a Better Bubbleโ„ข

Riverbender ๐Ÿ•ธ

Darren Bailey Scheduled for Campaign Stop in Carrollton

2 days 6 hours ago
CARROLLTON — Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is scheduled to make a campaign stop in Carrollton on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, as part of his statewide bus tour, according to Billy Springman, the 21-year-old Greene County coordinator. The event is set for 3 to 4 p.m. at Walnut Hall Estates and is free and open to the public. Springman said the stop is intended to give local residents a chance to meet Bailey, hear his plans for Illinois and discuss issues important to the community.

Sen. Belt Announces $4 Million Grant For New Shiloh Police Station

2 days 6 hours ago
SWANSEA – State Senator Christopher Belt announced the release of a $4 million state grant for the Village of Shiloh to construct a new police station. The funding, previously announced as part of a $4.75 million allocation secured alongside State Representative Jay Hoffman, is now available to move the project toward a projected June or July groundbreaking. “As Shiloh continues to grow, we have a responsibility to ensure our law enforcement officers have a facility that

How Courtship Has Changed Over Centuries

2 days 7 hours ago
A single swipe can start a romance—but for most of human history, a “match” was something your family negotiated, your neighbors watched, and your community enforced. Courtship has never been just about two people liking each other. It has always been tied to money, safety, social rules, and the way people meet. What’s changed over the centuries is who gets to choose, how public the process is, and what counts as “serious.” The shift from supervised visits

This Day in History on February 25: Nikita Khrushchev Delivers "Secret Speech"

2 days 7 hours ago
On February 25, 1956, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev delivered a closed-door address that quietly shook the communist world. In what later became known as the “Secret Speech,” he condemned the crimes and abuses of Joseph Stalin, criticizing mass arrests, executions, and the culture of fear that had defined much of Soviet life for decades. At the time, the speech mattered because it cracked the image of an infallible state and signaled that the Soviet Union might change course after

Contractor Who Committed $1.7 Million in Pandemic Fraud Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

2 days 8 hours ago
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis area contractor who fraudulently obtained $1.7 million in pandemic loans to three years in prison and ordered her to repay the money. Coretta “Cory” Elliott, 53, owned and operated CMT LLC, a contractor that provided commercial construction, demolition, roofing, landscaping and remediation services. CMT also did business as CMT Roofing LLC. Elliott fraudulently obtained a first draw Paycheck

Today's Weather: Intermittent Clouds and a Morning Shower

2 days 9 hours ago
This morning starts off with cloudy skies and a few light rain showers in spots. Temperatures hover around the low 30s to upper 30s, feeling a bit chilly around 41 degrees with a light north wind just under 6 mph. By midday, the clouds begin to break up, giving way to a blend of sun and clouds. The high temperature reaches a cool 52 degrees in the afternoon with a gentle north wind that gusts up to 8 mph. As evening falls, cloud cover thickens again with breezy conditions picking up from the northeast,

Glen Carbon Approves Shake Shack Site Plan

2 days 20 hours ago
GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon residents are one step closer to welcoming a Shake Shack location. Trustees unanimously approved a site plan for Shake Shack at their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Community Development Director Erika Heil said the future fast-casual eatery will be located in Orchard Town Center and will feature a single-lane drive-thru. She said their business model is mostly based on being a dine-in service, so developers are not expecting major traffic at the site t

Excavation Crews Assist Firefighters After Massive Blaze at Wilshire Plaza in East Alton

2 days 21 hours ago
EAST ALTON — Crews from Stutz Excavating were called to the scene of a major strip mall fire Tuesday afternoon to begin moving debris, allowing firefighters better access to stubborn hotspots at Wilshire Plaza. Firefighters were first dispatched around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday to a large blaze at the Wilshire Village strip mall in the 600 block of Berkshire Boulevard. The East Alton Fire Department led the response, with assistance from nearly nine surrounding departments as flames tore through

Significant Road Safety Improvements Underway For U.S. 67

3 days ago
WEST ALTON, MO. - Transportation officials in Missouri have started a series of changes along U.S. Route 67 that would remove the corridor’s last traffic signal between Interstate 270 and Alton, Illinois, and replace several at-grade intersection movements with J-turns in an effort to reduce crashes. The Missouri Department of Transportation is presenting a preliminary plan to improve existing at-grade intersections along Route 67 at Cinder Road, Red School Road, Route 94/Richard Drive,

Attorneys Recognized With Honors

3 days ago
Simmons Hanly Conroy Partner Jared Hausmann Named 2026 ‘Influential Appellate Attorney’ by Missouri Lawyers Media ALTON – Simmons Hanly Conroy , a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, is pleased to announce that Jared Hausmann , a partner in the firm’s Alton office, has been recognized as a 2026 “Influential Appellate Attorney” by Missouri Lawyers Media. The Missouri Lawyers Awards recognize lawyers

