Riverbender 🕸

COLLINSVILLE - Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 has received its 2025 Illinois State Report Card, highlighting academic performance and areas needing improvement across its schools. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the report cards, which evaluate schools on multiple criteria, including academic proficiency, growth, attendance, and student success indicators. Webster Elementary School earned an "Exemplary" designation, placing it among the top 10% of schools statewide for student growth. Several other district schools — including Caseyville Elementary, Collinsville High School, Dorris Intermediate, Kreitner Elementary, Maryville Elementary, Renfro Elementary, Summit Elementary, and Twin Echo Elementary — received "Commendable" ratings for their overall performance. Collinsville Middle School was designated as requiring "Targeted Support" due to underperformance by two student subgroups: Native American students and children with disabilities.

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ALTON — The Riverbender building, a historic downtown landmark, celebrated its 100th anniversary on Oct. 24, 2025, with a morning gathering of tenants, community members, and building representatives on its renovated first floor. Originally opened in 1925 as the First National Bank, the building still houses the original bank vaults in its basement. Over the past five years, Skyline Commercial Real Estate, owned by John Muller and his Riverbender building partner Mark Jaffe, has overseen extensive renovations to restore and enhance the property’s value. Muller noted that the firm acquired much of the real estate in St. Louis about five years ago and has focused on revitalizing the Riverbender building as part of that portfolio. “Alton has a lot to offer, and we really like the building located in downtown, renovated and brought it back to life,” Muller said. “Skyline is a full real estate company — new tenants, improvements, and taking something

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville High School Science National Honor Society will host a Parents Night Out Science pHun Night on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at EHS. The event will run from 6-8:30 p.m. and is open to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Cost is $20 per child with a $15 charge for each sibling. Students will enjoy biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics activities, as well as snacks. This is a fundraiser for the EHS Science National Honor Society. To register your child(ren) or if you have questions, please contact Sara Chapman at sachapman@ecusd7.org .

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement announcing her support of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) bill to keep SNAP funded until the government shutdown ends, which Republican leadership is refusing to bring up for a vote: “Donald Trump has the ability, right now, to keep funding SNAP. He is choosing not to use the nearly $6 billion he has available to him to keep the program funded. There is even a Republican-led bill that would keep SNAP funded, which I’ve asked to be added as a cosponsor of and that my Democratic colleagues support. I’m extremely disappointed that, as American families across the country are about to lose access to this critical lifeline in just a matter of hours, Trump and Republican leaders refuse to let us vote on it. “By not calling a vote on Senator Hawley’s bill to keep SNAP funded, Republican leadership is simply rubber-stamping Trump’s cruel decision

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Budzinski (IL-13) led 108 House Democrats in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson calling out the upcoming harm small businesses will face should the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits expire. The lawmakers noted that small business owners, their employees, and self-employed Americans are disproportionately represented in the ACA marketplace. Although they make up only 16 percent of the workforce under the age of 65, they account for nearly half of marketplace enrollees. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 82 percent of small business owners and self-employed individuals rely on the enhanced premium tax credits to afford their ACA Marketplace coverage. “If the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are not immediately extended, families and small businesses will begin to feel the impact as soon as November 1st, when Open Enrollment begins and Marketplace plans reflect steep premium

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ALTON - As OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center celebrates its 100th anniversary, Frances Young shared more about the hospital’s rehabilitation department. Young, Manager of Rehabilitation, works with 17 other physical, occupational and speech therapists to help patients with a variety of experiences, from navigating an autism diagnosis or feeding disorder in a young child to rehabbing an injured shoulder or Parkinson’s in older adults. Young expressed her gratitude for the department during the hospital’s open house event on Oct. 23, 2025. “It’s great,” she said. “I always enjoy having the public around and trying to share our services with them and trying to show them that we can help them and we want to help them.” Young has been with OSF for 22 years. She explained that the rehabilitation department originally had space in OSF St. Clare’s Medical Center in Alton. When St. Clare’s closed, they transferred

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BETHALTO – Zion Lutheran School is proud to recognize students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement during the first quarter of the 2025–2026 school year. Students earning High Honor Roll distinction have maintained exceptional academic performance and dedication to excellence. Congratulations to: High Honor Roll Hunter Turner Leticia Lorenz Carter Whipple Raine Sahuri Chris Epps Scott Holmes Riley Hoxsey Andrew Sitze Dominic Ventimiglia Students earning Honor Roll distinction have also demonstrated strong academic effort and commitment to learning. Congratulations to: Honor Roll Maelene Wright Gavin Martin Drew Koch Colby Merritt Andon Reed Zion Lutheran School celebrates these students for their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to academic excellence. Their achievements reflect the school’s mission to nurture students spiritually, academically, and socially in a Christ-centered environment. For more information about Zion Lutheran

