Riverbender 🕸

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - Prosecutors in St. Louis County have filed charges against a second 19-year-old suspect in the February shooting death of Lionel Steed, who was killed during an alleged attempted robbery in the 11400 block of Maridosa Trail, authorities said. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Monday, April 13, 2026, issued charges against Jonathan Phillips Jr., 19, of the 5600 block of Hiller Place in St. Louis. Phillips is charged with second-degree murder, two count

ALTON - A local wiffleball tournament will raise money for a Marquette Catholic High School scholarship in honor of Jack Warren. At 10 a.m. on May 30, 2026, community members will come together for Wifflefest, an annual 2v2 tournament for players of all ages, genders and abilities. Noah Fahnestock, who helps organize the tournament, said the event will be a lot of fun while raising money for a good cause in honor of his friend. “It’s my favorite day of the year,” Fahnestock

GRANITE CITY – Two men from Belleville and Caseyville faces felony charges in separate cases of burglary recently filed in Madison County. Marlon A. Taylor, 41, of Caseyville, Ill., was charged on April 2, 2026 with a Class 1 felony count of residential burglary. He allegedly entered a Granite City residence in the 3300 block of Lydia Lane with the intent to commit a theft on April 1, 2026. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny Taylor’s

ST LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County prosecutors have charged a Texas man in connection with a 1992 sexual assault near Parkway North High School, according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the office issued charges against Miguel Canizares, 56, of the 7500 block of Spring Stuebner Road in Spring, Texas. Canizares was charged with two counts of sodomy and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. He is being held on a $500,000 cash-only

SAINT LOUIS - As more people choose nursing as a “second career,” leaders at Goldfarb School of Nursing and BJC encourage students to consider their programs. Dr. Angela Clark, the president of Goldfarb School of Nursing, explained that Goldfarb is part of the BJC system. They offer an accelerated program and a variety of scholarships, making them a popular choice for nontraditional students. With an open house scheduled for June 6, 2026, Clark hopes many people come out to learn

ALTON - The Alton Owl’s Club will host their annual rummage sale and bake sale to raise money for their work. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2026, community members can support the Owl’s Club at the sale at 227 Blair Avenue in Alton. Mark Birmingham, a club member, noted that the proceeds will allow them to help other Riverbend organizations and nonprofits. “We try to support local charities,” he said. Birmingh

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — Federal prosecutors said a U.S. Marshals Service-led warrant enforcement operation in Southern Illinois over three days resulted in 21 arrests and the seizure of four firearms and 12 grams of narcotics, targeting violent fugitives with felony warrants and identifying gang members in the district’s southern counties. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced the results today, describing the coordinated effort as carried

ALTON - As required by Alton City code 1-13-8.B.1, Mayor Goins submitted to the City Council a proposed budget compiled by the City Comptroller covering all municipal activities for the fiscal year that began on April 1, 2026. This proposed budget is an internal management tool based upon a careful consideration of departmental needs and fund resources, as presented to the Mayor by the Comptroller and department heads. A resolution regarding the adoption and use of an internal administrative

ST. LOUIS – As the severe weather season begins, the City of St. Louis is entering this spring significantly better prepared than it was one year ago, following substantial investments, structural reforms and ongoing improvements to its emergency management systems in the wake of the May 16, 2025, tornado. “Last year exposed serious weaknesses in how we prepared for and responded to emergencies,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “We did not shy away from those findings —

ST. LOUIS – Mayor Cara Spencer announced today that the City of St. Louis, alongside taxpayer and Budget Director Paul Payne, has filed a lawsuit challenging the State Takeover Law (HB 495) as unconstitutional. The mayor expressed disappointment that legal action is now required, but also acknowledged this was a necessary step as the City and the Board of Police Commissioners have been unable to reach an agreement over the budget for the Police Department, which affects the budget of ever

GLEN CARBON – On camp time, Girl Scouts shine. These moments matter – from sparking up a campfire to counting the stars. Campers take on new challenges and discover new strengths, building bright futures while having the time of their lives. Smiles are sunnier, friendships form faster, dreams become bigger, and memories last forever. Time at Girl Scout Camp is time well spent! Not a Girl Scout? No problem! Girls can join Girl Scouts now through an extended membership so they can

ALTON - Swapping is the new shopping! Clean out your closets and join Alton Main Street on Sunday, April 26th from 12:00-4:00 p.m. for a Pop-Up Clothing Swap in Downtown Alton. The event will be held in the ballroom at Mineral Springs Mall, located at 301 E. Broadway; attendees should enter through the side door which faces Alton Street to the lower level. To participate, simply bring gently used clothing, accessories and shoes that you no longer wear and trade them for as many new-to-you items

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois youth turkey hunters set a new record, harvesting a preliminary total of 2,318 birds during the 2025 Illinois youth season. The total surpasses last year’s record of 2,099 birds and marks the third consecutive year of record-setting youth turkey harvest in Illinois. Participation also reached an all-time high this spring. Youth hunters purchased a record 7,369 permits in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 6,538 sold in 2025. Along with a success rate

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) continues to target vehicle theft, hijacking, and related violent crimes using grant funding from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. ISP was awarded a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year, another $677,000 in June 2024, and $637,500 in July 2025. From January through March 2026, ISP missions resulted in the following: Vehicles recovered

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, addressed the future of the Department of Justice (DOJ) after President Trump’s firing of Pam Bondi and the beginning of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s temporary tenure. Durbin began by addressing Bondi’s firing, saying: “She transformed the Department from the nation’s preeminent law enforcement agency

CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker today joined community leaders to cut the ribbon at the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council’s (BPNC) new service center. The new facility will allow BPNC and network partners to support families through youth programming, family services, and other community engagement efforts in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood. The State of Illinois provided $3 million in capital grant funding for the new facility “BPNC is beacon of hope and resilience

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and Syria. Raoul and the coalition filed an amicus brief today in Trump v. Miot and Mullin v. Doe in support of a challenge to the Trump administration’s termination of the TPS designations. “I am a proud son of Haitian immigrants, so this issue is personal to me,” Raoul said.

ALTON - Mike Brey is proud to call Alton home and pleased he could help develop the town’s youth throughout his career. Brey, who serves as an assistant principal and CTE director at Alton High School, will retire from the Alton Community Unit School District #11 at the end of this school year. He knew since he was a sophomore in high school himself that he wanted to be a basketball coach and athletic director. After achieving that dream by 32, he set his sights on new goals and went

SPRINGFIELD – The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and Illinois State Police (ISP) are joining together to celebrate and honor all Illinois telecommunicators. April 12–18, 2026 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week recognizing the dedicated professionals who answer the call, calm the chaos, and help guide first responders when every second counts. “Telecommunicators are the calm, steady voice in moments of crisis. Their professionalism, training,

MILLSTADT - State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) will be hosting a Coffee Talk event in Millstadt on April 20 th and is encouraging his constituents to attend. He said the event will be a great opportunity for the public to have open conversations about state issues that are important to them. “My upcoming Coffee Talk event will allow my constituents to have conversations about policies coming out of Springfield,” Schmidt stated. I look forward to this event and encourage