Riverbender 🕸

BELLEVILLE — Sgt. Jacquelyn Laminack of the Belleville Police Department received the Life Saving Award at the 33rd Annual SILEC/SIPCA Awards Banquet last week for her prompt response to a medical emergency in July 2025. Sgt. Laminack was dispatched to assist a 10-year-old juvenile who was unresponsive and not breathing. The Belleville Police said Laminack was in the immediate area, and she arrived within 60 seconds of the 911 call. "Upon arrival, Sgt. Laminack retrieved

Sister M. Mikela Meidl, F.S.G.M., has been appointed president of OSF HealthCare. This transition will occur over several months as current president, Michelle Conger, prepares to become CEO upon Bob Sehring’s retirement in April. This will allow for a smooth and thoughtful shift in responsibilities, operational processes and governance structures. Sister M. Mikela brings nearly four decades of deep Mission commitment and broad leadership experience to her new role. She entered the Sisters

While Dry January is coming to a close, the topic of drinking alcohol is still making headlines. Heavy drinking habits among adults that started during the COVID-19 pandemic haven’t slowed down, according to a study. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine , found that alcohol use among adults ages 18 and older increased by 4% from 2018 to 2020, with heavy alcohol use increasing by a whopping 20%. Researchers say the increase continued in 2022. The pandemic caused plenty

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As our nation continues to see Trump’s lawless federal agents repeatedly use excessive force and kill American citizens, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today voted against the government funding package that included the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill: “Alex Pretti was publicly executed while trying to protect a woman from being assaulted—just two weeks after Trump’s agents had already gunned down another citizen in Minneapolis.

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today denounced the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) latest attempt to coerce the state of Minnesota. Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 other attorneys general, submitted a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, condemning the Trump administration’s effort to use the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Minnesota

EAST ST. LOUIS / CHAMPAIGN-URBANA / NORMAL, IL — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) launched his Illinois affordability tour yesterday with stops across the state to highlight how rising costs and federal funding cuts are hitting Illinois families — and to press for solutions that lower everyday expenses and protect opportunity. “Across Illinois, families are paying more for everyday essentials – prescriptions, groceries, and more – while this administration

CHICAGO — If you played Lucky Day Lotto ® yesterday, you might want to check your ticket – that’s because you could be $550,000 richer! One lucky Illinois Lottery player matched all five numbers in the Wednesday, January 28 evening drawing to win the game’s $550,000 jackpot. The winning numbers were: 2-10-17-29-38. The ticket was purchased at Exxon gas station, located at 8359 S. Robert Rd. in Justice, Illinois. For selling the winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket,

COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) and State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) toured the Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC) expansion site to get a firsthand look at building progress and to learn more about plans for the expanded Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. CAVC Director Joe McGinnis led the tour to share the vision of what each of the large spaces will become and how the state-of-the-art facility will benefit students, as well

ALTON – In cancer care, early detection helps save lives, with delays in diagnosis and treatment which can potentially lead to significant negative impacts on patient outcomes. With the objective to accelerate cancer detection and care for the Riverbend region, the OSF Moeller Cancer Center is launching a new Rapid Diagnostic Clinic (RDC), a specialized service specifically designed to save lives by helping patients get clear answers sooner - with personalized care. “Even

EDWARDSVILLE - A local program that provides free transportation to seniors is seeking volunteers. Faith in Action organizes volunteers to drive seniors to the grocery store, the bank, their appointments, and similar spots across the Greater St. Louis area. Alex Gambrill, FIA program assistant, noted that many of these seniors would have no transportation without FIA. Now, they need volunteers to help. “I mean, a lot of our clients would just be stuck,” she said. “It

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to increase the number of faculty to train new nurses, a root cause of the nursing shortage facing the country. The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act would incentivize more nurses to pursue teaching roles—the lack of which is a primary cause of the nationwide nursing shortage—by addressing the pay gap between clinical

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting against the government funding package that includes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill: “As we have said, Democrats are ready to pass the five bipartisan government funding bills now, but the DHS bill needs serious work. I’m glad that the

COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 8 Commander, Captain Casey Faro, announces the ISP will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols in Madison and St. Clair counties during February. ACE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs. The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers

EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is now accepting applications for paid spring legislative internships at her district office in Edwardsville. The program offers undergraduate students interested in government, public policy, or public affairs a hands-on opportunity to gain real-world experience serving the community. “Our interns play an incredibly important role in helping us connect with constituents and ensuring their voices are heard,” said

SPRINGFIELD – Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is so important that his presidential library will celebrate it twice this year, with free admission on two days. Guests get in free at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on his actual birthday, Feb. 12, and also on Saturday, Feb. 7, for a day of stories, games and music for children. The ALPLM will also have its signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation on display, giving people a rare chance to see Lincoln’s

GRAFTON - On a recent appearance on “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello , Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow expressed his excitement for the year ahead, including the fulfillment of multiple campaign promises. “2026 is going to be huge,” he said. Morrow is especially excited to complete Phase One of the National Memorial of Military Ascent. The community is also in its final stages of securing a ferry. On Jan. 20, 2026, the City of Grafton finalized its purchase

GRANITE CITY – A woman from Granite City accused of striking a 17-year-old and an adult with a loaded firearm faces multiple charges in Madison County. Connie R. Wells, 36, of Granite City, was charged on Jan. 20, 2026 with two counts of aggravated battery (both Class 3 felonies) and one count each of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon (a Class 4 felony) and aggravated assault (a Class A misdemeanor). Wells allegedly pointed a handgun while making threatening statements towards

GRAFTON - As Grafton gears up to complete Phase One of the National Memorial of Military Ascent later this year, Mayor Mike Morrow couldn’t be more excited. Morrow shared that Phase One of the project will be unveiled on June 6, 2026, the anniversary of D-Day. The National Memorial of Military Ascent (NMMA) will be a unique addition to Grafton that, Morrow hopes, will bring in tourists to appreciate military history and honor Grafton’s veteran population. “This is goin

JERSEY - Jersey wrestler Nick Hartley accomplished something few wrestlers ever reach this week at East Alton-Wood River High School when he captured his 100th victory on the mats on Wednesday night, Jan. 28, 2026. Hartley is a Sparklight Male Athlete of the Month for Jersey. Jersey Community High School’s wrestling team showcased a commanding performance on the road at East Alton-Wood River, defeating Litchfield 62-24 and East Alton-Wood River 72-12. The victories marked a dominant

ALTON - Hayner Public Library District recently honored a local teenager for her participation in a yearlong reading challenge. Kiera Edwards, age 16, read a book in a different genre every month throughout 2025 and wrote a report about each one. Kiera and her mother, Ashley, expressed their appreciation for Hayner’s TeenSpace programming, which is targeted toward local teenagers. The mother-daughter duo noted that the library has provided them with great opportunities to connect with