Riverbender 🕸

ROCKFORD - Spring has arrived which means another golf season is upon us. And that has many golf enthusiasts racing off to area courses. Before tossing the clubs in the trunk, however, the first priority is getting your body ready for the long season. Hopefully, you’ve maintained some level of fitness during the winter. But if you spent the past few months watching Netflix from the couch, experts have some important advice in order to keep your body injury free, especially to start the season. “I would just start a stretching routine," says Matthew Davidson, a physical therapist with OSF HealthCare. "Start there, work on flexibility a little bit, range of motion, try and do what you can to counteract that stiffness that you seem to get over the winter months. Cardiovascular exercises are really good because they can not only build up that system, but improve blood flow and help with weight loss for those who might have gained a few pounds over the winter.” For the

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – Kidmania, the Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon’s annual consignment sale, will be held outdoors on Saturday, April 23rd from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. for general admission at Edwardsville High School at 6161 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville. Each year shoppers look forward to the opportunity to browse local vendors selling reasonably priced baby gear/furniture, infant through tween, and maternity clothing. This year, the Kidmania Chairs are switching things up to provide the best possible shopping experience. Mandi Ernst one of this year’s co-chairs states “We will be hosting the event outdoors again, rain or shine, at the EHS parking lot. We will have re-sell vendors as well as some marketplace vendors who will be selling new items. Having so many booths in one place makes it very convenient for shoppers to find the items they are looking for, for kids of all ages!” If your closets are spilling over with outgrown children’s

Continue Reading

O'FALLON - GCS Credit Union employees joined together to raise $1,305.00 in the month of March to benefit the O’Fallon Underwater Search and Recovery Team through their Don’t Stop Donatin’ Jeans Program. The Don’t Stop Donatin’ Jeans Program is funded by GCS employees who make monthly, monetary donations out of their own pockets to a local organization. By donating $15 or more to a specific organization, GCS employees are able to wear jeans and tennis shoes on Fridays and Saturdays during that month. This year, GCS Credit Union is focusing on giving back to the 18 counties that they serve. March’s focus was on St. Clair County. GCS Credit Union proudly raised $1,305 for O’Fallon Underwater Search and Recovery Team. OUSART is a nonprofit organization that helps local law enforcement, fire departments, insurance companies, and our community recover things underwater. In addition to their recovery efforts, OUSART also visits local schools to help

Continue Reading

GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois has wrapped up the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program for 2022. Girl Scouts were out in full force, hosting cookie booths and making door-to-door sales all throughout Southern Illinois. Their hard work paid off, as girls in Southern Illinois sold 718,485 packages of Girl Scout Cookies this year. Let’s give a shout out to the following girls for being All-Star Cookie Entrepreneurs for their respective areas: Kaitlyn Gillson from the Alton/Godfrey/Wood River/Roxana Service Unit sold 1,856 packages Alexis Brown from the Alton/Godfrey/Wood River/Roxana Service Unit sold 1,033 packages Katelynn Norman from the Bethalto Service Unit sold 1,360 packages Payton Smith from the Collinsville Service Unit sold 750 packages Mari Short from the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Service Unit sold 1,890 packages Dawn Jones from the Granite City/Madison/Venice Service Unit sold 924 packages Layla Basso from the Highland Service Unit sold 1,000 packages

Continue Reading

O’FALLON — As April is National Foot Health Awareness Month, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center aims to educate the public on common foot wounds and treatment. Right now, nearly 7 million Americans are living with a chronic wound, and more than 2 million of those are suffering from diabetic foot ulcers. “Many suffering from chronic wounds have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as they have delayed needed care during the past two years,” said Casandra (Cassie) Roy, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, for the center. “The most common types of foot wounds are diabetic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers and pressure ulcers. Our team of caregivers are trained in treating these chronic wounds and non-responsive conditions.” For those suffering from wounds on their feet, many of these untreated and undertreated wounds have resulted in amputation, according to a study from the American Diabetes Association . Managed

Continue Reading

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - IMPACT Strategies is proud to announce that General Superintendent Frank Malone received the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) Midwest Council’s GC Field Employee of the Year award at the Council’s Neon Awards Gala, held April 9 at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. ASA members nominated and cast votes for the award. The GC Field Employee of the Year award goes to the field employee that consistently goes above and beyond, fostering strong relationships and creating successful partnerships between subcontractor and general contractor. Frank demonstrates excellence through his ability to genuinely connect with both subcontractors, tradesmen, and clients. He has an effective and contagious work ethic that unites his team and demonstrates strong character. Frank Malone has more than 22 years of experience in the construction industry. He joined IMPACT Strategies in 2016 as a superintendent and has been a valued team member on several of the firm’s

Continue Reading

Photos from this article, (or gallery), may be purchased (for personal use) at: https://www.randymanning.com/Roxanna-track-meet ROXANA - Local track athletes performed well at the Roxana Relays held Monday afternoon at Charlie Raich Field, with the Civic Memorial boys and Highland girls coming out on top in the team standings. Luke Meyer, the Civic Memorial speed and sprinters coach, said the squad showed up and executed what they wanted to do in the meet. "We came out and pulled it out," he said. "The medley format was interesting and we had a lot of surprises. We knew the distance guys would do a good job, but the entire team did a good job. Going forward we have a lot left in our MVC season, and we have to get ready for the conference meet, county and sectionals. Hopefully, the weather will get warmer. I am really proud of the team, they are relatively young. A couple of senior leaders have really stepped forward for us." The Eagles won the boys division with 97 points, with

