Riverbender 🕸

EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 has appointed Ali Hiller as principal of Nelson Elementary and Jamie Anderson as principal of Glen Carbon Elementary. Both appointments were approved May 26, 2026, by the District 7 Board of Education. Hiller and Anderson will assume their new roles July 1, 2026. Hiller is completing her second year as assistant principal at Woodland Elementary. Prior to her appointment at Woodland, she served as an administrative intern

EDWARDSVILLE - During their regular meeting on May 26, 2026, the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education discussed the possibility of creating a Curriculum Advisory Committee. The committee would support the curriculum reviews completed by teachers and administrators. Board President Bob Paty explained the purpose behind creating a new committee. “The Curriculum Advisory Committee exists to inform, educate, and ensure that all curriculum decisions brought

GRANITE CITY — Downtown Granite City is preparing to welcome hundreds of visitors on Saturday, June 6, 2026, as communities along Illinois’ historic Route 66 come together for a regional celebration centered on tourism, local business support, history, and community involvement. The event, culminating in a downtown Granite City celebration in Civic Park and extending to the Neon Sign Park area, is expected to bring visitors from across Illinois and surrounding states into local restaurants

SHIPMAN - A building in Shipman is getting a refreshed look with a new mural. Logoline, located at 129 Keating Street in Shipman, is a woman-owned business that offers in-house printing and merchandising services. Owner Tye Christopher shared that the business recently collaborated with Kelly Christenson with Hype of Type to paint a mural on their building, with the hopes of sharing their investment in the community. “I just thought that bringing some color to that side of the building

ALTON – Alton officials are holding off on creating a new dedicated fund for downtown festivals and events. At the May 26, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting , Alderwoman Martha Pfister moved to postpone a resolution to establish a Festival and Event Fund using Food and Beverage Tax revenue. The resolution’s stated purpose is “to support events in the Downtown District of Alton.” “Events held within the downtown area generate increased activity for local restaurants,

GODFREY - Community members and business owners from across the region gathered at the RiverBend Growth Association Chamber Choice Awards. On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, the RiverBend Growth Association (RBGA) hosted their fifth annual awards luncheon, featuring music by the Alton Youth Symphony Chamber Strings, a meal catered by Nicky G’s, and the recognition of several award and scholarship winners. The event, held at The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College, invited community

EDWARDSVILLE — Albert Lee Zigler was ordered to be held in the Madison County Jail pending trial after appearing Wednesday before Judge Hackett for a detention hearing in the 1993 murder of Randy Gail Sperino of Granite City. Hackett ruled that Zigler should remain jailed until trial in the case, which prosecutors said stems from Sperino’s killing on Nov. 9, 1993. During the hearing, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office argued that Zigler drove by Sperino as

ALTON - The Alton High School Construction Trades class is excited to announce that they have almost completed their first house. Over the past school year, students in the Construction Trades class have worked onsite at 1 Woodland Hills Court in Alton, where they worked together to build a house from the ground up. Paul Yost, owner of Tycon Builders, oversaw the project alongside Alton Community Unit School District #11 teachers. He expressed his pride in the students as they complete the

COLUMBIA — Father McGivney Catholic High School’s girls soccer team advanced to the Class 1A IHSA sectional championship Tuesday night with a 6-0 semifinal win over Freeburg in Columbia, a victory that also featured Natalie Beck’s 100th career goal. McGivney will face Columbia in the Columbia Sectional Championship at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, 2026, in Columbia. Beck, a senior, is a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Female Athlete of the Month for the Griffins by reachin

COLLINSVILLE/PONTOON BEACH – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced intermittent nightly lane closures on Interstate 255 between I-270 and the St. Clair County line in Madison County beginning Wednesday, June 3, weather permitting. The closures are necessary for a $6.6 million pavement preservation project on I-255. Motorists can expect one lane to remain open in each direction nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. All lanes will reopen daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The work

ALTON – Alton Main Street invites you to a fun event which spans 22 pet-friendly patios and businesses on Saturday, May 30th from Noon-8 p.m. Join us for the Pup Crawl - yes you read that correctly, it’s a pub crawl with dogs! Tickets are on sale now at all participating locations, or you can get your ticket at the Alton Dog Park on the day of the event while supplies last. With your $10 ticket you will receive a bandana for your pet, a passport listing food & beverage specials an

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has resolved multiple investigations involving alleged violations of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, ensuring employees received access to paid leave benefits required under state law. The investigations involved employers across Illinois in a variety of industries, including food service, hospitality, and home services. In each case, employers worked cooperatively with the Department to address concerns, revise policies, and

EAST ALTON - The Village of East Alton Water Department will begin visiting certain neighborhoods this week, starting May 26, 2026, to gather information on residential water service lines as part of an ongoing project, according to the village. Village of East Alton Water Department employees may go door-to-door in selected areas to check whether service lines are made of copper, plastic, or galvanized material. The inspection is expected to take about five to 10 minutes, the Villag

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at improving coordination between the United States and our partners in the Indo-Pacific, which would strengthen security both in the region and back here at home. Amid increasing aggression from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea, the Senators’ bills would help ensure the State Department prioritizes

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 26 states, urged the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to uphold a lower court’s ruling blocking the unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. |In their amicus brief filed today, Raoul and the coalition argue that the deployment undermines the sovereignty of states and local jurisdictions and threatens the foundational principle of American democracy that

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general opposing the federal Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (“KIDS Act”), arguing the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online while insulating technology companies from accountability. In their letter sent to Congressional leadership , Raoul and the coalition warned the KIDS Act would broadly preempt state laws addressing online harms to minors, including

EDWARDSVILLE - The importance of law enforcement never giving up on a murder case and the latest DNA technology were in full view on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, when charges were announced for a homicide committed 33 years ago in 1993. First-degree murder charges were announced Tuesday, May 26, 2026, against Albert L. “Buddy” Zigler, 70, of Caseyville, Illinois, in the 1993 killing of Randy Gail Sperino, marking what the Madison County Sheriff's Office said was the resolution of

STE. GENEVIEVE, MO — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Wesley Bell (MO-01) visited the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center, which serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contract facility. The members toured the facility and spoke to detainees who had been living in their respective districts. “Over the last year, we’ve seen members of our community detained by ICE while going to work, picking up their kids, or simply going about thei

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced an $8.25 million settlement with Mylan Inc. (Mylan), the company that sells the EpiPen, resolving concerns about the company’s anticompetitive conduct related to EpiPen products. Mylan’s alleged anticompetitive scheme resulted in the state of Illinois paying excess amounts for EpiPens purchased through its Medicaid and employee health benefits programs. Most of the money recovered will be split by the Illinois

CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $5 million is available in tourism funding through three grant programs: the Route 66 Grant Program ($2 million), the International Tourism Grant Program ($1 million), and the Tourism Marketing Partnership Grant Program ($2 million). Eligible entities can apply for grants to promote and preserve the historic Route 66 corridor through the Route 66 Grant Program, grants