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DU QUOIN– Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 7 Special Agents arrested 28-year-old Trever Gallamore of Golconda, IL after a fatal crash in Pope County. On September 12, 2026, the Pope County Sheriff’s Office requested ISP investigate a single-unit crash on Waltersburg Road near Rock Road involving an ATV that ran off the roadway. The passenger, 20-year-old Abigail Moore of Harrisburg, IL was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver, Trever Gallamore,

C HICAGO – As Illinois communities and businesses continue to recover from Operation Midway Blitz – Trump’s lawless, lethal immigration enforcement effort – Governor JB Pritzker today marked one year since its launch by visiting impacted communities. This is part of the Governor’s continued outreach to Illinoisans whose lives were disrupted by Trump’s campaign of chaos and fear. After meeting with the owners of a childcare center and a family-owned market

EDWARDSVILLE/GLEN CARBON - The Madison County Historical Society will once again host their annual Living History Days Festival. On Oct. 2–4, 2026, community members can enjoy demonstrations, live music, games, displays, reenactors and more fun throughout the weekend. Cindy Reinhardt, one of the organizers, noted that the goal of Living History Days weekend is to bring history to the community and help people understand how the past shaped today. “With all of our events, and

ALTON — Alton Police Officer Hayley Porter, a St. Mary’s graduate, took part in an event at the school marking the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Porter’s appearance helped make the school’s anniversary remembrance even more special. Porter is shown above with Principal Mary Rivera and Kora, a student, during the ceremony. St. Mary's Rivera said the event brought together the school community and local service members to mark Patriot Day and reflect

A single leaf can signal a life change faster than a speech, a slogan, or a headline. That may sound like an overstatement, but think about how often leaves appear when people want to show transition. A leaf falls in a film scene before a major turning point. A green sprout appears in a company logo to suggest renewal. A family might press a leaf into a scrapbook after moving to a new home. Without saying much, the image does the work. It tells us that something is ending, something is beginning,

This Day in Music History: September 16 September 16, 1979, marks one of the clearest turning points in modern popular music: the Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight.” The record was not the first rap single, and hip-hop’s DJs, dancers, MCs and audiences had already built a rich culture in New York City. But its commercial reach brought rap to listeners far beyond those local scenes. Its long, playful verses, spoken in rhythm over a groove associated with Chic’s

On September 16, one of the most far-reaching events in world history took place in 1810, when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued the call that helped begin Mexico’s war for independence from Spanish rule. Often linked to the “Grito de Dolores,” this moment mattered immediately because it turned deep local anger over inequality, colonial control, and political uncertainty into open rebellion. It still matters today because it marked the start of a struggle that reshaped North

Fall fun, community benefits, markets, live music, family programs and volunteer opportunities are all on the calendar in the days ahead. For the complete list of area happenings, visit RiverBender.com Events . Opening Day for the Great Godfrey Maze brings a fall tradition back to Robert E. Glazebrook Park in Godfrey on Friday, Sept. 18. The maze will be open Fridays from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m., with the Haunted Maze opening Friday,

GODFREY – Godfrey may dedicate millions in emergency reserve funds to combat flooding affecting local homeowners pending future village approval. Godfrey resident Kaitlyn Chapman asked trustees at the Sept. 15, 2026 Village Board meeting what it would take to get a plan in place to address flooding in the village. Citing previous claims from Mayor Mike McCormick that the village “is in great financial shape,” she questioned why funds placed in reserves for emergencies are

ALTON - St. Mary’s Middle School students, faculty, staff, and administrators gathered Friday morning at the school’s new flag space with local first responders and members of the military for a Patriot Day ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Principal Mary Rivera said. The ceremony was held to help students, none of whom were alive when the attacks occurred, understand the significance of Sept. 11 while remembering the nearly 3,000 people

SPRINGFIELD - Madison County has been issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0655, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). The property assessment equalization factor, often called the "multiplier," is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state's 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties

EDWARDSVILLE - Reed Rusick is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound tight end for the Edwardsville High football team in 2026. Early in the season, Rusick expressed confidence the Tigers will finish with a solid season overall in 2026. Edwardsville, 1-3, hosts Granite City on Friday night, Sept. 18, 2026. Edwardsville dominated Belleville East this past Friday, 27-0. Rusick is an Edison's Entertainment Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers. "I think our leadership's gotten better than last year," he said.

EDWARDSVILLE — Caleb Dixon, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive and defensive lineman for Metro-East Lutheran's football team, sees his Knights loaded with talent and the right attitude to build on last year's 7-3 season. The Knights are already 3-0 in 2026 and host Meridian at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Meridian is 4-0 overall going into the matchup. Dixon, who recorded 19 tackles, including four solo stops, and one sack for seven yards last season, is entering his senior year

EDWARDSVILLE — Alexa Stock is one of five returning seniors for the Metro-East Lutheran girls volleyball team that has recorded four wins so far this season and appears on track for a productive fall. Stock, a libero/defensive specialist who led Metro-East Lutheran last season with 292 digs, said in the early season that she was confident in the team for her final season. “I think our team's a really strong team this year,” Stock said. “We have five seniors that are

CHICAGO — Today is National Voter Registration Day. Over the last seven-and-a-half years, Governor JB Pritzker has championed policies that protect Illinoisans’ voting rights and expand access to the ballot box in every part of the state. Gov. Pritzker made increased vote-by-mail options, secure drop boxes, and curbside voting permanent features of Illinois elections. He expanded early voting hours , strengthened election cybersecurity, and required election authorities to establish

SPRINGFIELD – Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville will join communities across the country for We Want More History, a nationwide celebration of history programming designed to connect people with stories about the places they call home. As part of the celebration, Cahokia Mounds will host two presentations, “National American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and Cahokia Mounds” and “Life at Cahokia: America’s Largest Indigenous City,”

ALTON – State Senator Erica Harriss and State Representative Amy Elik are offering a FREE Shred Day in Alton! Paper documents will be accepted for safe and secure destruction. Cardboard boxes used to transport documents will be returned to each person. The shredding company will accept a maximum of three bankers’ boxes per person. Event details are as follows: Alton VFW Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 4445 N. Alby St., Alton To participate, simply driv

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $66,345,494 in federal funding for infrastructure improvements at various airports across the state. This funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will help improve taxiways, accommodate more passengers and make travelling through Illinois airports safer and more efficient. “Illinois’s airports no

JERSEYVILLE – A Bethalto resident accused of trying to steal from a Jerseyville business using a bad check is one of two people charged in recent Jersey County cases. Kinnarkumar C. Patel, 43, of Bethalto, was charged on Sept. 11, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of deceptive practice. On June 3, 2026, Patel allegedly delivered a bank check to Fritz Meat & Processing in the amount of $3,126.47, intending to obtain U.S. currency from the store while knowing the check would not be paid by

EDWARDSVILLE — State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, released the following statement supporting The Alestle, the student newspaper at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and its student journalists: “Over the last few months, tensions have risen between student journalists and their institution’s administration over disagreements on what topic can or cannot be approached in The Alestle— a student-run newspaper that is operated by funds generated from student