Riverbender 🕸

JACKSONVILLE – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a South Jacksonville, Illinois man pleaded guilty to disseminating child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to prison. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. Gary Steininger, 50, was sentenced to 24 years in prison

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) announced its opposition Wednesday to a proposed rate increase filed by Illinois American Water, warning that the hike would place additional financial strain on customers already facing substantial water and wastewater bill increases over the past decade. Illinois American Water, the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in Illinois, submitted its rate hike request to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The company serves

BELLEVILLE — Illinois American Water filed a request Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, with the Illinois Commerce Commission seeking approval for new rates to support about $577 million in water and wastewater infrastructure investments through 2027. The utility, which serves more than 1.3 million people across 148 Illinois communities, said the funds would be used to modernize pipelines, upgrade treatment facilities, and address regulatory requirements, including emerging contaminants such as PFAS.

CLINTON COUNTY - The victim who went under the ice attempting to rescue his dog on a frozen pond in New Baden, IL., has been identified as 23-year-old Luke Kitterman of New Memphis, IL. The incident occurred on the ice in a pond on Clinton County Road and Tenth Road. Kitterman was hunting with five others at the time and fell through the ice. Rescuers used a sonar scan to locate him. Herb Simmons, the Director of the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, made this statement about

ALTON — City workers were seen once again throughout Alton on Wednesday morning, Jan. 28, 2026, clearing snow and debris left by a massive winter storm that struck the area over the weekend. The city crew was viewed in the morning on Third Street in the cleanup role. The cleanup efforts followed a storm that began Saturday and continued into Sunday, leaving the city covered in snow. Alton Mayor David Goins praised the Public Works and police departments for their response during and

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt helped secure a $990,000 state grant through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program for R3 Development in East St. Louis and Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. “We want to make sure that people in our community have real access to the construction trades and the good-paying jobs that come with them,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “The Illinois Works Program opens doors for local residents to gain the skills

ILLINOIS - The Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) recently invited school leaders to learn more about the benefits of school libraries and certified library staff. On Jan. 20, 2026, school administrators and school board members across the state joined a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the impact of school libraries on students. Dr. Carol Hogan-Downey explained that IHLS works with schools to help students access books, resources and more. “Our goal is to get a certified

BELLEVILLE - A historic building in Belleville has been restored. Located at 1112 West Main in Belleville, the new Harp Pub opened in December, but the journey to restoring the building was several years in the making. Co-owner Glen McElligott shared that the community has expressed excitement about a new restaurant in town, with many people thanking him for keeping the building’s vintage roots. “She’s an old building. She dates back to 1850, and she had a few little quirk

ALTON — United Steelworkers Local 3643 members learned Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, that Alton Steel will be closing its operations, a decision communicated simultaneously to the union executive board and company employees, according to union president Scott Hall. Since the announcement on Jan. 26, union leaders have been seeking clarification from the company regarding the status of employees’ wages, benefits, and the duration of any guarantees related to pay, healthcare, and other contractual

ILLINOIS - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski has called for major reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Following a check presentation in Glen Carbon on Jan. 27, 2026, Budzinski spoke to the press about ICE and changes she wants to see as tensions rise in Minnesota. She noted that she has voted against additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “ICE needs to leave Minneapolis,” Budzinski said. She expressed her opinion that Secretary

BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is proud to announce the promotion of Ashlee Lambert to Chief Development Officer, recognizing her exceptional leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and longstanding commitment to advancing the organization’s mission of serving individuals and families in crisis. Lambert has been part of the Caritas Family Solutions team for the past 14 years. She began her career as a foster care case manager before transitioning into development, a move inspired

EAST ST. LOUIS - Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, announced early this morning that East St. Louis District 189 will cancel all classes on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, due to hazardous winter road conditions. "The district will be closed for the day, and no e-learning sessions will take place," she said. "The decision aims to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families amid the winter weather challenges."

JERSEY — Two students from Jersey Community High School’s construction class have built a specialized training prop for the QEM Fire District designed to improve firefighter safety during emergency responses. Bryant Henderson and Lincoln Diamond constructed an entanglement trap at the QEM Fire District Training Facility. The device simulates situations in which firefighters become entangled in wiring and cables while wearing full protective gear. This hands-on training tool is designed

SAINT LOUIS - A local doctor is providing a new kind of depression treatment with impressive results. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a modality offered by Precision TMS to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Tom Malone, clinic director at Precision TMS, shared that TMS is a safe alternative to medications that has been shown to bring people — like client Jeremy — immense relief. “Just getting the word out tha

ALTON – Alton officials are changing their plans to shorten public comments at future city meetings. Committee of the Whole members voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 to postpone a resolution which included sweeping City Code changes regarding public comments at Committee and City Council meetings. The resolution originally called for all public comment time limits to be shortened from five minutes to three minutes per person, and shortened even further to two minutes per

At 4:30 p.m., it can feel like the day has already been used up. You glance at the clock, you’ve done a normal amount of work, and yet everything seems to move in slow motion—your energy, your plans, even your patience. It’s not just imagination. Certain months really do feel slower, and there are several reasons your brain and body push that impression to the front. The “slow” feeling is real—even if the clock doesn’t change A day is still 24 hours.

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart just over a minute after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board and halting NASA’s shuttle program in shock. The disaster mattered immediately because it ended lives in full public view and forced the United States to stop and reassess a flagship technology it had come to trust. It still matters today because it changed how complex systems are managed, how risks are communicated, and how spaceflight is designed and

This morning starts cold with temperatures near 7 degrees, feeling bitterly cold at around 2 degrees as the day begins partly cloudy. By afternoon, mostly sunny skies will prevail with a high of 31 degrees, although it will feel very cold at 24 degrees. Winds will come from the west at around 8 mph, gusting to 14 mph, keeping it crisp but dry. As evening arrives, expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping quickly into the low 20s and continuing to feel quite cold. Overnight, it will

ALTON – Alton Mayor David Goins and Alderwoman Rosetta Brown addressed the recently announced closure of Alton Steel Inc. at this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting . “It’s definitely something that is very disheartening and very untimely, and it took us all by surprise,” Goins said of Alton Steel closing. Goins said several actions are being taken “behind the scenes” to help the approximately 253 displaced workers find employment elsewhere.

ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School senior Keller Jacobs reached a milestone by scoring his 100th career goal for the Alton Redbird Club Hockey team during a 3-0 victory against Triad. The game took place recently, marking a significant achievement for Jacobs and the team. Jacobs is an Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month for Alton. The Alton Redbirds Hockey organization shared congratulations on the accomplishment, highlighting Jacobs’ contribution to the team’s success.