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ARCOLA – An Illinois State Police (ISP) squad car was hit this morning on I-57 in Douglas County as the Trooper was conducting traffic control for a previous crash. On October 30, 2025, at approximately 5:50 a.m., an ISP Trooper was parked across the northbound lanes of I-57 conducting traffic control for a previous crash involving a commercial motor vehicle. ? The Trooper had activated the emergency lights in the squad car, directing traffic to exit at milepost 203 onto IL 133. ? A Chevrolet Trailblazer failed to move over, failed to exit, and struck the front passenger side of the Trooper’s squad car. The Trooper was outside of the squad car at the time of the crash and reported no injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet, 68-year-old Donald E. Morecraft of Robinson, IL, was charged with Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident and a Scott’s Law/Move Over Law violation. In 2025, ISP has now suffered 12 Move Over Law-related crashes. In 2024, ISP suffered 27

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SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor JB Pritzker, joined by elected officials and community leaders, held a press conference calling on the Trump Administration to suspend federal immigration enforcement operations in and around children and families during Halloween weekend. In a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Daniel Lyons, and Border Patrol Commissioner Matthew Scott, Gov. Pritzker requested that all federal enforcement operations be suspended from Friday, October 31 through Sunday, November 2, in and around homes, schools, hospitals, parks, and community gatherings where Halloween celebrations are taking place. “Illinois families deserve to spend Halloween weekend without fear. No child should be forced to inhale tear gas or other chemical agents while trick or treating in their own neighborhood,” Governor Pritzker wrote. “Illinois children should not be robbed of their innocence. Let them enjoy a time-honored American

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EDWARDSVILLE – To help ensure families throughout the 56th District stay warm this winter, State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is launching her Share the Warmth Drive beginning November 3. From November 3 through December 3, Senator Harriss’ office will collect new hats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, and ChapStick to donate to Riverbend Family Ministries. “As temperatures drop, it’s important that we come together to support those who may be struggling to stay warm,” said Senator Harriss. “A simple act of kindness, like donating winter supplies, can make a big difference for someone in need.” Supply donations can be dropped off or shipped to Senator Harriss’ Edwardsville District Office at 120 North Main Street, Suite 1B, Edwardsville, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Those wishing to make a drop-off after hours are encouraged to call (618) 307-5789 to ensure someone is available to receive donations. For additional

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ALTON - Every year, Vintage Voices invites community members to learn more about Alton history. The Vintage Voices tours take attendees through Alton City Cemetery, where they hear from actors portraying Altonians who are buried in the cemetery. The actors tell stories about the decedents’ lives and deaths, sharing more about Alton and regional history. This year’s tours took place earlier in October, but the scripts and videos of the tours are available at The Hayner Public Library District. In the above video, actor Caleb Kelahan tells the story of Cary Langley Waples, a U.S. Army lieutenant born in 1895 who died in 1918. “On the day of my funeral, it is said that airplanes flew all the way from Scott Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, and soared here to Alton City Cemetery, where they hovered right above this spot as my body was entombed here in the Grand View Mausoleum,” begins Waples’s speech. Waples grew up in Alton and graduated from

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SPRINGFIELD - Last night, Illinois House Democrats rammed through a costly green energy giveaway that will saddle ratepayers with an estimated $8 billion in higher costs, ignoring bipartisan opposition. Amid rising energy demand and already-crushing utility bills, Democrats decided the solution was to pour billions into battery storage technology, a system that remains unreliable, unsustainable, and unproven at large scale. House Democrats chose to appease their green energy donors and special interests, forcing small businesses and working families to pick up the tab. And as if living in Illinois wasn’t expensive enough, this legislation will push energy bills even higher, draining family budgets, threatening jobs, and driving more families out of the state. Here are a few of the Democrats who voted to make your power bill go up: Harry Benton (HD 97) Suzanne Ness (HD 66) Katie Stuart (HD 112) Murri Briel (HD 76) This vote makes one thing clear: Benton, Ness, Stuart,

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs is committing $50 million to fund zero-interest and low-interest loans to unpaid federal workers during the government shutdown. The loans will be issued through participating banks and credit unions across Illinois with money made available through the Treasurer’s linked-deposit program. An estimated 153,000 federal employees live and work in Illinois. It is uncertain how many are not receiving their salaries since Oct. 1, when the shutdown began. "It is truly disheartening that a D.C. dispute over the right to affordable health care has reached a point where the federal government has locked out some workers and forced others to continue working without pay," Frerichs said. "Our no-interest loan program aims to provide much-needed relief to workers, ensuring they can feed their families, pay their mortgage, and stay current with electric and water bills.” Great Lakes Credit Union, with 20 branches across Chicagoland