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – If you’re feeling lucky, you might want to buy a Powerball ticket for tomorrow night’s drawing - that’s because the jackpot is climbing, and Powerball is celebrating 30 years of making millionaires! Today is Powerball’s 30th birthday! Powerball began selling tickets on April 19, 1992, with a starting jackpot of $2 million. Since then, the multi-state game has created over 1.7 billion prize winners, including the world record $1.586 billion jackpot set in January 2016. The Powerball jackpot has been hit twice so far in 2022. Two tickets, sold in California and Wisconsin, split a $632.6 million jackpot in the January 5 drawing. Then a ticket in Connecticut won a jackpot worth $185.3 million in the February 14 drawing. And Illinois Lottery players have been doing their share of winning too. Just over the weekend, an Illinois Lottery player became a newly minted-millionaire after buying a winning Powerball ticket worth $1 million at Circle K in Marseilles

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s College of Arts and Sciences has announced a new Digital Media Literacy Post-Baccalaureate Certificate within the Department of Mass Communications, which can be completed online in one summer. The program is designed for educators, librarians and media professionals who want to address questions about the impact of media in their work or curriculum. Interested students should apply by May 17. Summer classes begin May 31. “As people spend more time online, and increasingly consume news and information through social media, the need for media literacy has become critical,” said Suman Mishra, PhD, professor and graduate program director in the Department of Mass Communications. Recognizing this need, Illinois became the first state to pass a media literacy bill in July 2021 that requires the inclusion of a unit of instruction on media literacy in public schools. Similar bills have been introduced in

Continue Reading

ALTON - The James Killion Park Beautification and Enhancement Committee has announced that it will host the First Annual James Killion Day from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at James Killion Park (formerly Salu Park). James Killion Day will celebrate the birthday, life, and contributions of Mr. Killion, as well as, pay tribute to local veterans’ past, present and future. In attendance will be Mayor David Goins, members of the Killion Family, local veterans, and dignitaries. Also, James Killion Day will be sponsored by local businesses and organizations with entertainment provided by a local favorite, DJ Love. “Honoring the sacrifices that Mr. Killion and so many veterans have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the foundation of James Killion Day,” said Christal Love, Co-Chair of the James Killion Park Beautification and Enhancement Committee. “Celebrating his birthday and accomplishments is an awesome way to kick off summer

Continue Reading

I was a St. Louis Cardinal scout starting in 1979 and continued for over 20 years. Each spring, the Saturday before the major league draft, I would travel to Busch Stadium and put on my Cardinal uniform number 11. If it still fit from the year before. I would conduct drills at the pre-draft camp under the direction of scouting director, Fred McAllister, as we would bring in outstanding prospects for possible signing. In June, I would again travel to the stadium for a two-day tryout camp that was open by invitation only. There, we would conduct a tryout camp of “boys” from age 16 to 50. We would start out with over 100 candidates and over two days, we would filter them down to a couple, and offer them a contract. Bernard Gilkey, Cardinal outfielder was one we signed that made it to the major leagues. Another was Art Howe, who eventually managed the New York Mets. I say 50-year-old try-out candidates because occasionally we would get sports celebrities friends like Tom Wheatley,

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE/GLEN CARBON - Edwardsville Township held their Annual Town Meeting the evening of April 12th in Glen Carbon to review and discuss Township finances, last year’s Annual Town Meeting minutes, and decide on a non-binding public policy referendum raised by a Township resident. The elected moderator for the meeting was Glen Carbon resident Collin Van Meter and Township Clerk David Schwind assisted with handling the state mandated meeting. Illinois statute allows Township residents to obtain signatures and then have their advisory question read and voted at a Township’s Annual Town Meeting. The question at the Town Meeting asked if the federal government should create a universal national healthcare system of improved Medicare for All to Insure that all of the residents of the United States receive quality healthcare that is equitable and fair from birth to death. The advisory question passed by majority and will be filed with the County Clerk to be placed on the

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, DC — On May 1, the Postal Service is taking additional actions to improve service reliability by announcing the implementation of changes to the First-Class Package Service (FCPS) service standards. This initiative is part of “Delivering for America,” the Postal Service’s 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence. A fact sheet on the proposed changes to service standards for first class packages is available here: Delivering for America: Our Vision and Ten-Year Plan to Achieve Financial Sustainability and Service Excellence - about.usps.com Improves utilization of surface transportation while reducing air network usage, which is more costly and continues to face reliability issues Contributes to costs savings efforts and improves reliability across all product classes Aligns with 10-year “Delivering for America” plan’s commitment to service excellence Majority of delivery standards for packages

