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ALTON — A man with Riverbend roots rises to one of the U.S. Marine Corps’ most selective ranks, earning the title of warrant officer following a months-long journey of testing, training and leadership development. Cole Ellis, a 2012 Alton High School graduate, took his oath of office Feb. 1 at Quantico, Va., officially stepping into a role reserved for technical experts and trusted leaders across the Corps. The training was anything but ceremonial — eight weeks of tactical fieldwork, classroom instruction and long hikes under weight, followed by six weeks of advanced technical training in Virginia Beach where he finished on July 3. “Even though I’ve stayed in shape, this course pushed me,” Ellis said. The warrant officer program selects experienced enlisted Marines who demonstrate technical expertise, steady leadership and strong character. Candidates undergo a competitive board process, receive command endorsement and submit a personal essay explaining

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SPRINGFIELD — As families across Illinois prepare to celebrate Independence Day, the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA) urges residents to think twice before handling fireworks, especially when it comes to protecting their eyes. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 14,000 fireworks-related injuries were reported in 2024, with 22% involving the head, face, and ears. These injuries can range from burns and abrasions to severe trauma, often resulting in temporary vision loss or even blindness. “Eye injuries from fireworks are not just painful — they’re often devastating and completely preventable,” said Angela Oberreiter, OD, President & Chair of the Illinois Optometric Association. “Unfortunately, we see far too many patients this time of year with eye injuries from fireworks, smoke bombs, bottle rockets, and sparklers.” Key Facts About Fireworks and Eye Safety: • Sparklers burn at over 1,800 degrees —

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ALTON - The Alton American Legion organized a picnic at Rock Spring Park on July 4, 1925. The main attraction was an elaborate fireworks finale, but there were activities and entertainment all afternoon and into the night. The White Hussar Band played, revelers danced at the Valley Park Pavilion, there was a Defense Test program, and attendees competed in a variety of athletic events that had been planned in partnership with the Alton Recreation Commission. Legion post members directed the competitions for boys, and several of the playground directors supervised the girls’ competitions. There were ten events for boys, five for girls, one for men, and zero for women. An open Horseshoe Pitching elimination tournament for men started at 1:30 p.m. with two men to a team. Two boxes of cigars were awarded to the first prize winners. The abbreviated marathon for boys under 15 also started at 1:30 p.m. The top three winners won gold, silver, and bronze medals. A separate “Boys’

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DECATUR – Ahead of Independence Day, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a lost Purple Heart medal to the brother and granddaughter of a World War II veteran who earned it while fighting to liberate Europe. Frerichs reunited Army Private John L. Moore’s medal with Jerry Moore, his youngest brother, and Angie Holliger, Private Moore’s granddaughter, during a ceremony at the World War II Memorial in Decatur, where Jerry lives. It is the 15th lost medal Frerichs has returned as part of Operation Purple Heart , an unprecedented mission to return lost medals with the rightful owners. The iconic military honor is given to individuals wounded or killed during military combat. “Private Moore defended democracy during some of the fiercest battles of WW II,” Frerichs said. “It is an honor to finally return his Purple Heart to his loving family.” John Moore survived the 1944 D-Day invasion only to be wounded weeks later by shrapnel in hi

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MARYVILLE - The Village of Maryville will continue their “Movie in the Park” tradition with two films later this month. On Saturday, July 19, 2025, community members can enjoy “Moana 2” at Drost Park in Maryville. This will be followed by "Inside Out 2" the following weekend on July 26, 2025. Mayor Wayne White noted that the events aim to provide free, family-friendly fun for the community. “What we really want to do is just bring families and communities together,” he said. “This is an opportunity for us to do that.” The movies start at dusk and are completely free to attend. The Parks and Recreation Committee provides ice cream from Bobby’s and popcorn. There will also be an inflatable obstacle course for the kids to play on. “What we're really trying to do is bring back that spirit of the family drive-in, except on a little bit smaller scale,” White explained. “Maryville, we are just a family community.

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SPRINGFIELD – As summer gets into full swing, the Illinois State Police (ISP) is reminding the public about the importance of motorcycle safety for everyone on the road. In just the past week, ISP alone responded to four motorcycle fatalities. Summer is historically when the highest number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities occur. A National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) assessment shows from 2013-2022, 47% of motorcycle fatalities occur during the summer months. According to NHTSA, motorcycles account for less than 3% of all registered vehicles, but comprise an estimated 12% of all traffic fatalities. To date in 2025, there have been 44 motorcycle fatalities in Illinois according to Illinois Department of Transportation data . Speed and driving while impaired are two of the main causes of motorcycles fatalities and injuries. ? According to NHTSA, 59% of motorcycle fatalities involved impaired driving and 40% of serious injures involved speeding.

