Riverbender 🕸

MADISON COUNTY - Illinois State Police Troop 8 responded to a three-vehicle crash with reported injuries on the southbound Interstate 255 at Gateway Commerce Drive in Madison County at about 3:32 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The three-vehicle crash shut down all southbound lanes, and the ISP diverted traffic from the area. Preliminary information from Illinois State Police indicates injuries were reported, though no additional details were immediately available. "All southbound lanes of IL-255

WOOD RIVER – Exciting events are coming up this summer in Wood River following a $10,000 donation towards a July 3 drone show and city approval of other event requests. At the May 18, 2026 Wood River City Council meeting , Tiffany James with Midwest Members Credit Union presented Mayor Tom Stalcup with a $10,000 sponsorship check in support of Wood River’s upcoming Illinois 250 Celebration on Friday, July 3, 2026 . The family-fun event at Belk Park will run from 4 to 10 p.m.,

WOOD RIVER - Wood River Main Street promotes the revitalization of downtown Wood River, and Executive Director Kristen Burns is pleased to see their efforts growing. “Wood River is hopping,” Burns said. “It’s been dead for so long. We had some momentum a couple of years ago, and then it kind of fell flat, and then just started building again. You could just see the bubbling of it coming up, and then it exploded.” Burns noted that businesses along Ferguson

GLEN CARBON - Illinois State Police Troop 8 responded to a serious crash involving an overturned commercial vehicle on Interstate 255 southbound south of Interstate 270 in Madison County near Glen Carbon at approximately 1:36 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. ISP reported injuries in the crash, according to preliminary information from the agency. I-255 southbound lanes in that vicinity were open following the crash, Illinois State Police said in a response at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

ALTON - During their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education approved a couple of key appointments. Starting this next school year, Michelle Sherwin will serve as the K–8 Behavior Systems Support Specialist, and Rebecca Huller will serve as the new Supervisor of Special Ed. Both appointments were unanimously approved; Board members Tiana Gipson, Jason Harrison, and David Lauschke were absent. Sherwin has a bachelor’s

ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education recognized two students as Optimist Students of the Month. During their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Board honored Alton Middle School student Caidyn Bey and Early Childhood Center student Zaiden Carter for their hard work and kindness. Alton Middle School Principal Dr. Brian Saenz said he was “so impressed” when getting to know Bey. An “exceptional” student athlete, Bey has

GODFREY - Vitality Women's Clinic proudly celebrated its official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, May 6 at 12:30 p.m., welcoming more than 40 attendees from across the Riverbend region for a meaningful afternoon of connection, collaboration, and community celebration. The event brought together representatives with State Representative Amy Elik’s office, representatives from OSF St. Anthony's Healthcare, CALC, the clinic’s Board of Directors, local businesses, churches, nonprofit

SWANSEA - TWM, Inc., one of the top engineering and geospatial firms in the metro-east St. Louis area, is proud to announce Adam Bilzing, a senior at Belleville West High School, as the recipient of the inaugural Jim Barganier Memorial Scholarship. The $2,500 scholarship was established in honor of TWM’s late colleague and surveyor, Jim Barganier, PLS, to support students pursuing STEM-related degrees. Josh Hoffmann, Director of Geospatial Services at TWM, Jim’s wife Lori Barganier,

CENTRALIA - Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Intermountain Electronics announced the company will invest more than $15 million to expand their operations by adding more than 108,000 square feet of manufacturing space while creating 60 new full-time jobs and retaining their current workforce. “Illinois has a storied tradition as a manufacturing powerhouse, and we are thrilled Intermountain Electronics chose to expand in Centralia.

EDWARDSVILLE - A crowd gathered at the Glen-Ed Food Pantry for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of their new building. On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the Glen-Ed Food Pantry officially broke ground on their new facility, located next door to the current site at 125 Fifth Avenue in Edwardsville. The new facility will cost $3 million, raised through donations, and will serve community members in need for many years to come. “Hunger has been here since the beginning

TRENTON, Ill. — A 59-year-old man identified as David Jordan died after being struck by a vehicle late Tuesday in the 200 block of Wesclin Road in rural Trenton, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Clair County Coroner’s Office. At 11:51 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. Clinton County Sheriff Dan Travous said on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Law enforcemen

ALTON – An Alton resident who allegedly fired a weapon in a densely populated neighborhood, fled on foot from police, and more, faces his latest set of felony charges in Madison County. Joseph B. Davis, 57, of Alton, was charged on May 14, 2026 with one count each of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon (a Class 2 felony), reckless discharge of a firearm (a Class 4 felony), and resisting a peace officer (a Class A misdemeanor). On April 28, 2026, Davis allegedly knowingly discharged

GODFREY/HAMEL - Madison County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a suspect on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, after a pursuit that crossed multiple jurisdictions and ended at the Love’s Truck Stop in Hamel, Illinois, where authorities said the suspect fled on foot, attempted to hijack an occupied vehicle, and was taken into custody. Madison County Chief Sheriff's Deputy Marcos Pulido said deputies first responded at about 3:06 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, 2026, to Walmart in Godfrey after asset protectio

EAST ST. LOUIS - Even as a champion in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum has not forgotten his hometown roots. NBA player Jayson Tatum visited Dr. Katie Harper Wright Elementary School in East St. Louis School District 189 recently, where he met with student-athletes, spent time with the Wright Elementary basketball team and Coach Khalil Rainey, and congratulated the team on its season. The Celtics secured their most recent NBA title in the 2023-2024 basketball season and have

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – University of Saint Mary Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michelle Metzinger has announced the Spring 2026 Dean's List. The following USM students ended the semester with a 3.5 GPA or better. HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME Carrollton, IL Maddy Flowers The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located

LITCHFIELD — Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) to announce new investments in Litchfield to expand LLCC’s Truck Driver Training Program. The State of Illinois will provide $2.6 million for design and implementation of infrastructure improvements, which will create a new training site. This investment will help meet the growing need for licensed commercial drivers,

SPRINGFIELD – Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to the summer boating season, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Illinois Conservation Police are urging people to wear life jackets anytime they’re on the water and to only operate boats while sober. National Safe Boating Week is May 16-22, the week leading up to the Memorial Day holiday weekend, to raise awareness about safety on the water. “As boating season gets underway, IDNR’s

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and more than 200 law enforcement agencies throughout the state are teaming up to remind the public to buckle up and drive sober over the Memorial Day weekend. The effort coincides with the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign running through May 26. “Wearing a seat belt should be second nature for every driver and every passenger,” said Stephane B. Seck-Birhame, IDOT’s

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure that would prohibit retailers from refusing cash payments up to $500. “For many Illinois residents, cash remains a dependable and necessary way to pay for everyday purchases,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “People deserve the freedom to choose how they pay.” Belt’s measure would prohibit retailers from refusing cash payments up to $500 or posting signage that cash is not accepted. The measure includes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation—today excoriated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford for failing to implement urgently needed recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) final report on the DCA midair collision that would strengthen the safety of our aviation system and prevent future tragedies. During today’s