Riverbender 🕸

ALTON – An Alton man faces several charges after allegedly attacking a pregnant victim, threatening them while armed, stealing their cell phone, and fleeing the scene in the victim’s vehicle. Elijah C. Harris, 28, of Alton, was charged on June 8, 2026 with one count each of the following offenses: Unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle (Class 2 felony) Aggravated unlawful restraint (Class 3 felony) Aggravated battery (Class 3 felony) Theft (Class 3 felony) Domesti

GODFREY – Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick once again cast a tie-breaking vote to raise the village’s sales tax rate at this week’s Village Board meeting. Trustees cast a tied 3-3 vote on an ordinance amending the village’s previously approved sales tax rate increase from 0.75% to 1%. The newly approved measure will bring Godfrey’s total sales tax rate to 7.85%. Voting in favor of the increase were Trustees Sarah Woodman, Karen MacAtee, and Gerard Fischer. Those

JERSEYVILLE - The City of Jerseyville has several more “Rock the Block” performances planned, and the community is invited to come out and enjoy. From 6–9 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026, Nashville recording artist Mattie Schell — a Jerseyville native — will return home for a performance under the water tower. Two more dates are planned later this summer. Jerseyville’s Director of Tourism Will Strang looks forward to welcoming Riverbend residents to town

BETHALTO - Civic Memorial placed two players on the first team of its All-Mississippi Valley Conference girls soccer selections, led by senior Delaney Griffin and sophomore Landree Wallace after a season that also included a CM regional championship and a sectional semifinal appearance. Griffin and Wallace were named first-team all-conference for Civic Memorial. Griffin closed her outstanding CM girls soccer career with several strong outings in spring 2026, including a three-goal performance

ALTON - Over 80 people gathered at Alton Cemetery for a grave restoration workshop. On Friday, June 19, 2026, community members from across the Greater St. Louis region traveled to the cemetery for the workshop, hosted by Atlas Preservation 48 State Tour. Jonathan Appell, founder of Atlas Preservation 48 State Tour, commended Alton for its sizable turnout and the dedication demonstrated by the volunteers. “There’s a growing interest in this field, and I’m happy to try

ALTON - Alton Pride has announced its four scholarship winners and encourages the community to support the organization’s work so they can do more. As the LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride Month in June, Alton Pride is gearing up for its fifth annual Pride Festival in September. The organization is also honoring four recent high school graduates who completed an essay contest about the support they want to see for LGBTQ+ youth in the Riverbend region. Lisa DeMarco, a board member with

GODFREY – The Village of Godfrey will help promote a solar program to local residents and businesses this summer and fall. Godfrey Village Board members voted unanimously on June 16, 2026 to enter the village into the Switch Together Group Solar Buy program . Virginia Woulfe-Beile, chair of the Godfrey Sustainability Commission, previously said the program’s purpose is to “make rooftop and ground-mount solar affordable and available for residents and small businesses.”

ALTON — Police are investigating an armed robbery reported late Thursday, June 18, 2026, at a Walgreens on Washington Avenue, where a man armed with a handgun allegedly demanded money from the cash register and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The robbery occurred at about 11:46 p.m. Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the Walgreens at 1650 Washington Ave., according to the Alton Police Department. No injuries were reported. Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect, described

ST. LOUIS - The National Weather Service in St. Louis forecasters said dry weather is expected during the day on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in the St. Louis area before showers and thunderstorms move in late Saturday night and Sunday, June 21, bringing the possibility of a few severe storms and locally heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service urged residents to stay updated on the forecast through the weekend and to know where to go if a warning is issued for their location throughout

HARDIN - A boil water order has been issued effective immediately for about 400 Illinois American Water customers in the Village of Hardin as continued improvements are made at the village’s water treatment plant, the company said. Customers should bring tap water to a rolling boil for five minutes before using it for drinking or cooking, according to Illinois American Water. The company said water remains safe for bathing, washing, and other common uses, and pressure impacts are not expected.

PONTOON BEACH – A Wood River man with a history of “violent and threatening conduct” faces his latest felony after allegedly severely injuring someone he shared a tent with. 51-year-old Timothy J. Chesus of Wood River was charged on June 8, 2026 with a Class 3 felony count of aggravated battery. From Feb. 19-20, 2026, Chesus allegedly caused great bodily harm to another individual without legal justification, causing the victim to lose consciousness and require medical treatment

COLLINSVILLE - The City of Collinsville will celebrate the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle with a major festival this weekend. From 2–7 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in uptown Collinsville, the community will come together for a car show, vendor fair, live music, contests, games and more. Organized by Mike Gassman and his family, the festival promises to be a fun event for catsup enthusiasts or anyone who enjoys the history of the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle. “Basically,

AMES, Iowa - Nearly 4,900 graduates received degrees from Iowa State University this spring. Graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies were held May 14-16, 2026. The following are graduates from the Riverbend area: HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, DEGREE, MAJOR(S), HONORS (if listed) Edwardsville, Illinois Sydney Rose Harris, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, B.A. Ethan Nicholas Pavlinek, Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, B.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees—issued the following statement in reaction to President Donald Trump’s disastrous U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding: “For over 100 days, an ‘end’ to this illegal and expensive war is all anyone has asked for. But there can be no other interpretation: Iran won, Trump caved and the American peopl

JERSEYVILLE — Jersey Community Unit School's Holly Lamer, Grace Russell, Ella Roberts and Maddy Highfill have been named to the Mississippi Valley Conference All-Conference Soccer team. The girls are also Sparklight Female Athletes of the Month. One of Lamer’s biggest moments of the season came April 17, 2026, when she scored the game-winning goal on a free kick against nearby rival Alton. Lamer was a sophomore this season and will return in 2027. Russell, one of the team’s

BRIGHTON - A fundraiser has been organized to support Colton Michael Bornes after his father, Damon Bornes of Brighton, died Sunday, June 14, 2026, in a car crash on State Street in Alton, according to organizer Diana Turnbough. Turnbough said the fundraiser was created to help Colton as he faces the loss of his father and to ease immediate financial burdens while providing support for his future. “On Sunday, June 14, 2026, our family lost Damon Bornes in a tragic car accident,”

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today highlighted his office’s work to defend civil rights and lawful diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts. “I have worked hard to be a strong advocate for civil rights and to combat discrimination, as attorney general and throughout my career as a public servant,” Raoul said. “Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom as well as a call to action to defend it. I’m proud of my office’s ongoing

EDWARDSVILLE/MARYVILLE - The 29th annual Anderson Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament was held on May 11, 2026, at the Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville and raised a total of $26,460. The winners of the tournament were: Mike Marshall, Steve Carey, Ethan Guss and Jared Hogan. The event featured eighteen holes of golf and included contests, such as the Men’s and Women’s Longest Drive and Men’s and Women’s Closest to the Pin, Buy A Drive Contest, and a Putting

JERSEYVILLE - Connor Talley, a Jersey Community High School student in the class of 2026, has been selected to play in the Illinois Shriners All-Star Football Game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at Tucci Stadium in Bloomington, Illinois. Talley will represent Team Blue in the All-Star Game. He is committed to play at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois, in the fall of 2026. At Jersey Community High School, Talley earned recognition as Mr. Panther, Best Defensive Lineman, and Best

Freedom for enslaved people in Texas was announced more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had already declared them free. That gap is the heart of Juneteenth, and it explains why the holiday is not only about celebration, but also about delay, struggle, and the unfinished work of making freedom real. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, the day Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved African Americans in the state were free. For many