Riverbender 🕸

This morning starts clear with a cool 44 degrees. The sun will make appearances through intermittent clouds as the day warms up to a high of 61 in the afternoon. Winds will come from the west-northwest at 7 to 15 mph gusts, adding a bit of briskness. Evening brings mostly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping toward the low 40s. Overnight, expect the clouds to stick around with lows near 40, and light winds from the east-northeast at around 7 to 10 mph. Tomorrow will see temperatures holding

ALTON — Officers Hayley Porter and Janelle Rose graduated Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, from the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center, the Alton Police Department announced Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. The two officers completed the Police Academy program and will now begin their Field Training Program, according to Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford. “It’s no secret that we are proud of their hard work and dedication, and we wish them continued success as they begin their

ALTON – An Alton man accused of battering two police officers and taking one’s taser as they attempted to arrest him remains in custody pending felony charges. Taron A. Steward, 25, of Alton, was charged on Dec. 19, 2025, with one count of disarming a peace officer (a Class 1 felony) and two counts of aggravated battery (both Class 2 felonies). The day prior on Dec. 18, 2025, Steward allegedly took a taser from a police officer without the officer’s consent and struck the

GRAFTON — The Grafton City Council honored the Grafton Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, for its ongoing efforts to promote local businesses and position the river town as a unique visitor destination. At the council meeting, Mayor Mike Morrow presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Chamber, whose theme encourages visitors to “Come visit, enjoy Grafton and plan a return adventure.” Dan Ebbing, president of the Chamber, accepted the certificate and

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the complete defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has returned more than $21 billion to defrauded consumers, slashed junk fees, and stopped predatory auto and mortgage lenders throughout its 14-year existence. The CFPB’s current acting director, Russel Vought, is attempting to completely defund the agency by refusing to request

ST. LOUIS – On Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, Mayor Cara Spencer announced two key appointments to her cabinet and staff, naming Brian Light as director of personnel and Holly Roberts as director of communications. Brian Light returns home to St. Louis after more than 24 years of public service in the Pacific Northwest, with a career rooted in leadership, organizational development and human resources. He began his career with the State of Oregon as a training and development specialist, where

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a $149.67 million multistate settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA (Mercedes) and Daimler AG (Daimler) for violating state laws by marketing, selling and leasing vehicles equipped with illegal and undisclosed emissions defeat devices designed to evade emissions standards. The settlement also includes more than $200 million in potential consumer relief. “Mercedes’ deceptive use of software defeat devices misled consumers into

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to preliminarily halt changes to its Continuum of Care grant program after Raoul and a coalition of states argued in court that the changes were illegal and would leave tens of thousands of people around the country without a place to live. The Continuum of Care grant program is the largest resource for federal homelessness assistance funding. “Th

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today led a bipartisan coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a federal law prohibiting firearms possession by habitual drug users. The Supreme Court’s review follows the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit’s decision in United States v. Hemani, which held that the law could prohibit firearms possession by a habitual drug user only when that user is intoxicated at the

WATERLOO – Monroe County Chairman, George Green, took action to prevent a levee failure. Emergency repairs are underway on a critical agricultural levee system impacting two counties, following growing concern over a dangerous scour hole that threatened catastrophic failure. The issue centered on a legacy levee, originally constructed in the 1800s, which allowed water to continue flowing toward the modern levee. Over time, this created turbulence and high velocity which resulted in the formatio

SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker today announced the 2026 recipients of the Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service. Established in 1964, the Order of Lincoln recognizes individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the betterment of humanity in or on behalf of the State of Illinois. “Having dedicated themselves to uplifting their fellow Illinoisans and Americans, the 2026 Lincoln Laureates set an example of leading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), today demanded an independent investigation into the Trump Administration’s decision to divert personnel, equipment and financial resources away from serving our nation’s Veterans and toward developing a database to track non-U.S. citizen employees as part of Donald Trump’s inhumane mass deportation

EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) now has its first Endowed Professorship, due to a major contribution from Professor Emerita Therese Poirier, PharmD, MPH, FASHP, FCCP, BCPS. The Therese Poirier Endowed Professorship in Pharmacy is the largest single gift in the School of Pharmacy’s history. “I look at some of the bigger schools and their affiliations where they have lots of money,” said Poirier. “And I was looking

EDWARDSVILLE – The City of Edwardsville is once again offering a Special Events Grant Program to support organizations looking to host free events for the enjoyment and benefit of the community. The program was established to help offset costs and boost the economic impact of community events that take place in Edwardsville. This round of Special Events Grants can be used to cover marketing costs and municipal fees incurred in hosting events held between May 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027.

SPRINGFIELD — The office of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has released its annual list of rejected vanity and personalized license plate requests for 2025, showing that while Illinois drivers remain creative, some ideas still cross the line. According to the Illinois Secretary of State , the office received 55,690 requests for vanity and personalized plates this year. More than 550 submissions were denied after being deemed inflammatory, profane, offensive, or

ALTON - Alton High School has a budding young journalist for the future in Leigha Cole. Cole has also been heavily involved in community service roles in her high school life. A highlight of Cole’s high school experience has been serving as Editor-In-Chief of The Redbird Word, the student-led newspaper. She aspired to this role since her sophomore year and has competed in notable journalism contests, including those organized by the Southern Illinois Student Press Association and the

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man faces a Class X felony after invading a local residence and using a BB gun to batter one of the home’s occupants. Keith D. Walker, 60, of Granite City, was charged on Dec. 22, 2025, with a Class X felony count of home invasion. On Dec. 20, 2025, Walker allegedly knowingly and unlawfully entered an occupied residence on State Street in Granite City and struck one of the home’s occupants in the head with a BB gun modeled after a Glock 17

ALTON — Sharon Dugas, a senior at Marquette Catholic High School, was recognized recently for her leadership in academic excellence at the school. Dugas, the daughter of Patrick and Laura Dugas, has achieved a 4.53 GPA and completed 34 college dual credit hours. She has consistently appeared on the High Honor Roll and has taken multiple Advanced Placement and Honors classes, earning the distinction of AP Scholar. Dugas was one of the Students of the Month for December 2025 during a

CHICAGO — Powerball® is fueling holiday excitement across Illinois as the jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.6 billion for tonight’s drawing. If won, this enormous prize would become the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot and the fifth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. The jackpot rolled over following Saturday night’s drawing when no ticket matched all six winning numbers—4, 5, 28, 52, 69, and Powerball 20. While there was no jackpot winner, several Illinois

EDWARDSVILLE - On Friday, December 19, 2025, the Madison County Circuit Court hosted its eighth annual Adoption Day, finalizing adoptions for 36 children from foster care and uniting them with loving, permanent families. Many children in foster care endure waits of three or more years for adoption, and one in five will age out of the system without ever finding a forever home. Events like Adoption Day highlight the joy of permanency while underscoring the ongoing need for adoptive families. “The