Riverbender 🕸

Get ready for a warm day with a high of 90 degrees and a low dipping to 54 degrees tonight. The sky will be mostly sunny with a few clouds here and there. There's no rain in sight, so enjoy the dry weather as persistent dry conditions may continue to worsen drought through the weekend. Allergy alert: Mold levels are moderate, ragweed is low, and grass pollen is also low. Air quality is moderate with particle pollution present, so if you're sensitive, you might want to take precautions. Tonight will be partly cloudy with lows around 54 degrees, feeling cool. Looking ahead to tomorrow, expect a high of 85°F and a low of 57°F. The day will have intermittent clouds with plenty of sunshine making it very warm. Night will turn partly cloudy again with comfortable temperatures. For more details, visit https://riverbender.com/weather .

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STAUNTON - Jessica Korunka’s father, Larry, lost all of his belongings in a recent Staunton house fire, leaving him without basic necessities and critical medical equipment. The fire occurred at their residence, where Larry was fortunately able to escape unharmed. Larry, who lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure, lost his oxygen machine and important medications in the blaze. Replacing these medical essentials is vital to maintaining his health and safety. Jessica Korunka has appealed for urgent assistance to provide clothing, shoes, food, and medical supplies for her father. She emphasized that any donations will go directly toward replacing his medications, oxygen equipment, and daily needs as they work to help him recover from this loss. “We are so grateful for the love, support, and kindness during this difficult time,” Korunka said. The GoFundMe link to assist Larry can be found by clicking here.

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville High School Chamber Orchestra recorded a captivating performance at the annual Edwardsville Art Fair on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, showcasing the talents of its student musicians. The event took place at Edwardsville City Park, drawing attendees to enjoy a blend of visual and performing arts. The orchestra featured violinists Vylai Dombrowski, Elise Larrew, Paige Muskopf, Izzy Robinson, Gwen Harkey, Elisabeth Preston, and Emma Spencer. Viola players included Ian Kim, Liya Perham, and Dori Kelly. Cellists Darby Christian, Dylan Brueggeman, Eleanor Reynolds, Priyalakshmi Janardhan, Poe Wilkens, and Lily Reynolds contributed to the performance, along with double bassist August Meiser. Following the chamber orchestra’s set, the Edwardsville Chamber Choir, directed by Emily Ottwein, took the stage and continued to capture the audience with highly regarded musical offerings. The performances were part of the art fair’s effort to provide a diverse

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MADISON COUNTY — The Madison County Coroner's Office on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, confirmed the identity of two people who died following a head-on collision on Illinois State Route 162 in Pontoon Beach on the evening of Sept. 19, 2025. Madison County Coroner Nicholas P. Novacich identified the victims as Jody M. Rinderer, 47, of Granite City, and Victoria L. Goss, 32, also of Granite City. The crash occurred at 7:36 p.m. Sept. 19, 2025, in the 5000 block of State Route 162. Rinderer was driving a 2003 maroon Chevrolet Silverado, which burst into flames after the collision. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was positively identified by a tattoo. Goss was the driver of a 2017 blue Buick Enclave that sustained heavy front-end damage. She was conscious following the crash and transported by Rural Med Ambulance to Gateway Regional Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries. A juvenile passenger in Goss’s vehicle was taken to a hospital in St. Louis by Granit

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement addressing concerns over a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of mifepristone. This review was referenced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Makary in response to a letter from Republican state attorneys general to the FDA calling for restrictions on or withdrawal of mifepristone from the market. “For more than 25 years, mifepristone has been used safely and effectively in the United States and globally. It is currently the most common method for early-term abortion care in the United States and is the standard of care for managing early miscarriage. The decision to reexamine access to this medication was made in response to a scientifically baseless letter and ignores decades of research that proves mifepristone is safe and effective. Medical decisions should be left between patients, their families,

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EDWARDSVILLE — The 2025 Edwardsville Arts Fair drew a strong crowd from Friday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, showcasing a wide array of artistic talent at the Edwardsville Arts Center. The event featured works in various mediums, including wood, painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and works on paper. Artists competed for top honors, with awards recognizing excellence across two-dimensional and three-dimensional art categories. Steven Martin received the Best of Show award for his work in wood. In the two-dimensional category, Gavin Otteson earned first place for painting, followed by Andrew Rola in second place and Neil Brown in third place for photography. The three-dimensional category saw Jon and Patricia Hecker take first place for wood, with Pary Flynn and Jennifer Dormuth placing second and third for wood and ceramics, respectively. Additional Awards of Excellence were given to Kara Hayes, Rocky Pardo, and Meri Taylor for jewelry; Steven