Continue Reading

ALTON/GODFREY - Abbigail Jarnagin of Alton High School was honored as one of the Students of the Month for April at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s Restaurant. During high school, Abbigail Jarnagin took English Honors for all four years of high school, which included this past year where she took two English AP courses. She has also taken Environmental Science, which is also an AP course. She has received college credits through Lewis and Clark Community College for Lifeguard Certification and Water Safety Instructor Certification. She states that being able to have these courses available to her as a high school student has been very beneficial to her future plans. Alton High has given her many opportunities to display her leadership skills and take action in her community. This school year, she was co-president of the Alton FCCLA Chapter. But she also got the chance to serve as a 2021-2022 Illinois FCCLA State Officer. FCCLA stands for Family

Continue Reading

ALTON/GODFREY - Taylor Freer of Alton High School was honored as one of the Students of the Month for April at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s Restaurant. Taylor Freer is a senior at Alton High School. Her whole life, she has strived to be the best student she could possibly be. She knew that, wanting to go into the medical field, would require her to push herself academically. From a young age, her parents have instilled in her to be a strong, independent, hard-working young woman. She is currently ranked 8th in her graduating class with a. 4.64 GPA. She is a proud member of Alton High’s National Honors Society. She is also a part of Mu Alpha Theta, which is a high honor mathematics honor society. Because of her high academic standards, Taylor was selected to be a Junior Marshal for Alton’s 2021 graduation ceremony. This past fall, she was awarded the Illinois State Scholar Award because of her high class rank. She has been able

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly (D-IL) led the Congressional Tri-Caucus – the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus – in a letter urging President Biden and Congressional leadership to include four vital Medicaid provisions in the next economic reconciliation agreement. The lawmakers are seeking action on providing 12 months of continuous Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility, 12 months of Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage, permanent funding for CHIP and associated policies that facilitate children’s enrollment in coverage; and a solution to permanently close the Medicaid coverage gap in states that have not elected to expand coverage. “Experts estimate that more than 15 million people could lost Medicaid coverage in the months immediately following the end of the public health emergency. Black and Latino people ar

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Goshen Coffee Roasters will open its newest St. Louis area cafe on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 910 Geyer Ave. in St. Louis' historic Soulard neighborhood. "With the last two years full of pandemic and chaos, Goshen Coffee Roasters is pretty sure everyone needs some of Goshen's "GOod SH*t ENergy" in their lives right now." Toward that end, the 20-year-old coffee company has launched the new cafe along with its rebranded blends and packaging. "Goshen Coffee is all about flavors with feels," said Jennifer Hughey, Co-Owner and CEO, who owns the family-run company with her husband, Mike Bergen, and brother-in-law and sister, Jay and Julie Beard. "With our new 2022 packaging, we’re talking about the positive vibes and good sh*t energy that come from having amazing coffee and good people to share it with. We hope coffee lovers will take some time to replenish the kind of energy we could all use a little more of right now." Goshen donates a portion of sales to charities

Continue Reading

ELSAH - Tom Edwards, now of Alton, who spent over 12 years in Russia, is a former English teacher and personal acquaintance of Ekaterina Putin, Vladimir Putin's youngest legitimate daughter. This relationship with her father has brought her into the current news spotlight as a holder of Putin's personal wealth. Earlier this month, multiple nations, including the US, UK, EU, and Japan, imposed sanctions on Ekaterina and her sister, Maria. Tom doesn't agree with this decision, based on his experience associating with politically relevant individuals in Russia and spending much of his time staying caught up on world events and their influences, and he's brought an alternative perspective on how the issue could be better handled in the days going forward. "I attended the University of Illinois back in 2004-2006, and while I was there I was a part of the Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian studies department. I studied Russian language, literature, culture, and history, and I became

Continue Reading

URBANA – Trees are natural caretakers – their limbs provide shade and shelter, their seeds and leaves provide food, their roots filter water. Insect scientists have another skill to add to the list – a haven for caterpillars. Entomologists are asking gardeners, homeowners, and landscapers to stop mowing and instead add permanent plantings under tree canopies to help moths and butterfly caterpillars survive. Biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author Heather Holm describes these plantings as soft landings for insects. Once the caterpillar of a moth or butterfly eats its fill of tree leaves, most of the time it drops to the ground to pupate. It may burrow into leaf litter or the ground. “However, most people leave grass under trees, which has to be mowed,” says Kelly Allsup, University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator. “This creates an ecological trap preventing butterflies and moths from reaching adulthood.”

Continue Reading

GRAFTON - The Illinois Office of Tourism today kicked off its summer travel season campaign with a fun series of TV ads, digital ads, and social media ads that highlight Illinois as being in the Middle of Everything! Southwest Illinois and Aerie’s Resort in Grafton were featured in the TV ads directed by and starring Illinois native and actor Jane Lynch. “The state’s new tourism campaign ‘The Middle of Everything’ is the perfect kick-off to the summer travel season,” Cory Jobe, President, and CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau said. “Southwest Illinois is front and center in the state’s TV ads with Aerie’s Resorts’ Grafton SkyTour featured along with the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. What better way to attract visitors to Illinois and our region than with these snappy, funny, and scenic ads. “Karla Flannery, deputy director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, deserves credit for ensuring

Continue Reading