Riverbender 🕸

GRANITE CITY - Granite City Police Department welcomed Brady Helmkamp as its newest officer on June 2, 2025. Helmkamp joins the department from Virginia, where he previously served as a police officer. The department issued a brief statement saying, "Welcome aboard," signaling their support for the new addition to the force.

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GRANITE CITY – Four residents of Granite City face felony mob action charges in a series of connected cases. The following individuals were charged with the following offenses on May 27, 2025: Belinda G. Hagopian, 52: Two counts of mob action (both Class 4 felonies), one count each of battery, fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, and obstructing a peace officer (all Class A misdemeanors). Amber D. Hagopian, 45: One Class 4 felony count of mob action, one Class A misdemeanor count of battery. Summer Conway, 27: Two Class 4 felony counts of mob action, two Class A misdemeanor counts of battery, one Class A misdemeanor count of obstructing a peace officer. Zachary Mielke, 34 : One Class 4 felony count of mob action, one count each of battery and obstructing a peace officer (both Class A misdemeanors). A c c ording to court documents, Amber and Belinda Hagopian worked together with Conway to strike one victim about the head and

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ALTON - Chestnut Health Systems offers free NARCAN® and free training on how and when to use it. The free training is virtual, on Zoom, so you can attend without leaving your home. You can attend anonymously. The training is user-friendly, easy and interesting. There are no tests or quizzes. The training is offered every 3rd Thursday of the month at 10:00am and 2:00pm. The next training is scheduled for June 12, 2025. To sign up for the next training, or for more information, email mdrainer@chestnut.org . Chestnut also provides free in-person trainings for individuals and groups, such as families, churches, offices, book clubs, libraries, food pantries, homeless shelters, businesses, etc.

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JERSEY COUNTY - On May 23, 2025, the Jersey County State's Attorney Ben Goetten charged Anthony J. "Tony" Piper, 49, with Conspiracy to Commit Methamphetamine Trafficking, a Class X felony. A warrant was issued for Piper's arrest. Jersey County Sheriff's Office said the charges stemmed from an investigation into a small trafficking group involving Piper (a Jersey County resident) and others. The Jersey Sheriff's said the investigation revealed that for several months, the group moved methamphetamine from Missouri to Illinois, where it is believed to have been distributed in Jersey and surrounding counties. It also included the March 17, 2025, vehicle stop and arrest of Dawn M. Wells, 45, also of Jersey County. On that date, Wells was found in possession of approximately 330 grams (3/4 pound) of crystal methamphetamine, much of which was found in the truck driven by Wells at the time, but known to be owned and operated by Piper. The investigation and subsequent changes are part of the

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COLLINSVILLE – A man from Collinsville faces a felony domestic battery charge after an 11-year-old boy reported the violence to family members. Love A. Willie Jr., 34, of Collinsville, was charged on June 6, 2025 with one count each of aggravated domestic battery (a Class 2 felony) and domestic battery (a Class A misdemeanor). Willie allegedly strangled a family or household member and struck them about the head and face with a closed fist on June 5, 2025. The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny Willie’s pretrial release from custody. The petition states officers arrived at the home after an 11-year-old boy indicated to family members that Willie had been committing domestic violence against the victim. “Police arrived and contacted victim, who reported that defendant had strangled her, dragged her around the house, and punched her in the head,” the petition states. “Defendant was found to be intoxicated and

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GRANITE CITY - Madison County Coroner Nicholas P. Novacich has identified Montie Eugene Ritchie, 34, of Granite City, as the man who died Thursday, June 5, 2025, following a traffic crash in Granite City. Ritchie was operating a Suzuki motorcycle and was the sole occupant when the vehicle struck a Hyundai passenger car at a high rate of speed while attempting to flee a traffic stop. The collision occurred at the intersection of Pontoon Road and Maryville Road on June 5, 2025. Ritchie was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:43 p.m. Thursday by Madison County Coroner’s Office Investigator Ashley Reed. An autopsy and routine toxicological testing are being conducted to determine the cause and manner of death. A final cause of death will be issued after all reports are complete. The Granite City Police Department has transferred the investigation to the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation. The Illinois State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit and the Madison

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ALTON – Alton may be the next community in the Riverbend to retain a local sales tax on groceries after the state’s 1% grocery tax expires in 2026. Appearing on the Alton Committee of the Whole agenda for Monday, June 9, 2025 is a resolution to create an ordinance implementing a 1% sales tax on groceries and a 1% sales tax on grocery “services.” The Illinois General Assembly has granted local municipalities the ability to impose their own local sales taxes on groceries to offset projected revenue losses, since 100% of the expiring grocery tax proceeds went directly to local governments. If the Committee of the Whole approves the resolution on Monday, it goes next to the Alton City Council for final approval on Wednesday, June 11. City officials would then draft an ordinance on the same topic, which would go through the standard approval process and, if approved, be adopted into the Alton City Code of Ordinances . The Alton City Council has until Oct. 1,