The Salvation Army of Madison County Partners with Community Hope Center to Support the Unhoused Community

3 days ago
MADISON COUNTY — The Salvation Army of Madison County is proud to announce a step toward providing key support to the unhoused community, in partnership with the Community Hope Center. The organizations will create a shared campus and unified space where our most marginalized neighbors facing housing instability can access comprehensive and complementary services all in one place. "We are thrilled to join with the Community Hope Center to confront homelessness with hope, compassion, and

Associated Physicians Group Explains Hormone Replacement Therapy

3 days 1 hour ago
ALTON - Associated Physicians Group says hormone replacement therapy might be the answer you’ve been looking for. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is a way to adjust hormone levels in your body to mitigate symptoms like chronic fatigue, decrease in muscle mass, low libido, and menopausal symptoms. Mike Babinski, NP at Associated Physicians Group, said that HRT can be a great option for people who feel run down when symptoms aren’t explained by another condition. “It’s

Community Remembers Wigger's Life Beyond the Track and Field

3 days 1 hour ago
ALTON — Family and community members will gather this week at First Presbyterian Church in Alton to remember James O. “Jim” Wigger, a longtime teacher and coach whose track and cross-country teams won state titles and whose influence extended for decades in the area. Wigger's sons - Brad, Steve, and John - wanted to make sure the public was aware of the visitation and memorial service slated for this weekend in Alton. Wigger, known to many as “Coach Wigger,” died

Pontoon Beach Man Detained On 12 Counts Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

3 days 1 hour ago
PONTOON BEACH – A Pontoon Beach resident accused of using electronic technology to create and distribute child pornography faces 12 felony counts. Robert D. Murphy, 37, of Pontoon Beach, was charged on Feb. 17, 2026 with 12 counts of child sexual abuse material, each Class X felonies. Murphy allegedly used a computer application to produce multiple pornographic images depicting a now-14-year-old child and disseminated the photographs online via the Telegram application on Jan. 13, 2026.

Godfrey Business Spotlight: Freer Auto Body Gives Back

3 days 2 hours ago
GODFREY - I got into a car accident and the other driver said, “You didn’t even signal!” I said, “I did. I screamed.” Regardless of the circumstances, the car now has to be fixed……………Who you gonna call? Well, Freer Auto Body in Godfrey comes highly respected and “wreck-o-mended” as an I-CAR gold class facility. I-CAR is a nonprofit organization that provides technical services and courses for collision repair professionals.

Schnucks Robbery Suspect Also Charged With Terrorist Threat

3 days 2 hours ago
ALTON - Madison County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Godfrey man after authorities said he threatened to detonate an explosive during a robbery at a Schnucks grocery store in Godfrey, then fled and was captured following a foot pursuit in Alton. The robbery occurred at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Schnucks, 2712 Godfrey Road, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Madison County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Marcos Pulido said deputies said the suspect approached

Hayner Library Shares Free Spring Programs and Databases with Community

3 days 2 hours ago
ALTON - According to Hayner Public Library District Executive Director Mary Cordes, the spring season at Hayner might be their best yet. Cordes explained that most of the winter programs are coming to an end while the spring programs will start up in March. She is excited to share more opportunities with the community through events, databases, and initiatives. “It’s going well, going real well,” Cordes said. “We’re getting ready for our spring programs.”

Durbin Meets With New Fermilab Director

3 days 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus, today met with Dr. Nobert Holtkamp, the newly appointed Director of Fermilab. During their meeting, Durbin reaffirmed his support for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 17 National Laboratories, including Illinois’ own Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory. Durbin and Dr. Holtkamp spoke about Fermilab’s flagship research project, the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep

Alton High School Celebrates Black History Month with Fine Arts Showcase

3 days 2 hours ago
ALTON - Alton High School students commemorated Black History Month with an impressive fine arts performance. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, students presented a Black Student Excellence Showcase to celebrate Black History Month through the arts. From singing to dancing to theater and more, students paid tribute to the artists and leaders who went before them while community members cheered them on. “Black history is all of our history,” said Program Director Dr. Willie Kilpatrick.

Senate, House Democrats File Brief To Supreme Court Defending Birthright Citizenship Against Trump Attacks

3 days 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led a group of 216 House and Senate Democrats in filing a bicameral amicus brief standing up for the essential constitutional principle of birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara, currently before the Supreme Court with oral arguments scheduled for April 1, 2026. The Democratic lawmakers argue that President Donald Trump’s week-one