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ALTON — The City of Alton's Annual Fourth of July Celebration and Fireworks was again a great success. It was an evening of food, music, and fireworks on the Alton riverfront on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Gates opened at 5 p.m., with DJ ChrisXmas providing entertainment to start the festivities. The Lincoln Brass Band performed at 8 p.m., followed by a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. This year's fireworks celebration drew an enormous crowd throughout the Downtown Alton area. Alton Mayor David Goins expressed enthusiasm for the event, saying, "I love the event each year and look forward to it. It is always a grand event, and this year it was that once again." He highlighted the community’s ability to draw a large crowd each year and thanked the various Alton departments for their hard work on the event. The Alton Police Department emphasized safety and provided important traffic information. Traffic restrictions were in place on several local streets near the East

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ALTON — “Our Daily Show!,” Riverbender.com ’s flagship talk program, is celebrating a major breakthrough in the podcast landscape. According to PodSEO , a leading platform for podcast rankings and SEO insights, the show has surged into the top 3% of all podcasts. This impressive rise reflects a dramatic climb in engagement over the past month, with the show gaining national traction and officially outpacing long-established programs. “It’s a testament to what happens when a community gets behind something real,” said host CJ Nasello. “We’re not backed by a corporate network — we’re powered by people who care about the Riverbend and want to hear about our region.” While other shows remained steady, “Our Daily Show!” began a rapid ascent starting late June 2025, reflecting significant growth in listenership, downloads, and online engagement. What Sets It Apart Broadcasting live

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BELLEVILLE — The Belleville Police Department is investigating a shooting incident involving a 4-year-old boy who was wounded early Thursday morning, July 3, 2025. At approximately 7:30 a.m. on July 3, 2025, Belleville Police officers responded to Memorial Hospital after the child arrived with a non-life-threatening gunshot injury. The shooting occurred at a residence on the first block of North 42nd Street in Belleville. A Belleville Police Crime Scene Investigator collected multiple pieces of evidence at the scene. Police said they are not currently seeking any additional suspects. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities will release more information as it becomes available and appropriate to share.

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a 44-year-old Alton woman who died early Tuesday morning, July 1, 2025, after her vehicle struck a guardrail on Interstate 64. Eileen Campbell, a resident of the 200 block of Madison Avenue, was driving a 2025 Honda CRV westbound near Big Bend Boulevard at approximately 12:40 a.m. when her vehicle went off the road and collided with the guardrail, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol online crash report. Emergency responders from the Richmond Heights Fire Department transported Campbell to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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WOOD RIVER — A crash on Thursday morning, July 3, 2025, in Wood River claimed the lives of two people and left a suspect injured, authorities said. At approximately 10:50 a.m. on July 3, 2025, a Wood River Police Department officer attempted to stop a vehicle at Sixth Street and Edwardsville Road. The driver, the sole occupant, fled despite the officer activating emergency lights, according to police. Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said the suspect drove recklessly through a business parking lot, jumped a curb, and continued southbound on Sixth Street, ignoring multiple traffic control devices. He said the vehicle then turned westbound onto Illinois Route 143 and ran a solid red light at the intersection with Illinois Route 3. There, it collided with a northbound vehicle carrying two occupants. The impact forced both vehicles into a ravine on the northwest side of the intersection. The struck vehicle caught fire immediately. Both occupants were pronounced dead by Madison

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EAST ALTON – A man from Alton accused of intentionally setting fire to an East Alton residence faces multiple felony charges. Larry D. Greer, 30, of Alton, was charged on July 1, 2025 with a Class 1 felony count of residential arson and a Class 4 felony count of criminal damage to property. On June 29, 2025, Greer allegedly knowingly damaged a residence in the 100 block of Northmoor Place in East Alton by means of fire. He was also accused of causing over $500 worth of damage to various personal property of the property owner. According to the state’s petition to deny Greer’s pretrial release, he was allowed to enter the victim’s home after serving time in prison for a previous domestic battery case against the same victim. After Greer became angry with the victim, she left the residence to stay at a friend’s house before receiving a call from the East Alton Police Department that her house was on fire. “Defendant was arrested, admitting to

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EDWARDSVILLE – A series of “explicit” conversations with multiple minors on Snapchat have led to criminal charges against a man from Edwardsville. Hunter H. Wells, 23, of Edwardsville, was charged on June 27, 2025 with one count of child pornography, a Class X felony, and two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, both Class A misdemeanors. On Dec. 11, 2023, Wells allegedly used Snapchat to have explicit conversations – and in some cases, send explicit photos – to minors under the age of 18. Specifically, he is accused of soliciting a child “whom he believed to be 15 years of age” to appear nude in a Snapchat video, and exposing himself via Snapchat to minors he believed to be 15 and 14 years of age at the time. The State’s Attorney’s petition to deny Wells’s pretrial release from custody details the investigation that led to his arrest. “On March 11, 2024, the Moline, Illinois Police Department received a cybertip

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COLLINSVILLE — Collinsville author Thelma Ball has published a new book documenting the history of two major World War II defense plants in Illiopolis. "Illinois Munitions: A News Journal of the Oak & Sangamon Ordnance Plants 1942-1950 Illiopolis, Illinois," explores the development and operations of what were once the largest ordnance plants in the United States. The 354-page hardcover volume recounts the federal government’s 1942 investment of $40 million to build two ordnance plants on 19,000 acres east of Springfield, acquired from local farmers. One plant produced fuses, while the other manufactured ammunition and bombs. At their operational peak, the facilities employed about 15,000 workers, predominantly women ordnance workers from rural communities across central Illinois. Ball’s book details the logistical challenges faced by the plants, including workforce recruitment and retention, transportation via road and rail, and housing shortages. Ammunition