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GODFREY - You can enjoy live music and master-level barbecue this weekend at the Alton-Wood River Sportsmen’s Club. Located at 3109 Godfrey Road in Godfrey, the Sportsmen’s Club will host their fourth annual Barbeque Cookoff Dinner on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Competitors will get their meat — ribs and wings — at 10 a.m., and judging starts at 5 p.m. All meat will be available for a buffet-style dinner at 6 p.m., followed by music by Exit 52 at 7 p.m. “We kind of like to keep it like your backyard type of guys instead of getting the high-end guys in there,” explained Andrew Simpson, who organized the cookoff. “Everybody cooks a little differently. Some people take more time, some people take less. That 10 a.m. for the meat handout until the 5 p.m. turn-in time is way more than enough time, so it’s pretty relaxed. Pretty much everybody just hangs out and gets their smokers going.” The eight competitors will be at the Sportsmen’s

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ALTON - Community members are invited to the 20th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival this weekend. From 6–8 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Post Commons in Alton, attendees can enjoy music by the Alton High School Jazz Combo and Saman Swanson. The event will raise money for scholarships while also honoring Alton’s history and Jesse “The Maestro” Prather, a renowned Alton musician who passed away last month. “Alton is full of rich history,” said Lee Barham, chairman of the festival’s board. “Twenty years ago, a group of people got together and they said, ‘Let’s honor one of Alton’s own.’” The Miles Davis Jazz Festival pays tribute to Davis, whose family home still stands on Maupin Street in Alton. Barham said it’s a fun night for people to come out and enjoy the evening while honoring Davis’s legacy. Tickets cost $40, and this includes a meal and live music. The money goes toward four

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ALTON - Alton Main Street will host their 28th annual All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show. On Sunday, June 8, 2025, people from across the region will flock to 3rd and Belle Streets in downtown Alton for the car show and pinup contest. Registration for cars runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Outlaw Opry will play music from 1–3 p.m. followed by the pinup contest from 3–4 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 4 p.m. “We’ve built quite a following over the years,” said Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street. “We usually get somewhere around 250 hot rods, classics, motorcycles, so much so that we’ve been bursting at the seams the last couple of years.” This year, Sugar Alley, the alley that runs parallel to 3rd Street, will hold another 30 cars. McGibany is excited about this expansion. If you plan to enter your car for judging, it costs $20, or $10 to simply display your car. You must register in person between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.

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GODFREY – Illinois High School Diploma Graduation speaker Ralph Wideman is currently pursuing an associate degree in Accounting at Lewis and Clark Community College, but just a few years ago, he sat in the very same seats as the graduates he addressed, Thursday, June 5, 2025. After years away from the classroom, he returned with a purpose – to pursue new dreams and a new career. He started in the college’s Adult Education program and earned his Illinois High School Diploma in 2023. Today, he’s on track to earn his AAS in December 2025. Wideman said his path was not traditional, but it has been one marked by determination, family support, and a commitment to growth later in life. “I was given the proper tools and assistance from the Adult Education department and encouragement from my instructors and family,” Wideman said. “Lewis and Clark allows you to learn in a supportive and comfortable environment.” Wideman said he values

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ALTON - The season’s first Night Market brought hundreds of people to downtown Alton. On Thursday, June 5, 2025, community members and vendors gathered at Sugar Alley for an evening of music and shopping. From 7–10 p.m. every Thursday in June and July, excluding July 3, people can come out to enjoy the downtown businesses, restaurants and vendors along 3rd Street and in Sugar Alley in downtown Alton. “We were hopping. It was so exciting,” said Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street. “Our goal was to really turn a weeknight, which can be kind of a slower night for bars and restaurants, into one of the happening nights of the week. We’re just telling everybody to start your weekend early. Get going on Thursday night.” On June 5, the band HOOKie kicked off the Night Market season by playing in the greenspace next to Catdaddy’s. Vendors from across the Riverbend region set up booths along Sugar Alley to sell their

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GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man has been charged with burglary after being seen on a doorbell security camera and leaving a trail of muddy shoeprints. Michael C. Jackson, 45, of Granite City, was charged on May 27, 2025 with one count of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. On March 8, 2025, Jackson allegedly broke into a Granite City residence with the intent to commit a theft. A petition to deny Jackson’s pretrial release was filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. The petition states the homeowner reported a burglary seen on their doorbell security camera around 2:14 a.m. “Responding officers found shoeprints in the mud outside and inside the residence,” the petition states. “Officers located defendant nearby wearing shoes with matching shoeprints … Officers found a crowbar at the scene as well as a busted door frame as a result of being pried open.” The Granite City Police Department presented the case