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is reminding hunters of key dates, regulations, and safety practices for the upcoming archery deer hunting season. Illinois’ statewide archery deer season opens Oct. 1. In counties with a firearm deer season and west of Illinois 47 in Kane County, archery hunting will be open for three periods: Oct. 1 through Nov. 20 Nov. 24 through Dec. 3 Dec. 8 through Jan. 18 Archery deer season runs Oct. 1 through Jan. 18 in counties with no firearm deer season, including Cook, DuPage, Lake, and east of Illinois 47 in Kane County. Restricted archery zone There has been a change to the 2025 restricted archery zone. Only antlered deer may be harvested during the Oct. 1-31 period of the archery season in Champaign, Douglas, Macon and Piatt (except Allerton Park) counties to improve the deer population in those counties. An antlered deer is defined as having at least one antler 3 inches or longer. Moultrie County

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SPRINGFIELD – Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration: Illinois State Museum Board Jenny Davis will serve as a Member of the Illinois State Museum Board.* Davis is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and Associate Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). There, she directs the American Indian Studies Program. From 2017-2020, she served as Acting Officer of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) for the Department of Anthropology and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at UIUC. Additionally, she has served as Co/Chair of the campus NAGPRA Advisory Committee since its establishment in 2020. She has served as Member of the Commission for the Ethical Treatment of Human Remains (TCETHER) of the American Anthropological Association since 2023. In 2021, Davis received the Dynamic Woman

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from unlawfully reallocating federal homeland security funding away from states based on their compliance with the administration’s political agenda. On Saturday, without any notice or explanation, and four days before the end of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) significantly cut funding to certain states that are unwilling to divert law enforcement resources away from core public safety services to assist in enforcing federal immigration law while reallocating those funds to other states. The move came days after Raoul secured a permanent injunction along with an opinion holding that the agencies violated the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by conditioning all federal funds from FEMA and DHS on states’ agreement to assist th

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ALTON - Community members are invited to learn more about spirituality at a free spiritual wellness experience. A group will gather at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, at River Bend Yoga in Alton to talk through the topic “The Goal of Spiritual Mastery.” Flora Van Koten and Sheila Aehle, who will lead the discussion, noted that there is no right or final answer that will lead to spiritual mastery, but it’s about embarking on the journey. “The goal is to just keep moving,” Van Koten said. “The benchmark is to do a little bit better today than I did yesterday.” This is the third of a three-part series called “Ancient Wisdom for Today,” though there is no requirement to have attended the other discussions. The sessions are led like conversations between attendees, with everyone invited to share their spiritual experiences. Van Koten and Aehle practice Eckankar, the path of spiritual freedom that encourages your personal connection

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SHILOH — Investigators with the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force attempted to apprehend a person of interest connected to a stolen U-Haul cargo van on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in the area of 3400 Greenmount Road, Shiloh. According to authorities, the individual entered the stolen vehicle and, when confronted by law enforcement, rammed the van into a police car occupied by an officer before fleeing the scene. The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force is seeking assistance from the public to identify the suspect. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Investigator Phil Fernandez at 618-825-5431. Tips may be submitted anonymously. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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BELLEVILLE - Senior wide receiver Gavin Frey caught perhaps the most important touchdown pass of his career on Sept. 26, 2025, when he took a pass from quarterback Yale Weaver, and fought his way into the end zone from 21 yards out to give Edwardsville a dramatic and big 41-39 win over Belleville East at Charlie Woodford Field. It climaxed an incredible game between the two sides, in which the Lancers came back from being down 35-20 to take a 39-35 lead with less than a minute to go, only to see the Tigers go 80 yards in the final minute to win the game on Frey's touchdown reception. Frey is a Spencer Homes Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers for his last-second heroics against Belleville East and his performance overall in the contest. It was Frey's third touchdown of the game, in which he caught 12 passes for 206 yards to lead the Edwardsville receivers, having touchdown catches of 65 and 20 yards in the first half. For the season, Frey has a team-leading 30 receptions

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GRANITE CITY – Two Granite City men have been charged in separate domestic battery cases with attacking elderly and disabled family/household members. Robert C. Nemeth III, 40, of Granite City, was charged on Sept. 22, 2025 with one count each of aggravated battery (a Class 3 felony) and his second or subsequent offense of domestic battery (a Class 4 felony). On Sept. 21, 2025, Nemeth allegedly pushed a household or family member who was 60 years of age or older, causing the victim to “strike his back against a dresser,” according to charging documents. Nemeth had previously been convicted of domestic battery in 2022, also in Madison County. The latest case against Nemeth was presented by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and he has since been granted pretrial release from custody with additional conditions. Among the conditions imposed on Nemeth’s release are that he have no contact with the victim from this case and remain at least 300 feet

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville wants students to not only benefit from its many recreational and sporting activities, but to look and feel good while doing it. More than 50 students attended the Athletic Wear and Sports Equipment Giveaway on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the SIUE Wellness Center. The drive was organized and hosted by the SIUE Campus Recreation and the SIUE Cougar Cupboard. Some of the items given away included T-shirts, socks, shorts, leggings, joggers, shoes, water bottles and more. There were no eligibility requirements, and any student could participate. “Clothing support is very important,” said Lealia Williams, Student Care and Advocacy Coordinator in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “We don’t want students to miss working out or playing sports, because they don’t have the right clothes or shoes. This is one way we can give back by helping students focus on their health and well-being,

