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ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Three 16-year-old males have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in St. Louis County last month, authorities said. On Oct. 31, 2025, a 16-year-old male suspect was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Two additional 16-year-old male suspects were arrested on Nov. 12, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree assault. All three suspects wer

JERSEYVILLE — Roger E. Page, 63, was charged Nov. 5, 2025, with Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver 15 to 100 grams of Methamphetamine, a Class X felony, Jersey County State’s Attorney Ben Goetten has announced. If convicted, Page faces six to 30 years in prison. The charges stem from an incident on Nov. 4, 2025, when Jersey County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Marshall Lewis was investigating a reckless driver on Illinois State Highway 16 near Casey’s General Store

ALTON - Centerstone is excited to offer the Holiday Giving Initiative once again. Centerstone’s Holiday Giving Initiative will extend through December 12, 2025 to provide holiday gifts for Centerstone patients who might otherwise not receive them. The initiative also connects and unifies enterprise holiday giving programs under one umbrella so that we can increase the number of patients who can receive holiday assistance from Centerstone. This year, we anticipate more than 250 Illinois families

GODFREY – In a rare move on Tuesday night, Godfrey trustees agreed to reverse one of their earlier decisions to vacate a section of Vollmer Lane after several property owners spoke against the action. Members of the Godfrey Finance Committee voted on Oct. 7, 2025, to vacate a portion of Vollmer Lane spanning the approximate blocks of 6100 to 8600. If the road were vacated, the village would no longer be responsible for maintaining it. In a memo to Mayor Mike McCormick and Finance

ALTON - Community leaders and entrepreneurs had the opportunity to share more about their businesses in downtown Alton. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, Alton Main Street hosted their quarterly “What’s Up Downtown” information exchange at The Wedge Innovation Center in Alton. Executive Director Sara McGibany thanked the community for coming out and encouraged them to visit the official Alton Main Street website for more updates about upcoming events, including Small Business

ALTON — Internet and telephone services were disrupted Wednesday morning, Nov. 19, 2025, for many residents and public service entities in Alton, Illinois, including Riverbender.com offices, following what Spectrum described as a “criminal attack” on its communications infrastructure. The outage affected all Alton city facilities except the police department, causing interruptions to telephone and internet connectivity. Spectrum also reported that some residential customers

O’FALLON, IL. — Grant Litteken, M.P.A., ICMA-CM, has been confirmed as the new City Administrator of O’Fallon, IL., following a unanimous vote by the O’Fallon City Council on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Mayor Eric Van Hook appointed Litteken, who brings more than 14 years of experience in city leadership, including roles as Assistant City Administrator and Acting City Administrator. Litteken will assume his new role immediately, overseeing daily operations across all municipal

JERSEY — Erica Heitzig, a teacher at Jersey Community High School, has been honored with the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award for her dedication to students and commitment to the Jersey community. Heitzig, who works within Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100, manages multiple roles, including Family and Consumer Sciences, Design, Workforce Development, and College and Career Readiness. Her efforts in these areas were cited as key factors in her selection for the award. The

GODFREY - A 100-year-old Godfrey barn is undergoing a major restoration, and a few local families are pleased to see it fixed. PJ Jun, of JUN Construction, bought the barn off Airport Road in 2000. Twenty-five years later, he decided to repair the barn, but not before connecting with the niece of the barn’s original owner and the neighbor whose father helped build the structure over a century ago. “With my building background, if you see a building that needs help, you want

JERSEY - In conjunction with Jerseyville Banking Center, J.C.H.S. has selected their “Students of the Month”. The recipients for the month of October are Haley Hunter left & Marley Cazier right. The selection of a “Student of the Month” is based upon the number of F.O.C.U.S. nominations, which a student receives for a given month. F.O.C.U.S. (Finding One Clearly Unique Student) is a program, which acknowledges a student each week for academic or kindness. Each week

ALTON - A local photographer has created the community they always wanted in Alton. Lumi Marson is Milton Schoolhouse’s Artist of the Month for November, and they still can’t believe it. Marson shared their journey to photography and their decision to start Piasa Rainbow Collective, a grassroots organization for queer folks in the Riverbend region. The last year has been a fantastic ride for the artist. “It makes me want to throw up with excitement a little bit,”

Did you know that nearly 60% of Americans prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving with a gathering of close friends rather than family? This trend underscores the growing appeal of shared meals centered around friendship and community. Planning a Thanksgiving potluck with friends can transform the holiday into a joyful and collaborative feast, where everyone contributes and enjoys a diverse spread. However, organizing such an event requires thoughtful coordination to ensure a seamless and enjoyable

November 19th is a date steeped in history, marked by moments of profound significance that have shaped societies, inspired generations, and pushed the boundaries of human achievement. One of the most impactful events occurred on November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War. On this day, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In just a few short minutes and under 300 words, Lincoln redefined

JERSEYVILLE – Jersey Community High School (JCHS) Principal Thomas Leslie is proud to announce the 2026 JCHS Illinois State Scholars. "I was absolutely thrilled to learn that JCHS is home to 23 Illinois State Scholars this year!" Leslie said. "Our senior class is a little smaller at 167, so for 14% of our senior class to earn his top honor is unprecedented. "Our community should be very proud that our students are achieving at such a high level to earn prestigious recognition. This is

PIASA — Josie Hagen, a senior athlete at Southwestern High School, has signed a letter of intent to play softball and attend Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. Hagen's career batting average at Southwestern High is .328, with 83 hits and 77 RBI since her freshman year. Josie is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for her recent signing recognition and her outstanding career with the Piasa Birds athletic program. Hagen, who stands 5-foot-8,

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of nine attorneys general, today announced a proposed multistate settlement with Greystar Management Services LLC (Greystar), the largest landlord in the U.S. The $7 million proposed settlement resolves claims against Greystar that is a part of the coalition’s ongoing enforcement against algorithmic coordination and other anticompetitive practices in rental markets across the country. In August, Greystar reached

ALTON - Alton recently honored Ja'Kori Steen, the seventh-grade state champion in the girls' 100-meter hurdles, by dedicating a street sign at the entrance of Alton Middle School in her name. Steen, now an eighth grader, won the seventh-grade 4A state finals with a time of 15.52 seconds, narrowly edging out Zoei Johnson of Manhattan, who finished second at 15.57 seconds. Ja'Kori is also an Auto Butler Female Athlete of the Month. Steen’s achievement has drawn praise from her coaches

EDWARDSVILLE – A convicted felon found in possession of multiple controlled substances while illegally armed faces new Class X felonies after a Madison County traffic stop. Jayleon D. Tally, 29, of National Stock Yards, Ill., was charged on Nov. 13, 2025 with armed violence, possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, unlawful possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine, and two counts of possession with intent or delivery or a controlled substance, all Class X felonies.

ALTON – Challenge Unlimited, Inc. proudly announces the appointment of Joni Lombardo as Chair of the Board of Directors, effective September 15, 2025. Her appointment follows a unanimous vote by the Board, succeeding Tom Morrissey, who served with distinction as Chair for ten years and will continue to support the organization in an advisory capacity as an active board member. In addition to her new role, Lombardo also serves as Vice Chair for Project CU, a Challenge Unlimited affiliate

COLLINSVILLE – Ameren Illinois residential customers who use natural gas to heat their homes and power their appliances can expect stable supply prices this winter. In the last five years, Ameren Illinois' natural gas supply prices have declined 30%, driven in part by Ameren's purchasing and price hedging strategies. The company buys natural gas in the summer when prices are lower, stores it in underground reservoirs, and delivers it for customers to use in the winter months. "Natu