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GRAFTON — Pere Marquette State Park will host the Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair on Saturday, June 7, 2025, offering a day of free fishing and outdoor activities for families. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park near Grafton on Illinois 100, with no admission, parking fees, fishing license, or gear required. The fair features a catch-and-release bluegill pond where children can fish and have their photo taken with their catch, a One-Cast station where every participant wins a prize, and bow-fishing stations that allow youth to shoot at moving and three-dimensional targets. Children who complete at least seven stations will receive a prize and have the opportunity to catch trout from the pond. This year’s event will include appearances by Hall of Fame fisherman Jimmy Houston and Tim “Mountain Man” Guraedy from the television show “Duck Dynasty.” Entertainment also includes a 4,000-gallon mobile aquarium stocked with Illinois River fis

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — A pedestrian was struck and killed early Friday morning, June 6, 2025, near a vehicle fire scene in Fairview Heights, authorities said. At approximately 12:05 a.m. June 6, 2025, Fairview Heights police officers were assisting the French Village Fire Department with a motor vehicle fire on St. Clair Avenue at Third Avenue. While attending to the fire, officers heard a collision just west of the scene and found a pedestrian down in the roadway who had been struck by a vehicle. Officers and firefighters began lifesaving measures and requested an ambulance, Fairview Heights Police said. The pedestrian was transported to a hospital in St. Louis, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities have not released the victim’s identity pending family notification. The driver of the vehicle involved stopped immediately and cooperated with the investigation, police said. According to early information from witness statements and officer observations, the victim had

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ST. LOUIS - A bill directing thirty million dollars in Rams funding for tornado relief is set to be introduced from the floor of the Board of Aldermen. Sponsored by Aldermanic President Megan E. Green and Mayor Cara Spencer — and co-sponsored by Ald. Boyd, Keys, Clark Hubbard, Browning, Aldridge, Velázquez, Devoti, Narayan, Cohn and Schweitzer — Board Bill 31 responds to residents’ immediate needs in the wake of last month’s storms, specifically relocation assistance for renters and homeowners, home repair, storage of personal property, and meal assistance and in-home support services for seniors. The proposal set to be introduced to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Friday, June 6, 2025. “People need housing now,” said President Megan E. Green. “Those needs are urgent and we’re doing everything we can to fast-track the legislative process and get financial aid to residents as soon as possible.” Early estimates suggest

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COLLINSVILLE - This week marks CPR & AED Awareness Week, a campaign aimed at increasing public knowledge about cardiac arrest and the lifesaving techniques that can improve survival rates. June 1-7 each year is National CPR and AED Awareness Week, spotlighting how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED. About 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. According to the American Heart Association, cardiac arrest occurs when an electrical malfunction in the heart disrupts its rhythm, halting blood flow to vital organs such as the brain and lungs. To support community preparedness, the Collinsville Fire Department is offering American Heart Association CPR "Heartsaver" classes on select Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. at Fire Station One, located at 130 South Clinton Street. These sessions cover infant, youth, and adult CPR, choking rescue techniques, and provide an introduction to the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Each year

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COLLINSVILLE — A Collinsville High graduate has made a positive name for himself in the community as a Collinsville Police officer. The Collinsville Police Department has named Officer Billy Tracy as Officer of the Month for April 2025. A 2013 graduate of Collinsville High School, Officer Tracy joined the department in 2021. According to the Collinsville Police Department, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to identifying and apprehending individuals involved in criminal activity within the community. “We thank Officer Tracy for his dedication to our community,” the Collinsville Police Department said in a statement.

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ALTON — Dr. Jenna M. Kyriazes has joined Pediatric Healthcare Unlimited in Alton as a new pediatrician, bringing with her a strong commitment to medicine and community involvement. Dr. Kathie R. Wuellner, MD, FAAP, praised Dr. Kyriazes for her active engagement in the local area and her work in the practice. Dr. Wuellner said, “Dr. Jenna is a wonderful addition to our group of providers here at Pediatric Healthcare Unlimited; in addition, she has already become active in the Alton community, which speaks to her commitment to being part of the Alton area." Dr. Kyriazes, who has been with the practice for just over three months, moved to Alton last summer with her husband, Jonathan Lin. She has since become involved with a local church and other community groups. Reflecting on her career choice, she said, “I started wanting to do this at a really young age. There are home videos of me at age 3 saying I was going to be a pediatrician. "I have terrible allergies,

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SPRINGFIELD – It’s not just two-legged loved ones who need a disaster preparedness plan. Four-legged, no-legged, and other pets will need assistance if there is an emergency. A survey by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals indicated that while 83 percent of pet owners live in an area impacted by disasters, fewer than half have a preparedness plan. “Just like for humans, we need to be prepared for disasters on behalf of our pets,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger. “Not only do we need to think through all the items necessary to care for pets when we are at home, we need a plan in case we are not home and need arrangements for care.” For example, a recent photo of you and your pet will be key if you are separated and want to be reunited. Rescuers will want proof that your pet belongs to you. More pet preparedness tips: Create

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