Riverbender 🕸

On April 17, 1961, a U.S.-backed force of Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs on Cuba’s southern coast, aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government. The invasion quickly unraveled, ending in a decisive defeat for the attackers. At the time, it mattered because it exposed the limits of covert power and pushed the United States and Cuba into a deeper, more hostile standoff. It still matters today because it helped lock the Caribbean into Cold War rivalries, strengthened Cuba’s

ALTON - OSF St. Anthony’s Wound Care Center of Excellence has been awarded the prestigious Center of Distinction award by Healogics ® , the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92 percent. This recognition is a testament to the exceptional care and dedication demonstrated by the Center’s physicians, leaders, and

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt’s measure to increase access to life-saving mental health resources and strengthen suicide prevention efforts across the state passed the Senate. “This legislation strengthens access to support for individuals facing a mental health crisis,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This will also give students tools and lessons to understand their feelings and know where to turn for help.” Belt’s measure would require numerou

ALTON - The Alton Police Department said charges have been filed in connection with a shots-fired investigation stemming from an April 11, 2026, incident on East 4th Street, citing the use of video evidence and license plate reader technology to identify vehicles involved. “This case is a strong example of how technology, teamwork, and persistent investigative work can quickly lead to those responsible for reckless and dangerous behavior,” Chief Jarrett Ford said. “Gun violenc

ALTON – A Missouri man accused of fleeing from multiple Madison County law enforcement agencies within two days faces charges in two felony cases. Jeremy W. Chaffin, 46, of Troy, Mo., was charged on April 2, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer in a case presented by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. In a separate but similar case presented by the Alton Police Department on the same day, Chaffin faces four total counts

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday, April 16, 2026, sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of a five-year-old to 30 years in prison. When Marshall Williams, 41, pleaded guilty in November to one count of production of child pornography, he admitted sexually abusing the victim and recording the abuse with his cell phone in March of 2024. After the victim’s aunt found the videos, she alerted the victim’s mother and they confronted Williams,

O’FALLON, IL — A goose that returned to O’Fallon Public Safety property this spring 2026 for the third consecutive year to lay eggs has been given space by officers to keep her safe, said O’Fallon Police. The department asked the public to help name her through a vote on its police Facebook page. The name selected was Sgt. Waddles, O'Fallon Police said. On April 16, 2026, the O’Fallon Police Department announced that “Sgt. Waddles” had “welcomed

GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney Catholic High School senior Liam Schmidt was honored as one of 26 students selected to the Illinois High School Association All-Academic Team, the school said recently, recognizing achievements that extend beyond athletic competition. The school said the honor requires athletes to be All-State, compete in multiple sports, and maintain strong grades. Schmidt is also a Byron, Carlson, Petri & Kalb Male Athlete of the Month for the Griffins. In outdoor track

O'FALLON, Ill. - The O’Fallon Police Department has introduced a new Blue Envelope Program, a voluntary and free initiative developed in partnership with The Autism Hero Project to support safer, more positive interactions between police and individuals on the autism spectrum. The department said the program provides an identifiable blue envelope that can be presented during contact with an O’Fallon Police officer. The envelope is intended to serve as a visual cue that

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 33 other attorneys general today won their lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster after a jury found that the companies violated federal and state antitrust laws by eliminating competition and driving up costs for fans, artists and venues across the country. After a five-week trial, the jury found that Raoul and the coalition successfully proved that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have unlawfully maintained an

EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is recognizing its telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, observed April 12-18, 2026, highlighting the role dispatchers play in answering 911 calls and coordinating emergency responses in Madison County. “This week, the Madison County Sheriff's Office proudly recognizes and celebrates our dedicated telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week,” the office said

April is National Donate Life Month, and few people understand the value of that kind of gift more than April Post of Normal, Illinois. The busy single mom is now living her best life because of someone else’s sacrifice. Post has been through it before. In high school, she was diagnosed with kidney failure after a routine physical showed significant lost kidney function due to a complication from a birth defect. Post’s dad was her living donor then. She was 13 and thrived for almos

MADISON – A Madison resident accused of firing a weapon at three women and initiating a shootout has been released from custody while facing felony charges. Jasper A. Belt, 29, of Madison, Ill., was charged on April 6, 2026 with three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, each Class 1 felonies. Belt is accused of knowingly discharging a firearm in the direction of three different women on April 3, 2026. A petition to deny Belt’s pretrial release from custody was filed

ALTON - Isabel (Izzi) Grace Hough, a junior at Marquette Catholic High School, is being recognized for soccer, a sport she says has shaped her growth on and off the field. Hough said she began playing through Park and Rec in kindergarten and continued when Alton Irish began when she was in second grade. She said she has played club soccer since and is now with SLSG. In the classroom, Hough said she is a member of NHS, the National Honor Society, and has maintained a 4.0 GPA at Marquette. “My

ELSAH - Students and community members are invited to Principia College for the launch of their student literary magazine and a reading by a renowned poet. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the creative writing program in Principia’s Center for Narrative, Meaning, and Media will host the event in the Marshall Brooks Library on campus in Elsah. From 5–6 p.m., attendees can join in a Q&A session with student editors of “Mistake House Magazine,” the college’s literary

EDWARDSVILLE — Marley Fox is emerging as the ace of the Edwardsville High School softball pitching staff as the senior continues her recovery from an early-season injury and delivers strong performances in the circle. Fox was sharp in early April during a doubleheader sweep of Quincy, when the Tigers won 15-0 and 17-2. In the first game, after allowing a leadoff single, she retired the next 12 batters in a row as Edwardsville earned a four-inning victory over the Blue Devils. She struck

GODFREY – Dual credit student Kimberly Price, of Civic Memorial High School, brought home the first-place prize, and $100 cash, in the 2026 “You Have a Voice!” humanities speech contest. The contest is held annually at Lewis and Clark Community College by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society and hosted by Elizabeth Grant, PTK Sponsor and Speech Professor. This year’s contest featured nine participants. It aims to give students an opportunity to share their thoughts

EDWARDSVILLE - Elementary schoolers in Edwardsville had a fun night of mathematics, games and engagement at their recent K–5 Math Night. On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 elementary school students and their families could come to Lincoln Middle School for the event. The Math Night, which had a glow theme, featured many math-based games and activities for families to complete together. “It was just a get-together to celebrate math and

MARYVILLE, Ill. — The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has awarded the Maryville Fire Department a $19,508 grant to buy a LUCAS 3 Chest Compression System, replacing an older model and expanding access to updated resuscitation equipment, the department said Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The grant is intended to help the department maintain the tools it needs to respond effectively in emergencies as first responders continue serving the Village of Maryville. The new chest compression

The strange thing about routines is that they can make life feel freer, not more restricted. When you don’t have to decide everything from scratch—what to eat, when to exercise, how to start work—you save your attention for choices that actually matter. That’s why routines show up everywhere, from morning coffee habits to flight checklists. The hidden cost of “deciding everything” People often assume routines are boring. Spontaneity sounds more fun. But constan