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BELLEVILLE — The unemployment rate in St. Clair County showed a slight decrease in August 2025, dropping to 4.9 percent from 5.0 percent in August 2024, according to recent labor statistics. The data, released this week, also highlighted variations in unemployment rates across several counties and cities within the region. Monroe County's rate in August 2025 was 3.3 percent, a small increase from 3.2 percent the previous year. Bond County experienced a decrease, with its rate falling to 4.5 percent from 4.8 percent in August 2024. Clinton County's rate remained steady at 3.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Among cities, Belleville's unemployment rate edged up slightly to 5.3 percent in August 2025 from 5.1 percent in 2024. Collinsville saw a slight decline, with the rate dropping to 4.1 percent from 4.3 percent. East St. Louis recorded a notable improvement, with unemployment decreasing to 7.9 percent from 9.0 percent in the previous year. Granite City's rate also

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EDWARDSVILLE — Unemployment rates in several southwestern Illinois counties showed slight changes in August 2025 compared to the same month last year, according to recent data. Overall, the unemployment rates throughout area cities and counties remain close to the national average of 4.3 percent. Edwardsville's unemployment rate decreased to 4.1 percent in August 2025, down from 4.2 percent in August 2024. Similarly, Alton's rate fell to 5.5 percent from 5.6 percent a year earlier. Madison County saw a small decline as well, with its rate dropping to 4.4 percent from 4.5 percent. In contrast, Greene County's unemployment rate increased marginally to 4.0 percent from 3.9 percent in the previous year. Jersey County experienced a decrease, with its rate moving from 4.2 percent to 4.0 percent. Calhoun and Macoupin counties reported higher unemployment rates compared to the prior year. Calhoun County's rate rose to 5.1 percent from 4.3 percent, while Macoupin County's rate increased

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Rehabilitation Services in Alton will be holding its monthly lymphedema education meeting on Thursday, October 2, with the discussion topic: Breast cancer and Lymphedema. Riverbend region residents are invited to join the OSF Lymphedema Therapy Team for this free educational session about Lymphedema and meet other people with lymphedema. The September lymphedema education meeting will be held: Thursday, October 2, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. OSF HealthCare Rehabilitation Services 228 Alton Square Mall, Alton, IL Enter the Rehab office from the upper mall parking lot, facing Alby Street, under the "OSF HEALTHCARE" sign Interested individuals should direct questions or requests for additional information to OSF Rehabilitation Services at (618) 463-5171. Lymphedema refers to tissue swelling caused by an accumulation of fluid that is usually drained by the body's lymphatic system. Some lymphedema facts include: It most

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ILLINOIS - As National Kinship Care Awareness Month comes to a close, representatives from Brightpoint are sharing more about their work to keep kids with family members. As an organization, Brightpoint provides foster care and support services to kids and families across the state of Illinois. Loni Wilson, LCSW, Statewide Director of Foster Care, shared that while there will always be a need for traditional foster parents, Brightpoint makes kinship care — foster care that places a child with a relative or someone else known to the child — a priority. “We know that outcomes for our families are going to be so much better if we can keep families together at their core,” Wilson explained. “We really do try to make sure whenever possible we can keep kids with their family, however that is defined for them…Our goal is always to ensure that our kids are stable and that they are loved and that they’re able to maintain those cultural connections,

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O’FALLON, Ill. – HSHS Medical Group is pleased to welcome Dr. Roula al-Dahhak, a board-certified neurologist, to HSHS Medical Group Multispecialty Care - St. Elizabeth’s at 3 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd., Suite 5000, O’Fallon, Illinois. Dr. al-Dahhak has more than 30 years of clinical experience. She specializes in neuromuscular diseases, clinical neurophysiology and cognitive rehabilitation. As a staff physician at John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Dr. al-Dahhak founded the Memory Training Center, where she offered personalized cognitive training programs for adults experiencing memory and attention difficulties. She holds board certifications in neurology, clinical neurophysiology and neuromuscular medicine from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. After earning her medical degree from Damascus University Faculty of Medicine in Damascus, Syria, Dr. al-Dahhak completed her neurology residency at Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus,

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BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions recently celebrated an Adoption Day event at the St. Clair County Courts, where 15 children in Caritas’ care officially joined their forever families. Held at the St. Clair County Courthouse in collaboration with Judge Elaine LeChien, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and other adoption and family services agencies, Adoption Day is expected to become an annual event where families gather to celebrate and finalize adoptions. “Adoption Day has quickly become one of our favorite days of the year and serves as a reminder of why we do what we do,” said Brooke Portz, Assistant Program Director of Foster Care at Caritas. “There is nothing that compares to the joy of seeing children find safe, loving, and permanent homes. These moments reflect the heart of our mission, while also honoring the dedication of the families who open their hearts and homes, and the tireless commitment of caseworkers

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