GODFREY – Plans to build a recreation center in Godfrey are temporarily on hold after a trustee requested more time to review key details. Village Board members voted unanimously on April 21, 2026 to delay an agreement for architectural services from AAIC, the firm selected last month to provide a proposal for the rec center . Trustee Rick Lauschke said given the significant time spent working out the final details of an updated gaming ordinance , he has not yet had time to review
ALTON - Students at East Elementary School in Alton were starstruck during a special portable planetarium presentation. On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, students loaded into SIUE’s StarLab, a mobile planetarium that travels to different schools for presentations. Students could stargaze and learn about different planets, all from their gymnasium. Rene Hart, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Alton Community Unit School District #11, noted that students “loved”
ALTON - If you have old athletic shoes to get rid of, Alton High School junior Allison Pruitt and some friends are organizing a major one-day shoe drive on May 2, 2026, at Alton High School to collect paired tennis shoes for a fundraiser benefiting vision and hearing programs and services while keeping sneakers out of landfills. Other key volunteers at the event will be some of Pruitt's close friends - Lydia Schrumpf, Caroline Cannon, and McKenna Dondanville. The drive i
ALTON – An outdoor shopping center in Alton home to Panera Bread, Dollar Tree, and more recently sold for over $9 million. Oakwood Plaza, located at 1837 Homer M. Adams Parkway in Alton, was sold last week for a total of $9.3 million, according to real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. The 45,400 square foot Class A retail space was built in 2005 on 8.96 acres just off Homer M. Adams Parkway and contains 16 suites for a mix of retail and restaurant tenants. Marcus & Millichap announce
ALTON — Riverbender.com “Our Daily Show!” host C.J. Nasello and Jacquelyn Buettner are getting married Saturday, April 25, 2026, with an open house-style reception planned at Mac’s in downtown Alton. The reception is scheduled from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nasello said. “We'll arrive just after 5:30 p.m. and take part in the traditional moments like our first dances and cake cutting over the first hour to two or so. After that, the floor opens back up for everyone to
ALTON – The Alton Police Department gained a new member this week who Chief Jarrett Ford says is already making a positive impact on officers. At the April 20, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, Father Garron Daniels was officially sworn in as the department’s newest police chaplain. Daniels currently serves as rector of The Episcopal Parish of Alton. As chaplain, Ford said Daniels will provide Alton officers, department staff and families, and community members with guidance,
GRAFTON - Grafton’s Music in the Park returns for another season of free live concerts in the middle of town. Peg Brooks stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk through this year’s schedule. She pointed out that this year’s 18-week season is the longest it’s ever been. Concerts start at 7 p.m. every Thursday night from May 28 through September 24, 2026, at Grove Memorial Park in Grafton. “I have a problem. I develop relationships
JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville authorities are investigating the recently reported stabbing of a juvenile victim pending felony charges against a suspect now in custody. Police were dispatched to a Jerseyville residence on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at approximately 1:35 p.m. in response to a report of a juvenile stabbing victim, according to preliminary information provided by the Jerseyville Police Department. “During the course of the initial investigation, officers gathered information
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A 16-year-old St. Louis County juvenile accused of fatally stabbing a man in 2025 has been certified to stand trial as an adult and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, authorities said. The St. Louis County Family Court on April 21, 2026, certified Dakota Merit, 16, of the 200 block of Carrington Lane in St. Louis, Missouri, as an adult. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued the charges the same day. Merit is being held on
MADISON COUNTY – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss a study for the proposed improvements on Illinois 203 from Maverick Drive to Eagle Park Road in Madison County. The meeting will be held: Thursday, April 23 4-7 p.m. The Mill Events 1311 20th St., Granite City IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, has initiated the preliminary engineering and environmental study of Illinois 203. This section of Illinois 20
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Earth Day today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Summer Lee (D-PA-12), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12)—Co-Chairs of the Senate and House Environmental Justice Caucuses—unveiled a bicameral report card underscoring how the Trump Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” mantra is yet another broken promise to the American people. The
WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at EAWR High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The Seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. February's winner is Julie Pitts. Julie is a Senior at EAWR and is involved
ROXANA – A local woman accused of stealing from a Roxana-based company joins five people charged with stealing gold and silver coins in facing felony theft charges in Madison County. Tiffani R. Jones, 38, of Cottage Hills, was charged on April 16, 2026 with two counts of theft of property over $100,000, both Class 1 felonies. From Dec. 2, 2024 to Feb. 21, 2026, Jones allegedly knowingly committed a series of acts to obtain $598,275.31 from Banner Fire Equipment, Inc. based in Roxana,
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives honoring the life and legacy of former Illinois State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie. A trailblazer in state politics, Currie was the first woman to serve as Illinois House Majority Leader and went on to become the longest-serving woman in the history of the General Assembly. WATCH: Budzinski Honors Life of Illinois Icon Barbara Flynn Currie Budzinski’s
ALTON - During their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education unanimously appointed Claire Gorman to the role of assistant principal at Alton Middle School. “I am a graduate of Alton, so it is definitely an honor to step into this new role,” Gorman said. “The community has definitely shaped me and who I am today.” Gorman thanked the Board of Education for their decision to appoint her. She noted tha
CHICAGO – In celebration of Earth Day, Governor JB Pritzker today announced the launch of the first-in-the-nation incentive to promote environmentally sustainable film and television production. Under the expanded program, productions recognized as a “certified green production” through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) Illinois Film Office will be eligible for an additional 5% tax credit – making Illinois the first state to incentivize
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed rule that would prohibit mixed-status families from living in public housing and receiving other federal housing assistance, including Housing Choice Vouchers (also known as Section 8) and project-based rental assistance. Mixed-status families are comprised of at least one eligible individual an
CHICAGO — With Earth Day approaching, Attorney General Kwame Raoul today highlighted his office’s work to protect the environment, advance clean energy solutions, and sound the alarm about the Trump administration’s unprecedented attempts to illegally dismantle programs and rescind regulations that protect clean air, clean water, clean energy, the climate, and public health and safety. “Since taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration has attempted
ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education recognized April’s Optimist Students of the Month. During their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Board of Education honored Alton Middle School student Luca Brundis and Mark Twain School student Ja’cari Stiff for their hard work. Both students show kindness and help build a positive culture at their school buildings. Alton Middle School Principal Dr. Brian Saenz introduced Brundis as “an
CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2026 – 04 to strengthen guardrails across state government, prohibiting state employees from using nonpublic information to participate or assist any person in prediction markets and event-based contracts. Illinois is doubling down on its commitment to a transparent and ethical government by bolstering its current state laws to prevent insider trading amid the rapid growth of online prediction markets and event-based
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