Riverbender 🕸

ST. LOUIS – Communities in the tri-state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) St. Louis Division safely disposed of 25,726 pounds of unneeded and expired medications, October 25, at the 29th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Nationally, the DEA and its law enforcement partners removed 571,054 pounds of medication at 4,317 collection sites. Nearly 150 law enforcement partners across Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois joined the DEA in hosting 216 Take Back Day locations.

EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville School District #7 offers a unified sports program to promote inclusion by allowing students with and without disabilities to play together on the same team. Unified sports are currently offered at the middle school and high school levels, with some sports open to students as young as eight years old. This year’s unified sports lineup includes flag football, soccer, bowling, dance, bocce, bags, esports, basketball, and track and field. Looking ahea

BELLEVILLE - Althoff Catholic High School’s math team secured first place in its division for the fall season, capping off their successful run with strong individual and team performances at the final competition. The event, held recently as part of the fall math competition series, saw several Althoff students achieve top rankings. Freshman Marlena Youngmeyer placed first individually, followed closely by fellow freshman Marshall Hagene in second and Mason Barnhart in fourth. Sophomor

ALTON — Joseph Roberts, an Air Force Airman from Alton who served from 1967 to 1973 during the Vietnam War, is honored in a Veteran Salute. Roberts earned the National Defense Service Medal and the AFM 900-3 Vietnam Service Medal in recognition of his military service. The salute was submitted by Gwen Clark-Roberts, who included a message expressing gratitude: “Thank You for your service.” The Veteran Salute form allows community members to recognize and thank local veterans

TROY - The Triad High School Math Team delivered a strong performance Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, at the Southwestern Illinois Math Conference competition, finishing second overall in their division. Eleven of the 12 participating Triad students earned awards, marking a successful conclusion to the season. Triad students demonstrated their mathematical skills against other schools in the region. Triad award winners included Brooklyn Carter, Carter Mallette, Wes Bruns, Brody Busch, Caden

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 15 attorneys general and two cities, filed a comment letter opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to rescind the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The program is designed to collect accurate and comprehensive data on greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial sources across the United States. Its primary purpose is to provide policymakers, businesses, researchers and the public with

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office announced today that fire departments across the state are beginning the transition to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)—a secure, cloud-based platform built to modernize how emergency incidents are reported and analyzed. Departments across the country are onboarding to NERIS as part of a phased national rollout led by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the Department of Homeland Security Science

CHICAGO – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a multi-state coalition in filing comments opposing a proposed federal rule that would sharply limit the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) ability to hold employers accountable for known hazards in inherently risky professions. The coalition’s comments urge OSHA to withdraw its proposal, which seeks to reinterpret the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The

GLEN ELLYN — Governor JB Pritzker joined local, state, and community leaders today to celebrate the opening of a new facility at the Philip J. Rock Center and School, the only publicly funded residential school for deaf-blind children in the nation. The new facility will provide residency and education for up to 20 full-time students. This project was made possible by a $21.5 million investment from the Governor’s Rebuild Illinois capital program. “For nearly 50 years, the Philip

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed November as Adoption Awareness Month , joining the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in recognizing the remarkable commitment of thousands of families across the state who have welcomed 20,313 children into their homes over the past decade—providing love, stability and belonging when it was needed most. “Every child deserves a home where they feel loved, supported and safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker.

SPRINGFIELD – Marking a significant step forward in criminal justice reform, State Senator Christopher Belt supported a transformative approach to providing second chances while maintaining critical public safety protections. "The Clean Slate Act gives hope to those looking to start over and do better," said Belt (D-Swansea). "It is important to note that this bill only includes offenses that are currently sealable, we are simply making this process automatic." House Bill 1836 –

SWANSEA - At a Village Board meeting in Swansea, three police officers were recognized for their lifesaving efforts following a serious traffic crash. Swansea Officer Clayton Proffitt and O’Fallon Officers Benjamin Sosa and Michael Shewmaker received Lifesaving Awards for their critical care in assisting a victim who suffered severe injuries to her lower extremities. The officers’ quick assessment and application of multiple tourniquets were credited with playing a key role

ROXANA – State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton) and experts from Chestnut Health Systems are hosting a FREE Narcan Seminar and Giveaway. There will be two separate seminars and following each presentation attendees will receive Naloxone to take home and use in an emergency. “Opioid overdoses are becoming all too common,” said Rep. Elik. “Naloxone has already saved countless lives, and I’m proud to be teaming up with Chestnut Health Systems to educate the community

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Director Jerry Costello II was selected to receive the Honorary American FFA Degree, an award given to those who advance agricultural education and FFA through outstanding personal commitment. The National FFA Organization works to enhance the lives of youth through agricultural education. Without the efforts of highly dedicated individuals, thousands of young people would not be able to achieve the success that, in turn, contributes

EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Clerk Linda Andreas announced today that her office has begun utilizing data from the office of Coroner Nick Novacich to ensure that deceased residents are promptly and accurately removed from the county’s voter registration rolls. The collaboration reinforces Andreas’ commitment to election integrity and transparency. “Utilizing this information from the Coroner’s Office, rather than relying on information from the state alone, allows

SPRINGFIELD – The leaves are changing, the nights are getting longer, the smell of pumpkin spice is in the air – and deer are on the move. The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are reminding the public to be alert for deer as we enter peak mating season, with their movements and the chances for collisions both increasing, particularly at dawn and dusk through December. “In your travels this fall, please remember that deer can

ROXANA — A giant buck startled students and staff when it appeared on the playground at Central Intermediate Elementary School, officials said. The deer was first seen on the blacktop area of the school playground before it jumped over a six-foot fence and left the premises, according to Christine Higdon, who submitted the photo. “We had an early morning visitor on our playground, a giant buck,” Higdon said. “Before we had a chance to figure out how to get him off our

GODFREY – OSF Medical Group – Primary Care (Godfrey) is pleased to announce a new board-certified family medicine nurse practitioner has been added to its staff to better serve the primary care needs of Riverbend region residents. Jill Heitzig, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, is accepting new patients at OSF Medical Group – Primary Care, located at 6702 Godfrey Road, in Godfrey. Ms. Heitzig will see patients on Monday - Thursday, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Heitzig’s medical interests include

CHICAGO – November is National Veterans & Military Families Month, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is highlighting the licensing resources available to active service members, their spouses, and veterans whose active-duty service concluded within the past two years. These tools ensure these brave individuals can obtain the professional licensure needed to work in their chosen field as soon as possible in Illinois. “As we observe National

PONTOON BEACH - The City of Pontoon Beach is home to an exciting new business. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, TIG: The Integration Group celebrated the opening of their new warehouse at 1401 Tradeport Parkway in Pontoon Beach. CEO Mike Schoenfeld expressed his excitement to move into the new facility and share their work with the city and beyond. “We desire to be a long-term partner in the local community, creating jobs, supporting the economy and contributing to regional success,”