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SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor Pritzker signed Executive Order 2025-08 to direct $20 million towards food banks and to mitigate the harmful policies and actions taken by the Trump Administration. Governor Pritzker’s order launches a statewide strategy to respond to the Trump Administration halting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding benefits for nearly 2 million Illinoisans beginning November 1, as well as the devastating impacts of the Trump spending bill that reduces food assistance. “The Trump Administration wants to let tens of millions of Americans go hungry, a failure in leadership and abdication of our responsibility as Americans to take care of each other,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois families, kids, seniors, and people with disabilities will now go without food benefits because President Trump wants to use food assistance as a political bargaining chip. I am directing the state government to work together with food

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—lambasted Republicans for platforming a false, dangerous narrative designed to help Donald Trump rip as many promised benefits as possible from disabled American Veterans who earned them through their sacrifices in uniform. During the SVAC hearing, Duckworth derided the cherry-picked, anecdotal evidence Republicans used to try and inaccurately characterize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disability System as being plagued by waste, fraud and abuse when the facts show the overwhelming majority of benefits claims are well-earned and made by honest American heroes. Video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube . “Nobody is denying the unfortunate reality that there exists a small number of Veterans who will dishonor their service by defrauding the VA—they should be prosecuted

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ST. LOUIS — Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 2 and the American Red Cross encourages everyone to test their smoke alarms as they turn their clocks back to make sure the devices are working. “Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half as you only have about two minutes to safely get out,” said LaKricia Cox, Executive Director, Red Cross of Greater St. Louis. “Every second counts when there’s a home fire and the sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get to a safer place. When daylight saving time ends this weekend, test your smoke alarms to help prevent a tragedy in your home.” Over the past 9 months, local Red Cross volunteers responded to help 1,552 people in Greater St. Louis and select counties in Illinois that our chapter serves affected by 406 home fires, which account for most of the about 65,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually across the country. SMOKE ALARMS When turning

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EDWARDSVILLE — The sentencing hearing for Stanford Stokes, convicted in the shooting death of Jarred O. Hayes, was postponed Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, after defense attorneys requested a continuance. Stokes was found guilty on all charges related to the incident, which occurred at 9:16 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2023, in the 900 block of East 7th Street in Alton. He was convicted of first-degree murder, home invasion, and unlawful possession of a firearm. First-degree murder carries a sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison. The jury also determined that Stokes personally discharged a firearm during the commission of the murder, making him eligible for an enhanced sentence of an additional 25 years to life. The judge has scheduled no new sentencing date.

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CLINTON COUNTY — On Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, law enforcement agencies from Clinton County, Marion County, and the Illinois Conservation Police executed search warrants at locations in both counties in connection with an incident involving multiple deer killed on a roadway in Clinton County. The operation followed reports of several deer being shot from a vehicle on Oct. 24, 2025, in the Boulder area of Clinton County. Authorities recovered and seized evidence at the addresses searched. Ashen McArthur, a resident of rural Carlyle, was taken into custody by Clinton County Sheriff’s deputies and Illinois Conservation Police officers. McArthur is suspected of killing at least 13 deer at various locations by stopping a vehicle in the roadway and using a .22 caliber rifle and a spotlight. McArthur faces multiple conservation violations as well as other criminal charges. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to the public for their assistance during

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ALTON – The Hayner Public Library District, which serves the approximately 46,000 residents of Alton, Godfrey, and Foster Township, recently completed a building program developed to assist the Board of Trustees as they determine the best course of action for the District’s facilities. In April 2024, the District hired Fred Schlipf to assist in writing the building program, a comprehensive plan outlining the District’s goals, requirements, and functional needs of a potential new facility. Schlipf has been a library school faculty member for over fifty years, currently serving as an Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Information Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of the book The Practical Handbook of Library Architecture: Creating Building Spaces That Work, the definitive resource for library architecture. For nearly eighteen months, Mr. Schlipf, the Board of Trustees, and the Library’s Executive Director Mary Cordes

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ALTON – An Alton woman faces felony charges after she allegedly stole over $10,000 in a two-year health care fraud scheme while employed by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Terra A. Williams, 37, of Alton, was charged on Oct. 23, 2025 with one count of managed health care fraud (a Class 1 felony), two Class 1 felony counts of theft, and a Class 3 felony count of forgery. From July 21, 2022 to May 21, 2024, Williams allegedly knowingly executed or conspired to execute a scheme to defraud Meridian Health Plan of Illinois. She reportedly caused the health plan to authorize payments to herself under the Illinois Aid Code which she was not legally entitled to, with the unlawful payments totaling over $10,000. Williams is additionally accused of submitting fraudulent Home Health Services time sheets containing false date and time entries for services that were reportedly never rendered by Williams as an IDHS employee. The case against Williams was presented

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