EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County’s law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, will operate a drop-off site for Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, in Edwardsville. Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine, Sheriff Jeff Connor, Coroner Nick Novacich and Emergency Management Agency Director Fred Patterson will be operating the drop-off site in coordination with the DEA. The drop-off site, open from 10 a.m. t
ALTON - Alton High School will add girls flag football as a sport starting the fall of 2026, a move Athletic Director Christopher Kusnerick said could expand opportunities for students who have not participated in a fall sport. The program will compete in the Southwestern Conference, with Edwardsville, Mascoutah, East St. Louis, Belleville East, and Belleville West listed as conference opponents. The sport will be played in a 7-on-7 format, with the team expected to play about 12 games. Kusnerick
CHICAGO — Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that the lawsuits his office has filed challenging unlawful overreach by the federal government have protected approximately $8.6 billion for Illinois and critical programs and services that support individuals, families and organizations across the state. Since January 2025, the Attorney General’s office has filed 63 lawsuits challenging illegal actions by the Trump administration. Of all of the cases that have received
WOOD RIVER – Wood River officials approved the second phase of a plan to install solar panels for all city buildings this week, with a $6 million project planned at two water treatment plants. On April 20, 2026 , City Council members unanimously approved a resolution approving an agreement for Phase 2 of the Solar Panel Project under a previous contract with GRP Wegman to install solar panels at the city’s Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant. According to the
ALTON – Two men accused of making inappropriate physical contact with juvenile victims face felony charges in separate but similar cases. Michael S. Lenglet, 45, of Troy, Ill., and Raymond L. Dunningan, 57, listed as homeless out of Alton, face one count each of aggravated battery, both Class 3 felonies. Dunnigan was charged on April 15, 2026, while Lenglet was charged two days later on April 17. Both cases stem from separate incidents that allegedly occurred on April 13, 2026. Lenglet
CENTRALIA – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 8 Special Agents arrested 21-year-old Shavonte D. Samuels of Centralia, IL following a deadly shooting in Centralia. On April 19, 2026, the Centralia Police Department requested ISP’s assistance with a shooting investigation in the 900 block of Kell Street. Four total victims were transported to an area hospital with gunshot wounds. One of the victims, 19-year-old Stephen McCary III, was later pronounced
SWANSEA - Swansea Police officers arrested a 70-year-old registered sex offender after investigating reports that pornographic material was distributed to juveniles near Kinsella Avenue and Caseyville Avenue, police said. Billie D. Tadlock of Swansea was taken into custody on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, and later charged following a review by the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office. Swansea Police said officers responded on April 10, 2026, to the area of Kinsella Avenue and Caseyvill
ALTON - Alton Middle School students will take a historical tour of Alton. The Alton Community Unit School District #11 has partnered with Alton Odyssey Tours so students can take “The Abolitionists of Alton” tour. Students will engage with reenactors and learn more about each historical site in the city. “History is very abstract for them,” explained social studies teacher Nicole McKinney. “I try to think of every way that it can relate to them. I think them
A single book can change what a whole society thinks is normal. That sounds dramatic until you notice how often it happens in small ways. A novel makes a phrase catch on. A memoir shifts how people talk about mental health. A children’s series turns a generation into lifelong readers. Books don’t just reflect culture like a mirror. They also push it, bend it, and sometimes remake it. Books are “portable culture” Culture is more than art and holidays. It’s the
WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at EAWR High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The Seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. April has two winners: Hailey Handler & Adyson Bunt. Hailey is a Senior at
On April 23, 1564, William Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, a small record that has come to stand in for the arrival of one of the most influential writers in world history. Baptism dates were often recorded more reliably than birth dates in the 1500s, so April 23 is widely associated with Shakespeare’s birth. At the time, it mattered mainly to a local parish and a growing market town. Over the centuries, it came to matter to readers, performers, and audiences acros
ALTON - The Alton Police Department responded to the 2200 block of Locust Avenue on Wednesday night following a reported shooting. When officers arrived at the scene, the victim had already been transported by private vehicle to Alton Memorial Hospital for treatment. Several evidence markers were visible in the front yard of the home as investigators processed the scene. Locust Avenue was closed to traffic and surrounded by crime scene tape while officers searched for additional evidence.
ALTON – Alton officials are holding off on buying and installing 25 planters along Broadway as calls grow for the city to invest beyond downtown. City Council members voted 5-2 to postpone an agenda item to purchase Earth Planter containers for Broadway in Alton using $11,814 in Food and Beverage Tax funds. The item is set to be reconsidered at the next council meeting on May 13, 2026. The proposal calls for 25 planters to be placed along Broadway from Ridge Street to Market Street
JERSEY COUNTY — Gary Krueger, the chairman of the Jersey County Board, died Tuesday morning, April 21, 2026, at his home, Jersey County Clerk Pam Warford confirmed Wednesday, April 22, 2026. He was 75. Warford said Mark Wagner, the board’s vice chair, will assume the position. “It is quite a shock to the community. He has been a great asset to the county,” Warford said. “He will be greatly missed both professionally and personally.” Warford described a
ALTON - Local artists can compete in a plein air art competition while supporting local recreation areas. From May 1–31, 2026, artists over age 16 are encouraged to draw or paint the scenery in person at up to eight featured Rivers Project recreation areas. You can then pay a $25 submission fee to be entered for the chance to win several prizes. All submissions will be displayed in an art exhibit at the National Great Rivers Museum through August. “We definitely want to capitaliz
GODFREY – Plans to build a recreation center in Godfrey are temporarily on hold after a trustee requested more time to review key details. Village Board members voted unanimously on April 21, 2026 to delay an agreement for architectural services from AAIC, the firm selected last month to provide a proposal for the rec center . Trustee Rick Lauschke said given the significant time spent working out the final details of an updated gaming ordinance , he has not yet had time to review
ALTON - Students at East Elementary School in Alton were starstruck during a special portable planetarium presentation. On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, students loaded into SIUE’s StarLab, a mobile planetarium that travels to different schools for presentations. Students could stargaze and learn about different planets, all from their gymnasium. Rene Hart, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Alton Community Unit School District #11, noted that students “loved”
ALTON - If you have old athletic shoes to get rid of, Alton High School junior Allison Pruitt and some friends are organizing a major one-day shoe drive on May 2, 2026, at Alton High School to collect paired tennis shoes for a fundraiser benefiting vision and hearing programs and services while keeping sneakers out of landfills. Other key volunteers at the event will be some of Pruitt's close friends - Lydia Schrumpf, Caroline Cannon, and McKenna Dondanville. The drive i
ALTON – An outdoor shopping center in Alton home to Panera Bread, Dollar Tree, and more recently sold for over $9 million. Oakwood Plaza, located at 1837 Homer M. Adams Parkway in Alton, was sold last week for a total of $9.3 million, according to real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. The 45,400 square foot Class A retail space was built in 2005 on 8.96 acres just off Homer M. Adams Parkway and contains 16 suites for a mix of retail and restaurant tenants. Marcus & Millichap announce
ALTON — Riverbender.com “Our Daily Show!” host C.J. Nasello and Jacquelyn Buettner are getting married Saturday, April 25, 2026, with an open house-style reception planned at Mac’s in downtown Alton. The reception is scheduled from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nasello said. “We'll arrive just after 5:30 p.m. and take part in the traditional moments like our first dances and cake cutting over the first hour to two or so. After that, the floor opens back up for everyone to
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