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GODFREY – Godfrey Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan gave an update on his plans to add more no-smoking signs near park playgrounds and more at the July 1, 2025 Public Safety Committee meeting. Under Logan’s latest recommendation, several new signs will be installed around various park facilities. These include six new signs posted near playgrounds, including three at Glazebrook, one at Homer Adams, one at Clifton Terrace, and one at the Lewis and Clark Baseball Fields Playground. Each of these signs will say, “No smoking within 15 feet of playground surface.” Logan also suggested installing two signs at the splash pad, four at the soccer complex, eight at the baseball/soccer fields, two at the pickleball courts, and one sign each at the small and large dog parks. Each of these signs will feature a generic “no smoking” logo and language calling for “no smoking within 15 feet” of each facility’s fence. Eight other new

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EAST ST. LOUIS — A former bank president and a contractor has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a scheme that involved falsifying loan applications to obtain funds between 2011 and 2020. Francis Eversman, 74, of Collinsville, and Gregg Crawford, 65, of Columbia, admitted in federal court that they conspired to defraud Tempo Bank in Trenton by recruiting straw purchasers to act as nominal loan applicants on properties that were often highly overvalued. Eversman, a senior loan officer at the bank, facilitated the loan approvals, while Crawford, owner of construction companies in southern Illinois, used the loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes. According to court documents, Crawford provided fake lease agreements to falsely indicate rental income from the properties. When an audit by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency uncovered the suspect loans, Crawford directed a straw purchaser to supply false information to investigators. “The integrity

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GODFREY – The Beverly Farm annual fireworks display, which was postponed due to rain on June 27, 2025, has been rescheduled for Friday, July 11, 2025, at 9:30 p.m. on our campus in Godfrey, Illinois. The event is open to the public and promises an evening full of fun, entertainment, and patriotic celebration. Event Details: Date : Friday, July 11, 2025 • Time : Arrive as early as 8 p.m. Quick Bite Frozen Treats ice cream truck will also be on campus beginning at 8 p.m. Fireworks display begins at approx. 9:30 p.m. • Location : Beverly Farm Foundation, 6301 Humbert Rd., Godfrey, IL 62035 • Admission : Free Arrive as early as 8 p.m. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the fireworks. The Quick Bite Frozen Treats ice cream truck will be on-site starting at 8 p.m. The Quick Bite ice cream truck offers a variety of frozen desserts priced from $2 to $5 each. Our spectacular fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:30

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MARYVILLE - Lisa Becherer has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her sister Cheryl Hays-Ridgeway and Cheryl’s husband, John, of Maryville, who have faced a series of serious health and financial challenges over the past decade. The fundraiser aims to provide financial relief to the couple, who are struggling to cover medical expenses, daily essentials, and housing costs. The campaign seeks to help them stay in their home and gain stability after enduring multiple medical crises. John and Cheryl, former small business owners of a portrait studio, encountered a turning point in 2016 when John suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side, forcing the closure of their business and depleting their savings. Despite John’s progress through rehabilitation, the family’s financial situation worsened. In 2019, Cheryl was diagnosed with tongue cancer linked to medication for Crohn’s disease. She underwent major surgery and daily radiation treatments. The COVID-19

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — Three juvenile males were arrested following an attempted vehicle theft and subsequent foot chase on June 30, 2025, according to the Fairview Heights Police Department. At approximately 8:30 p.m. on June 30, Fairview Heights Police officers responded to a report from a citizen who discovered damage to their vehicle consistent with an attempted theft in the parking lot of DXL, located at 315 St. Clair Square. While taking the report, police received another call about several teenage males acting suspiciously and looking into vehicles in the parking lot of Planet Fitness at 120 Commerce Lane. Although officers did not locate the suspects at Planet Fitness, their search continued, leading to the identification of three males matching the description in the Lowe’s parking lot at 6211 North Illinois St. When contacted by officers, one of the subjects fled on foot but was apprehended after a brief chase. The Fairview Heights Police said the three males,

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Thompson: One Big Beautiful Bill is a Game-Changer for America WASHINGTON, DC — House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) released the following statement following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill: "The One Big Beautiful Bill is a game-changer for America. "This historic legislation delivers the largest tax cut in American history, providing direct relief to working families and boosting take-home pay. It slashes wasteful Washington spending, eliminates red tape, and makes major investments in border security, energy independence, and national defense. It is the codification of President Trump’s campaign promises. "The One Big Beautiful Bill is a victory for rural America, making the largest investment in agriculture in decades, restoring integrity to SNAP, and saving millions of family farms from the death tax. This bill gives President Trump the tools he needs to keep America safe, strong, and free." TFI: One Big Beautiful

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