton man accused of fleeing from police over the Clark Bridge and a St. Louis man who evaded pursuit face felony charges in separate Madison County cases. Michael D. Bass, 39, of Alton, was charged on Nov. 13, 2025, with one count each of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and driving while license is revoked, both Class 4 felonies. Bass allegedly drove a Honda CR-V upon the Clark Bridge in Alton while his license had been revoked on Sept. 24, 2025.

ST. LOUIS – Today, the City of St. Louis’ Recovery Office and the Department of Public Safety Building Division announced that structural inspections have begun for property owners requesting assistance with repair, demolition and debris-removal services following the May 16 tornado. This is a critical step in helping residents and communities recover and rebuild. Since the program opened a month ago, the City’s Recovery Office has received more than 700 applications for Private

ALTON - On Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, Alton Main Street will host an event that’s sure to get you into the holiday spirit. The 32nd annual Community Tree Lighting at Lincoln-Douglas Square will begin with the arrival of Santa Claus on the trolley at 6 p.m. The free festivities, including caroling, cookies, and hot cocoa, will continue until 6:45 p.m. when Alton Mayor David Goins flips the lights on the beautiful tree, which is provided by the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club. Families are encouraged

EDWARDSVILLE — Renovation work on the Madison County Board Room starts Thursday as part of a more than $320,000 project to modernize the space and improve accessibility. The County Board approved the renovation contract in July, and reconstruction is expected to continue through January. During the overhaul, all committee meetings will be held in Conference Room 309, located inside the county board room, and full county board meetings will take place in the Atrium on the first floor of

ALTON - The Enhanced Wellness Care program at Associated Physicians Group in Alton guarantees personalized, comprehensive care. Dr. Christopher Green, an internal medicine physician at Associated Physicians Group, explained that the office’s Enhanced Wellness Care program invites patients to pay an annual membership fee and receive longer appointments, after-hours access to Green via his personal cell phone, and same-day or next-day appointments. Green believes the program is a grea

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Three 16-year-old males have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in St. Louis County last month, authorities said. On Oct. 31, 2025, a 16-year-old male suspect was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Two additional 16-year-old male suspects were arrested on Nov. 12, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree assault. All three suspects wer

JERSEYVILLE — Roger E. Page, 63, was charged Nov. 5, 2025, with Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver 15 to 100 grams of Methamphetamine, a Class X felony, Jersey County State’s Attorney Ben Goetten has announced. If convicted, Page faces six to 30 years in prison. The charges stem from an incident on Nov. 4, 2025, when Jersey County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Marshall Lewis was investigating a reckless driver on Illinois State Highway 16 near Casey’s General Store

ALTON - Centerstone is excited to offer the Holiday Giving Initiative once again. Centerstone’s Holiday Giving Initiative will extend through December 12, 2025 to provide holiday gifts for Centerstone patients who might otherwise not receive them. The initiative also connects and unifies enterprise holiday giving programs under one umbrella so that we can increase the number of patients who can receive holiday assistance from Centerstone. This year, we anticipate more than 250 Illinois families

GODFREY – In a rare move on Tuesday night, Godfrey trustees agreed to reverse one of their earlier decisions to vacate a section of Vollmer Lane after several property owners spoke against the action. Members of the Godfrey Finance Committee voted on Oct. 7, 2025, to vacate a portion of Vollmer Lane spanning the approximate blocks of 6100 to 8600. If the road were vacated, the village would no longer be responsible for maintaining it. In a memo to Mayor Mike McCormick and Finance

ALTON - Community leaders and entrepreneurs had the opportunity to share more about their businesses in downtown Alton. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, Alton Main Street hosted their quarterly “What’s Up Downtown” information exchange at The Wedge Innovation Center in Alton. Executive Director Sara McGibany thanked the community for coming out and encouraged them to visit the official Alton Main Street website for more updates about upcoming events, including Small Business

ALTON — Internet and telephone services were disrupted Wednesday morning, Nov. 19, 2025, for many residents and public service entities in Alton, Illinois, including Riverbender.com offices, following what Spectrum described as a “criminal attack” on its communications infrastructure. The outage affected all Alton city facilities except the police department, causing interruptions to telephone and internet connectivity. Spectrum also reported that some residential customers

O’FALLON, IL. — Grant Litteken, M.P.A., ICMA-CM, has been confirmed as the new City Administrator of O’Fallon, IL., following a unanimous vote by the O’Fallon City Council on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Mayor Eric Van Hook appointed Litteken, who brings more than 14 years of experience in city leadership, including roles as Assistant City Administrator and Acting City Administrator. Litteken will assume his new role immediately, overseeing daily operations across all municipal

JERSEY — Erica Heitzig, a teacher at Jersey Community High School, has been honored with the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award for her dedication to students and commitment to the Jersey community. Heitzig, who works within Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100, manages multiple roles, including Family and Consumer Sciences, Design, Workforce Development, and College and Career Readiness. Her efforts in these areas were cited as key factors in her selection for the award. The

GODFREY - A 100-year-old Godfrey barn is undergoing a major restoration, and a few local families are pleased to see it fixed. PJ Jun, of JUN Construction, bought the barn off Airport Road in 2000. Twenty-five years later, he decided to repair the barn, but not before connecting with the niece of the barn’s original owner and the neighbor whose father helped build the structure over a century ago. “With my building background, if you see a building that needs help, you want

JERSEY - In conjunction with Jerseyville Banking Center, J.C.H.S. has selected their “Students of the Month”. The recipients for the month of October are Haley Hunter left & Marley Cazier 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 academic or kindness. Each week

ALTON - A local photographer has created the community they always wanted in Alton. Lumi Marson is Milton Schoolhouse’s Artist of the Month for November, and they still can’t believe it. Marson shared their journey to photography and their decision to start Piasa Rainbow Collective, a grassroots organization for queer folks in the Riverbend region. The last year has been a fantastic ride for the artist. “It makes me want to throw up with excitement a little bit,”

Did you know that nearly 60% of Americans prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving with a gathering of close friends rather than family? This trend underscores the growing appeal of shared meals centered around friendship and community. Planning a Thanksgiving potluck with friends can transform the holiday into a joyful and collaborative feast, where everyone contributes and enjoys a diverse spread. However, organizing such an event requires thoughtful coordination to ensure a seamless and enjoyable